Name_______________________________________ Date________________________ Period______
Sedimentary Rocks Cloze
Use each word below once in the article. There are no extra words.
beneath
building
carried
Deposition
dissolved
glue
sedimentary size
shells soft
Chemical
minerals
clastic
mixture
coal
remains
Compaction
Sediment
three
Sedimentary rocks form from particles deposited by water and wind. Sand grains, mud, and
pebbles are some of the sediments that form sedimentary rock. __________________________ is
small, solid pieces of material that come from rocks or living things.
Weathering occurs when running water or wind loosens a piece of rock. Erosion occurs when
the sediment is _______________________ away. Eventually, the moving water or wind slows and
deposits the sediment. ________________________ is the process by which sediment settles or drops
out of the water or wind carrying it. After sediment has been deposited, the processes of compaction
and cementation change the sediment into ____________________________ rock. At first the layers
are heavy and press down on the layers __________________________ them. Then compaction
occurs. ____________________________ is the process that presses sediments together. Year after
year, more sediment falls, creating layers. The layers often remain visible in the sedimentary rock.
While compaction is taking place, the ______________________ in the rock slowly dissolve in the
water. Cementation is the process in which dissolved minerals crystallize and ____________________
particles of sediment together.
There are _________________ major groups of sedimentary rocks: clastic rocks, organic rocks,
and chemical rocks. Most sedimentary rocks are composed of broken pieces of other rocks. A clastic
rock is a sedimentary rock that forms when rock fragments are squeezed together. Clastic rocks are
grouped by the ________________________ of the rock fragments of which they are made. One
common clastic rock is shale, which forms from tiny particles of clay. Sandstone is a
_______________________ rock formed from the compaction and cementation of small particles of
sand. Some sedimentary rocks contain a _________________________ of rock fragments of different
sizes, including conglomerate, and breccia.
Organic rock forms where the ____________________ of plants and animals are deposited in
thick layers. Two important organic rocks are ____________________ and limestone. Coal forms from
the remains of swamp plants buried in water. Over millions of years, they slowly change into coal. The
hard shells of living things produce limestone. These _______________________ collect on the ocean
floor. Over millions of years, compaction and cementation of shell particles produce limestone.
Chemical rock forms when mineral that are dissolved in a solution crystallize. For example, a
type of limestone can form when calcite ____________________________ in water comes out of
solution and crystallizes. __________________________ rocks can also form from mineral deposits left
when seas or lakes evaporate. For thousands of years, people have used sandstone and limestone as
_______________________ materials. Both types of stone are ____________________ enough to be
easily cut into blocks or slabs. Limestone is also use in making cement.