Which term describes sediments derived from erosion of land and deposited on the continental shelf?

Which term describes sediments derived from erosion of land and deposited on the continental shelf?

• A. Lithification
• B. Evaporite
• C. Hydrogenous Sediment
• D. Neritic Sediment

Answer: (D)

Sediment type is defined by where it comes from and where it settles. Sediments formed by the weathering and erosion of continental rocks are terrigenous or lithogenous. When these land-derived materials accumulate in shallow coastal waters on or near the continental shelf, they’re described as neritic sediments. So this term captures both the land origin and the nearshore, shelf-area deposition. The other terms don’t fit: lithification is the process of turning loose sediment into rock, not a description of origin or setting; evaporites form from evaporation of seawater in restricted basins; hydrogenous sediments precipitate directly from seawater.

Sediment type is defined by where it comes from and where it settles. Sediments formed by the weathering and erosion of continental rocks are terrigenous or lithogenous. When these land-derived materials accumulate in shallow coastal waters on or near the continental shelf, they’re described as neritic sediments. So this term captures both the land origin and the nearshore, shelf-area deposition.

The other terms don’t fit: lithification is the process of turning loose sediment into rock, not a description of origin or setting; evaporites form from evaporation of seawater in restricted basins; hydrogenous sediments precipitate directly from seawater.