Review of literatureI. Introduction to Sedimentary RocksSedimentary rocks have existed for millions of years. They are what shaped this land and what made it our home. Sedimentary rocks are made up of the accumulation of sediments. They form through a five-step cycle known as the rock cycle. Through this cycle rocks are formed and change from sediments to sedimentary rocks. In this process the first step is erosion. Weathering is the process of transforming solid rock into smaller fragments or dissolved ions through physical and chemical weathering. The two types of weathering are physical and chemical weathering. Chemical weathering is the breakdown of rocks by chemical agents. There are factors that influence the rate of chemical alteration. They include composition, particle size and climate. Physical weathering is the process that breaks down rocks without changing their physical composition. Physical weathering occurs most often in places such as mountains and hot deserts. There are two main types of physical alteration. The freeze-thaw that tends to occur when water collects in cracks, the water begins to freeze and expand eventually breaking the rock. Exfoliation occurs when cracks begin to develop parallel to the earth's surface. This is the result of pressure reduction during uplift and erosion. The next step is erosion. Erosion begins the transportation process by moving the weathered product from its original location. This can occur due to mass destruction events such as landslides or rockfalls, flowing water, wind or moving ice. Erosion involves the movement of solid material by transport agents. After erosion there is the transport phase. In transportation, s...... middle of paper ......thicker, more porous limestone or sandstone, called reservoir rock. Movement in the Earth captured oil and natural gas in reservoir rocks between layers of imperace rock, or cap rock. In Conclusion Sedimentary rocks go through a five-step process that transforms them from sediment to sedimentary rock. There are three classifications of sedimentary rocks: clastic, chemical and organic. These rocks can form in two different environments: Terrestrial (Non-Marine) and Marine. Their grain size and interrelationships between grains give the sediments texture. To extract oil from rock layers deep within the earth, many geologists use a method known as hydraulic fracturing (Fracking). They use other methods but this is the most common. Finally, oil is formed from the remains of plants and animals once also known as plankton.