[SOUND] [MUSIC] Now let's turn our attention back to sedimentary rocks. Geologists can characterize different types of sedimentary rocks based on the chemical composition of the rocks. For example we recognize siliceous rocks as ones that consist primarily of quartz. For example, a quartz sandstone is an example of a siliceous rock. We recognize argillaceous rocks as ones that are composed primarily of clay. The word argillaceous comes from the Latin word Argilli, which means clay. Also, we can recognize carbonate sedimentary rocks as ones that contain carbonate minerals, such as calcite or dolomite. And finally, we recognize a class called salts that have evaporated out of a salt solution. In addition to looking at chemical composition, we can also recognize different types of sedimentary rocks based on their texture, meaning the way in which the grains within the rock are arranged and are held together. Specifically, we distinguish between clastic sedimentary rocks, which are ones in which the grains are held together by a cement. In contrast to clastic rocks, we recognize crystalline sedimentary rocks, which are ones in which the crystals precipitated from a water solution and have an interlocking texture. So it's an important point, because you may have the idea that all crystalline rocks are igneous because igneous rocks form by solidification of a melt. But remember that some sedimentary rocks form by precipitation of crystals from a solution, and those kinds of rocks can have a crystalline texture. And in the case of clastic sedimentary rocks, the names are based on the grain size. For example, a very, very fine grained sedimentary rock, one that contains only clay sized grains, meaning they're so small you can only see them with a microscope, is called a shale. Shale, therefore, is dominantly composed of clay. As it forms, it tends to get compacted, and, as a consequence, when later on it's exposed in an outcrop, it tends to split into thin sheets. Siltstone consists of grains that are a little bit larger than clay. They would feel gritty if you were to put them on your tongue and crush them between your teeth, but they're smaller than sand grains. Rocks that are composed of silt sized grains is called siltstone. Similarly, rocks that have little bit bigger grains, grains that are about the same size as the grains that you'll see on beach, are called sandstone. When you get bigger grains than those that occur in sandstone, you have a rock that's either called a conglomerate, if the grains are rounded, or a breccia, a sedimentary breccia, if the grains are still somewhat angular. As we'll see, layers of sedimentary rock are deposited in succession. Each distinct layer that you can recognize as having a distinctive top and bottom is called a bed. And the occurrence of this layering is call bedding. Geologists also use the term strata to refer to a succession of beds. We can't leave our discussion of sedimentary strata without taking a quick visit to one of the worlds most dramatic examples, the Grand Canyon. The Grand Canyon is a deep gorge cut into flat lined strata that was deposited on the continent during the Paleozoic. It's now exposed because the Colorado River has cut about a 1.7 kilometer or about a mile deep gorge down into the strata. As we fly along the canyon, distorted a little bit in this Google Earth image, we get a sense, nevertheless, of the layer upon layer upon layer of sedimentary strata exposed in the walls of the canyon. Each of these, as we'll see later in the course, represents, a long interval of geologic time. If we switch to a photograph of the Grand Canyon that does not have the distortion that's inherent in Google Earth images, we can see much more distinctly the individual layers of strata. Some of these are limestones, some of these are sandstones, some are shales. The steeper cliffs are the more resistant layers of rock. And the gentler slopes are the less resistant layers of rock. So in general, the steep cliffs are massive sandstones or massive limestones, where the gentler slopes are exposures of shale. [MUSIC]