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Multiple Choice

What type of sedimentary rock forms when dissolved minerals precipitate from water?

Chemical sedimentary rocks form when minerals that were dissolved in water precipitate out of the solution and become solid. This happens when evaporation concentrates ions or when chemical conditions in the water change enough for minerals to crystallize and settle, gradually building up layers that lithify into rock. Common examples are rock salt and gypsum, which crystallize from brines, and calcite-rich rocks that form from precipitation in caves or warm, supersaturated waters. This formation process is different from clastic rocks, which are built from accumulated fragments of preexisting rocks; from organic rocks, which are derived from accumulated biological material; and from metamorphic rocks, which originate from existing rocks altered by heat and pressure.

Chemical sedimentary rocks form when minerals that were dissolved in water precipitate out of the solution and become solid. This happens when evaporation concentrates ions or when chemical conditions in the water change enough for minerals to crystallize and settle, gradually building up layers that lithify into rock. Common examples are rock salt and gypsum, which crystallize from brines, and calcite-rich rocks that form from precipitation in caves or warm, supersaturated waters. This formation process is different from clastic rocks, which are built from accumulated fragments of preexisting rocks; from organic rocks, which are derived from accumulated biological material; and from metamorphic rocks, which originate from existing rocks altered by heat and pressure.