Editing Sedimentology (section)

==Importance of sedimentary rocks==
[[File:UraniumMineUtah.JPG|thumb|[[Charles Steen#Mi Vida|Mi Vida uranium mine]] in [[redox]] mudstones near [[Moab, Utah]]]]
Sedimentary rocks provide a multitude of products which modern and ancient society has come to utilise.
* [[Art]]: [[marble]], although a [[metamorphic rock|metamorphosed]] [[limestone]], is an example of the use of sedimentary rocks in the pursuit of aesthetics and art
* Architectural uses: stone derived from sedimentary rocks is used for [[dimension stone]] and in [[architecture]], notably [[slate]] (metamorphosed [[shale]]) for [[Roofing material|roofing]], [[sandstone]] for load-bearing [[buttress]]es
* [[Ceramic]]s and industrial materials: [[clay]] for [[pottery]] and [[ceramic]]s including [[brick]]s; [[cement]] and [[lime (mineral)|lime]] derived from [[limestone]].
* [[Economic geology]]: sedimentary rocks host large deposits of [[Sedimentary exhalative deposits|SEDEX]] ore deposits of [[lead]]-[[zinc]]-[[silver]], large deposits of [[copper]], deposits of [[gold]], [[tungsten]], [[Uranium]], and many other precious minerals, [[gemstones]] and industrial minerals including [[heavy mineral sands ore deposits]]
* Energy: [[petroleum geology]] relies on the capacity of sedimentary rocks to generate deposits of [[petroleum]] [[oil]]s. [[Coal]] and [[oil shale]] are found in sedimentary rocks. A large proportion of the world's [[uranium]] energy resources are hosted within sedimentary successions.
* [[Groundwater]]: sedimentary rocks contain a large proportion of the Earth's groundwater [[aquifer]]s. Our understanding of the extent of these aquifers and how much water can be withdrawn from them depends critically on our knowledge of the rocks that hold them (the reservoir).