This term is the process of forming a sedimentary rock from the clastic grains. May also be in conjunction with several geochemical processes such as cementation reactions and chemical dissolution.

This term is the process of forming a sedimentary rock from the clastic grains. May also be in conjunction with several geochemical processes such as cementation reactions and chemical dissolution.

• A. Diagenesis
• B. Lithification
• C. Metamorphism
• D. Weathering

Answer: (A)

Diagenesis is the physical, chemical, and biological evolution that turns clastic sediments into sedimentary rock after deposition. It covers compaction, cementation—where minerals precipitate from pore waters to glue the grains—and chemical processes like dissolution and re-precipitation that alter mineralogy during burial. These low-temperature, relatively shallow changes drive lithification, the broader act of turning loose sediment into rock. While lithification describes the overall process, diagenesis focuses on the specific chemical and physical alterations, including cementation and dissolution, that occur as the sediment becomes solid rock. Metamorphism involves higher temperatures and pressures that create different rock types, and weathering is the surface breakdown of rocks before they become sediment.

Diagenesis is the physical, chemical, and biological evolution that turns clastic sediments into sedimentary rock after deposition. It covers compaction, cementation—where minerals precipitate from pore waters to glue the grains—and chemical processes like dissolution and re-precipitation that alter mineralogy during burial. These low-temperature, relatively shallow changes drive lithification, the broader act of turning loose sediment into rock. While lithification describes the overall process, diagenesis focuses on the specific chemical and physical alterations, including cementation and dissolution, that occur as the sediment becomes solid rock. Metamorphism involves higher temperatures and pressures that create different rock types, and weathering is the surface breakdown of rocks before they become sediment.