Skip to main content Skip to Search Box
Definition: sediment from Dictionary of Energy

Earth Science. fragments of organic or inorganic material that are transported by, suspended in, or deposited by wind, water, or ice, and that then are accumulated in unconsolidated layers on the surface of the earth.

sediment

From The Columbia Encyclopedia
mineral or organic particles that are deposited by the action of wind, water, or glacial ice. These sediments can eventually form sedimentary rocks (see rock ). Sediments are commonly subdivided into three major groups—mechanical, chemical, and organic. Mechanical, or clastic, sediments are derived from the erosion of earlier formed rocks on the earth's surface or in the oceans. These are then carried by streams, winds, or glaciers to the site where they are deposited. Streams deposit sediment in floodplains or carry these particles to the ocean, where they may be deposited as a delta . Ocean sediments, especially in the form of turbidites, are usually deposited at the foot of continental slopes (see oceans ). Glaciers carry sediment frozen within the mass of the ice and are capable of carrying even huge boulders (erratics). Chemical sediments are formed by chemical reactions in seawater that result in the precipitation of minute mineral crystals, which settle to the floor of the sea…
3,285 results

Full text Article sediment

From Science Encyclopedia: Encyclopedia of Marine Science
Unconsolidated grains of inorganic and organic material that is suspended in and being transported by air, water, or ice and is deposited onto the seafloor is called sediment. After storms or snow melt, lithogenous sediments (topsoil, sand, and minerals) may be washed from the land into rivers, …
| 729 words
Key concepts:

Full text Article sediment

From The Columbia Encyclopedia
mineral or organic particles that are deposited by the action of wind, water, or glacial ice. These sediments can eventually form sedimentary rocks (see rock ). Sediments are commonly subdivided into three major groups—mechanical, chemical, and organic. Mechanical, or clastic, sediments are derived…
| 341 words
Key concepts:
Found at depths of 1000 metres (3300 feet) or more are the bioclastic oozes, or pelagic deposits. Calcareous sediments are composed of the chalky remains of foraminifera and pteropods, whereas silaceous sediments are formed of the shells of radiolarians and diatoms, the single-celled phytoplankton…
| 188 words
Key concepts:

Full text Article sediments, marine

From Environmental History and Global Change: A Dictionary of Environmental History
Deep sea sediments accumulate very slowly but record changes in the environment such as air temperatures and ocean salinity. Marine sediments contain two main sources of climatic information: first, the ratio of oxygen isotopes in the calcium carbonate of foraminifera which varied with the advance…
| 211 words
Key concepts:
The nature of the sediments found along shorelines reflects their source. In the temperate region, beaches are normally formed of materials of mineral rather than organic origin. In contrast, along many tropical shorelines, entire beaches are comprised of bioclastic sand, formed by the weathering of…
| 157 words
Key concepts:

Full text Article Sediments

From Encyclopedia of Ocean Sciences
Bathymetry Calcium Carbonates Chemical Processes in Estuarine Sediments Clay Mineralogy Deep Sea Sediment: Pore Water Chemistry Deep-Sea Bottom Currents: Their Nature and Distribution Deep-Sea Contourites Drifts, Erosional Features and Bedforms Deep-Sea Contourites: Sediments and Cycles Deep-S... …
| 114 words
Key concepts:
Distribution of major ooean margin...
Abstract The boundary between oceans and continents—the ocean margin—comprises the largest sediment repository on earth, accounting for 80% of all sediment mass accumulating at earth's surface. These sedimentary deposits record a history of the terrestrial, climatic, and oceanographic processes that…
| 5,376 words , 5 images
Key concepts:
Some of the fundamentals of the...
000 Abstract Sedimentary environments constitute one of the most abundant habitats on the planet. Not only are active sedimentary environments found on >75% of the Earth's surface (ocean and lake bottoms), but much of the continental mass consists of uplifted oceanic sediments, carrying the…
| 9,397 words , 3 images
Sediment as sinks for inorganic and...
Abstract Evident and pervasive anthropogenic changes in the environment, such as pollution, acidification, modification of natural biogeochemical cycles, climate change, loss of biodiversity, and others, have been recorded in sediments of the Anthropocene. In this article, we discuss the nature and…
| 4,717 words , 2 images
Key concepts:
Three-dimensional reconstruction of a...
Because of the ease with which sound can be transmitted in sea water, acoustic techniques have provided a very powerful means for accumulating knowledge of the environment below the ocean surface. Consequently, the fields of underwater acoustics and marine seismology have both used sound…
| 5,566 words , 25 images
Key concepts:
Mind Map

Stack overflow
More Library Resources