Terrigenous
Encyclopedia
In oceanography
, terrigenous sediments are those derived from the erosion of rocks
on land; that is, that are derived from terrestrial environments.(Pinet, 79) Consisting of sand
, mud
, and silt
carried to sea by river
s, their composition is usually related to their source rocks; deposition of these sediments is largely limited to the continental shelf
.(Pinet, 79-83)
Sources of terrigenous sediments include volcanoes, weathering of rocks, wind-blown dust, grinding by glaciers, and sediment carried by icebergs.
Oceanography
Oceanography , also called oceanology or marine science, is the branch of Earth science that studies the ocean...
, terrigenous sediments are those derived from the erosion of rocks
Rock (geology)
In geology, rock or stone is a naturally occurring solid aggregate of minerals and/or mineraloids.The Earth's outer solid layer, the lithosphere, is made of rock. In general rocks are of three types, namely, igneous, sedimentary, and metamorphic...
on land; that is, that are derived from terrestrial environments.(Pinet, 79) Consisting of sand
Sand
Sand is a naturally occurring granular material composed of finely divided rock and mineral particles.The composition of sand is highly variable, depending on the local rock sources and conditions, but the most common constituent of sand in inland continental settings and non-tropical coastal...
, mud
Mud
Mud is a mixture of water and some combination of soil, silt, and clay. Ancient mud deposits harden over geological time to form sedimentary rock such as shale or mudstone . When geological deposits of mud are formed in estuaries the resultant layers are termed bay muds...
, and silt
Silt
Silt is granular material of a size somewhere between sand and clay whose mineral origin is quartz and feldspar. Silt may occur as a soil or as suspended sediment in a surface water body...
carried to sea by river
River
A river is a natural watercourse, usually freshwater, flowing towards an ocean, a lake, a sea, or another river. In a few cases, a river simply flows into the ground or dries up completely before reaching another body of water. Small rivers may also be called by several other names, including...
s, their composition is usually related to their source rocks; deposition of these sediments is largely limited to the continental shelf
Continental shelf
The continental shelf is the extended perimeter of each continent and associated coastal plain. Much of the shelf was exposed during glacial periods, but is now submerged under relatively shallow seas and gulfs, and was similarly submerged during other interglacial periods. The continental margin,...
.(Pinet, 79-83)
Sources of terrigenous sediments include volcanoes, weathering of rocks, wind-blown dust, grinding by glaciers, and sediment carried by icebergs.