sedimentologists
Study deposited material
Sedimentologists are scientists who study sediments—the particles of rock, mineral, and organic matter that settle in layers on Earth's surface.
They analyze how sediments form, transport, and accumulate, reading geological history in riverbeds, ocean floors, and ancient rock formations.
The field intersects geology, oceanography, and environmental science: Sedimentologists examined core samples to reconstruct the region's climate over millennia.
Materials covering a mattress
- laminationBonding sheets together
- faciesDiagnostic facial appearance
- cross-beddingAngled layers within strata
- superpositionCoexisting in multiple states
unconformity · correlation · sequence · strata · outcrop · geochronology · deposition · transgression
Made of rock fragments
- carbonatesDissolves CO2 into liquid
- mineralogyScience of inorganic solids
- petrologyScientific study of rocks
- provenanceRecord of ownership
sorting · porosity · permeability · cementation · compaction · sandstone · mudstone · shale
Surfacing native stone
- loggingRecording system events
- sample collectionAcquiring representative portions for study
- GPSSatellite-based location technology
- wirelineCable for well measurements
Relating to rivers
- deltaicOf river-mouth landforms
- marineRelating to the sea
- alluvialDeposited by moving water
- estuarineOf river mouths
aeolian · tidal · deepwater · continental shelf · barrier island · coastal · reef · abyssal
Preserved signs of activity
- microfossilsMinute preserved organism remains
- fossilizationOrganic remains becoming mineral
- paleoecologyStudy of prehistoric ecosystems
- burrowsAnimal-dug underground shelters
bedding
Materials covering a mattress
- laminationBonding sheets together
- faciesDiagnostic facial appearance
- cross-beddingAngled layers within strata
superposition · unconformity · correlation · sequence · strata · outcrop · geochronology · deposition · transgression · regression
clastic
Made of rock fragments
- carbonatesDissolves CO2 into liquid
- mineralogyScience of inorganic solids
- petrologyScientific study of rocks
provenance · sorting · porosity · permeability · cementation · compaction · sandstone · mudstone · shale · limestone
outcrop
Surfacing native stone
- loggingRecording system events
- sample collectionAcquiring representative portions for study
- GPSSatellite-based location technology
fluvial
Relating to rivers
estuarine · aeolian · tidal · deepwater · continental shelf · barrier island · coastal · reef · abyssal · pelagic
trace fossils
Preserved signs of activity
- microfossilsMinute preserved organism remains
- fossilizationOrganic remains becoming mineral
- paleoecologyStudy of prehistoric ecosystems
sedimentologistsvolcanologists
Eruption and magma researchers
seismologists · geophysicists · glaciologists · hydrogeologists · mineralogists
sediment, sediments, sedimentary, sedimentation, sedimented, sedimentology, sedimentary rock