Characteristics of Sedimentary Rocks There are several characteristics of sedimentary rocks that make them easy to identify. 1. Like the rock seen in Figure 10, some sedimentary rocks are composed of sediment. Figure 10. The pebbles embedded in this breccia is a common characteristic of some sedimentary rocks.

Characteristics of Sedimentary Rocks 2. Many sedimentary rocks are made of sediments too small to see, however almost every sedimentary rocks is made from the deposition of sediment. This makes layers like the ones you see in the outcrop on the right. The layers of sedimentary rocks is called strata and therefore most sedimentary rocks are stratified.

Treman State Park in Ithaca, NY Notice the layers of shale and siltstone seen in the gorges of Treman State Park.

Characteristics of Sedimentary Rocks b c 3. Many sedimentary rocks contain fossils like the ones in Figure 11. These fossils form when organisms are quickly buried, typically by mud, and when the mud is converted into rock the imprint of the organism can be preserved. d Figure 11. Palm ferns (a), crinoids (b), trilobites (c), and New York’s state fossil eurypterids (d) are all organisms that existed millions of years ago.