1. 14. Marine Sediments
pages 113-136 in your text
It’s a Wet, Dirty World!
Ya Gotta Love It!!!

2. What is Sediment?
Matter that has been deposited by some
natural process

3. Where does marine sediment come
from?
Major Sediment Input to the Oceans-Land
Rivers contribute the most
Other Sources:
Glaciers and ice sheets
Wind blown dust
Coastal erosion
Volcanic debris
Groundwater

4. How do we know? We sample!

5. How is marine sediment classified?
• Oceanic (AKA Pelagic) – those found in
the open ocean (further away from
land)
• Neritic – those found in waters above
continental margins (closer to land)
(coastal, “n” for nearshore)

6. What sediments are found where?
Neritic
Pelagic

7. What are the sediment types?
1) Terrigenous - derived from land
2) Biogenous - derived from plants and animals
3) Hydrogenous - formed on or in the
sediments on the sea floor (AKA Authigenic)
4) Cosmogenous - particles from outer space
See page 119 in your text for a summary of
these

9. 1) Terrigenous Sediment
ex. Sahara Dust –

10. Turbidites – another example of
Terrigenous Sediment
Like a
landslide,
but it
happens
under
water

11. 2)

12. If the ocean becomes more acidic, organisms
with calcium skeletons will be in trouble
Coccolithophore subjected to
acidic seas – before and after:
Corals have
calcium shells –
imagine a huge
worldwide reef
die-off!

13. Can you find the coccolithophore bloom?

14. Still don’t believe a teeny
organism can make sediment?
Famous White Chalk
cliffs in Etretat France –
actually hundreds of
millions of
coccolithophores!
Famous Painting by Monet:

15. 3 & 4)

16. Evaporites – an example of
(3) Hydrogenous Sediment
Form when
seawater
evaporates
and is not
replaced
with fresh
water

17. Sampling for an example of Hydrogenous
Sediment – Hydrothermal Vents

18. Closer to Home…
Long Island –
Fire Island
Beach Sand
is mostly
Quartz,
Garnet, and
Magnetite

19. Grain Sizes
What is the
name of this
equipment?

20. Need To Check Your Notes?
• Check your details in your text and on
these sites:
http://www.indiana.edu/~g131/seds.html
http://geology.uprm.edu/Morelock/dpseaterrig.htm