Question

Minerals are deposited and accumulated in the Horizontal strata of which of the following rocks?
A. Sedimentary rocks
B. Igneous rocks
C. Metamorphic rocks
D. None of the above

Answer 1

Hint: When sediment is initially deposited, it lays down in horizontal layers known as strata. Stratigraphy is the study and correlations of these layers. Nicolaus Steno, a physician, was the very first man to discover the science behind this scenario.

Complete answer: The layers of rock, or sometimes soil, are called Strata. A stratum comes in many layers naturally. These layers are laid down often in the sea as sediment and are slowly changed into rocks by the action of pressure, heat, and chemicals. The horizontal strata in Sedimentary rocks are where the minerals are deposited and accumulated. The particles that form a sedimentary rock are known as sediment. Erosion, weathering, dissolution, precipitation, and lithification are the most important processes in the formation of sedimentary rocks. Large rocks are broken down into smaller ones due to erosion and weathering which include wind and rain. Boulders and even mountains are also transformed into mud and sand due to erosion and weathering. Dissolution is also a type of chemical weathering where water that is slightly acidic wears away the stone slowly. These three processes create new raw material for the creation of new sedimentary rocks. Precipitation and lithification are the processes that build new rocks or minerals. Rocks and minerals are formed from the precipitates of water in the process of precipitation. In lithification, clay, sand, and other sediments which are on the bottom of the ocean or the other bodies of water, slowly form into rocks due to the weight of overlying sediments.

Thus, option (A) is correct.

Note: A stratum gets worn down by erosion when they rise above the sea level. Due to this, gaps are formed in the sequence of strata and these gaps are called unconformities. However, these gaps have risen and also sunk many times in Earth’s history.