The physical, chemical and biological changes that transform loose sediment into solid sedimentary rock after burial, including compaction under the weight of overlying material and cementation as minerals precipitate from groundwater to bind grains together. Diagenesis operates at temperatures and pressures well below those of metamorphism, and is the process that ultimately turns sand into sandstone and mud into shale.
Facts
Process TypeBiogeochemical or Pedological 1 Sources
1. Diagenesis (Wikipedia)
Wikimedia FoundationIntroductionQuote, Introduction
Diagenesis is the process of physical and chemical changes in sediments first caused by water-rock interactions, microbial activity, and compaction after their deposition.
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