Sediment

Sediment is made of small particles deposited in water or on land. After deposition, sediments may stay in their new place a long time and be covered by newer sediments. Pressure may slowly transform sediment into sedimentary rocks.

The word sediment is also used for material transported by wind or water, and deposited on the surface. Sediments are often eroded again and deposited in a new place. The study of how sedimentary rocks are formed is called sedimentology.

In more general use, sediment is any matter which falls to the bottom of a liquid, such as beer.

Sediment Media

• Sediment plume at sea.jpg

  River Tiber discharging sediment into the ocean
• Sediment in the Gulf of Mexico.jpg

  Sediment in the Gulf of Mexico

• Sediment off the Yucatan Peninsula.jpg

  Sediment off the Yucatán Peninsula

• Rounding & sphericity EN.svg

  Schematic representation of difference in grain shape. Two parameters are shown: sphericity (vertical) and rounding (horizontal).

• Rounding.gif

  Comparison chart for evaluating roundness of sediment grains

• StoneFormationInWater.jpg

  Sediment builds up on human-made breakwaters because they reduce the speed of water flow, so the stream cannot carry as much sediment load.

• Glacial Transportation and Deposition.jpg

  Glacial transport of boulders. These boulders will be deposited as the glacier retreats.

• GLMsed.jpg

  Glacial sediments from Montana

• EolianiteLongIsland.JPG

  Holocene eolianite and a carbonate beach on Long Island, Bahamas