What is sediment and what are the four classifications of marine sediments based on their origin?


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Sediment is a general term referring to particles of organic or inorganic matter that accumulate in a loose, unconsolidated form. The appearance of sediment can vary widely, coming in a range of sizes and types, from the common beach sand to manganese nodules of the deep Pacific seafloor. The sediments that cover the surface of seafloor are classified as 1 ) terrigenous sediments that originate on the continents or islands from erosion, volcanic eruptions, and blown dust, 2 ) biogenous sediments that originate from microorganisms, 3 ) hydrogenous sediments that formed in-place from chemical reaction in the water, and 4 ) cosmogenous sediments that have an extraterrestrial origin. Cosmogenous sediments are very rare in the ocean, though.

Environmental & Atmospheric Sciences

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What will be an ideal response?

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Fill in the blank(s) with the appropriate word(s).

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What will be an ideal response?

Environmental & Atmospheric Sciences