Processes

Lithification

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Citation Formats

General Reference

Earth and Environment Atlas. "Lithification." Accessed August 30, 2026. https://earth.interactiveatlas.org/processes/lithification.

APA Style

Earth and Environment Atlas. (n.d.). Lithification. Retrieved August 30, 2026, from https://earth.interactiveatlas.org/processes/lithification

BibTeX

@misc{earthandenvironmentatlas-lithification,
  author = {Earth and Environment Atlas},
  title = {Lithification},
  year = {2026},
  url = {https://earth.interactiveatlas.org/processes/lithification},
  note = {Accessed August 30, 2026}
}

The process in which sediments compact under pressure, expel connate fluids and gradually become solid rock: a destruction of porosity through compaction and cementation. It covers all the processes that convert unconsolidated sediments into sedimentary rocks; petrifaction, though often used as a synonym, more specifically names the replacement of organic material by silica in the formation of fossils.

Facts

Timescale

Thousands to millions of years, depending on sediment type and burial depth. 1

Driving Force

Compaction under the weight of accumulating sediment and cementation as dissolved minerals precipitate in the pore spaces between grains. 1

Resulting Feature

Converts loose, unconsolidated sediment into coherent sedimentary rock. 1

Significance

Lithification is the step that turns sediment into the rock record geologists read to reconstruct Earth's past environments. 1

Cross-Tradition Connections