Lithification (from the
Ancient Greek word lithos meaning 'rock' and the
Latin-derived suffix -ific) is the process in which
sediments compact under
pressure, expel
connate fluids, and gradually become solid rock. Essentially, lithification is a process of
porosity destruction through
compaction and
cementation. Lithification includes all the processes which convert unconsolidated sediments into
sedimentary rocks.
Petrifaction, though often used as a synonym, is more specifically used to describe the replacement of
organic material by
silica in the formation of
fossils.[1]
See also
Concretion – Compact mass formed by precipitation of mineral cement between particles
Diagenesis – Physico-chemical changes in sediments occurring after their deposition
Lithology – Description of its physical characteristics of a rock unit