Terrigenous sediment

In oceanography, terrigenous sediments are those derived from the erosion of rocks on land; that is, they are derived from terrestrial (as opposed to marine) environments.[1] Consisting of sand, mud, and silt carried to sea by rivers, their composition is usually related to their source rocks; deposition of these sediments is largely limited to the continental shelf.[2]

Sources of terrigenous sediments include volcanoes, weathering of rocks, wind-blown dust, grinding by glaciers, and sediment carried by rivers or icebergs.[3]

Terrigenous sediments are responsible for a significant amount of the salt in today's oceans. Over time rivers continue to carry minerals to the ocean but when water evaporates, it leaves the minerals behind. Since chlorine and sodium are not consumed by biological processes, these two elements constitute the greatest portion of dissolved minerals.[4]

  1. ^ Pinet 1996, p. 79.
  2. ^ Pinet 1996, pp. 79–83.
  3. ^ Earle, Steven (23 September 2019). "18.3 Sea-Floor Sediments". Archived from the original on 3 May 2020.
  4. ^ Swensen, Herbert (1983). "Why is The Ocean Salty?" (PDF). United States Geological Survey. Archived (PDF) from the original on 27 April 2015. Retrieved 26 April 2023.