sedimentary layers
Deposited geological formations
Sedimentary layers are horizontal bands of rock formed when sediment—sand, mud, organic matter—accumulates and compresses over geological time.
Each layer represents a distinct period of deposition, making them a record of Earth's history.
Geologists read these strata to understand past environments, climate shifts, and the sequence of life: The fossil was found in sedimentary layers dating to the Jurassic.
- unconformityGap in rock sequence
- fault linesFractures between rock masses
- stratigraphyStudy of rock layers
- rock layersSuperimposed geological deposits
- erosionGradual wearing away
sandstone · geology · river delta · shale · facies · evaporites · cross-bedding · deposition · fossil record · stratification · limestone · ocean basin · sedimentology · superposition · laid down · riverbed · silt · outcrop
- earth scienceatmosphere, earthquake, geology, volcano, crust
- geologybedrock, fault lines, faults, rock, basalt
- American geologyGrand Canyon, Yellowstone, Rocky Mountains, Appalachians, Sierra Nevada
- Earth historyice age, geological time, extinction, eons, fossil
- British geologychalk, flint, limestone, shale, sandstone
- desert geologyslot canyon, slot canyons, dunes, ergs, mesa
sedimentary layersvolcanic rock
Cooled magma material
metamorphic rock · lava flows · igneous rock · basalt · granite