sedimentation

American  

[sed-uh-muhn-tey-shuhn] / ˌsɛd ə mənˈteɪ ʃən /

noun

1. the deposition or accumulation of sediment.

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sedimentation British  

/ ˌsɛdɪmɛnˈteɪʃən /

noun

1. the process of formation of sedimentary rocks

2. the deposition or production of sediment

3. chem biochem the process by which large molecules or macroscopic particles are concentrated in a centrifugal field in a centrifuge or ultracentrifuge

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Other Word Forms

• self-sedimentation noun

Etymology

Origin of sedimentation

First recorded in 1870–75; sediment + -ation

Explanation

The process of particles settling to the bottom of a body of water is called sedimentation. In lakes and rivers, sedimentation can sometimes cause problems for the organisms living there. The best thing about sedimentation is that it can tell geologists a lot about lakes, rivers, and rocky areas from the clues it leaves behind. Layers of sediment in rocks from past sedimentation show the action of currents, reveal fossils, and give evidence of human activity. Sedimentation can be traced back to the Latin sedimentum, "a settling or a sinking down."

Example Sentences

Using Helium-3 data from six K/Pg boundary locations in Europe, North Africa, and the Gulf of Mexico, the team calculated improved sedimentation rates.

From Science Daily • Mar. 15, 2026

“If we have a really hot fire that cooks the vegetation that holds the soil together, we could have increased sedimentation, debris and ash flow,” Johnson said.

From Los Angeles Times • Aug. 6, 2024

For example, all five of the plant’s primary sedimentation tanks, which remove solids from wastewater, had been out of commission since March 2023.

From Los Angeles Times • Jul. 19, 2024

Those issues include problems with the four tubes such as sedimentation and cavitation — when tiny air bubbles develop while water passes through plumbing.

From Seattle Times • Apr. 16, 2024

From these layers it spreads through the rest of the liquid, being most retarded, however, in the red corpuscle layer, and particularly so if the sedimentation has been very complete.

From Encyclopaedia Britannica, 11th Edition, Volume 4, Slice 1 "Bisharin" to "Bohea" by Various