ESS Regents Practice Exam

Which statement correctly describes lithification?

It is the process of melting rocks into magma It is the process by which sediment becomes sedimentary rock through compaction and cementation It is the process of mineral dissolution by acid It is the process of metamorphism due to heat

Correct Answer:

It is the process by which sediment becomes sedimentary rock through compaction and cementation

Explanation:

Lithification is the process by which loose sediment becomes sedimentary rock through compaction and cementation. As layers accumulate, the weight of overlying material squeezes the grains, reducing pore space and driving out water. At the same time, minerals dissolved in groundwater precipitate and act as cement, binding the grains together. This combination—grains pressed together and glued by cement—solidifies the sediment into rock, like sandstone or limestone. This is distinct from melting rocks into magma (an igneous process), dissolution by acid (a weathering/chemical process), or metamorphism from heat (which changes minerals and texture under high temperature and pressure).

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