sedimentation
Americannoun
noun
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the process of formation of sedimentary rocks
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the deposition or production of sediment
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chem biochem the process by which large molecules or macroscopic particles are concentrated in a centrifugal field in a centrifuge or ultracentrifuge
Other Word Forms
Derived Forms
Etymology
Origin of sedimentation
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."
Vocabulary lists containing sedimentation
Plate Tectonics - Middle School
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Plate Tectonics - Introductory
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Earth Science - Middle School
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Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
"This instrument allowed us to observe sedimentation in real-time," says geologist Professor Michael Stipp at MLU.
From Science Daily • Dec. 2, 2024
He had deep knowledge of natural processes such as sedimentation.
From Science Daily • Nov. 21, 2024
“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
An ore formed by direct processes of sedimentation has sometimes been called primary, whereas an ore formed by later enrichment of these sediments has been called secondary.
From The Economic Aspect of Geology by Leith, C. K. (Charles Kenneth)
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
