Sedimentary rocks often display layering, also known as stratification. What feature is this?

• A. Layering (stratification)
• B. Foliation
• C. Grains of quartz
• D. Crystal lattice

Answer: (A)

Layering in sedimentary rocks is called stratification (or bedding). It forms as sediments settle out of water or air in successive layers over time, with each bed representing a distinct depositional event. This creates parallel surfaces between layers known as bedding planes, showing a visible order to how the rock was laid down. Foliation is a metamorphic texture produced by directional pressure that aligns minerals—something not typical of sedimentary layering. Grains of quartz describe what the rock is made of, not the overall layered structure, and a crystal lattice is the internal arrangement of atoms within a mineral, not a macro-scale feature of sedimentary layering. So the layering described is stratification.