This concise treatment of the fundamental principles of sedimentology and stratigraphy highlights the important physical, chemical, biological and stratigraphic characteristics of sedimentary rocks. It emphasizes the ways in which the study of sedimentary rocks is used to interpret depositional environments, changes in ancient sea level, and other intriguing aspects of Earth's history. KEY TOPICS: Weathering and Soils; Transport and Deposition of Siliciclastic Sediment; Sedimentary Textures; Sedimentary Structures; Siliciclastic Sedimentary Rocks; Carbonate Sedimentary Rocks; Other Chemical/Biochemical and Carbonaceous Sedimentary Rocks; Continental (Terrestrial) Environments; Marginal-Marine Environments; Siliciclastic Marine Environments; Carbonate and Evaporite Environments; Lithostratigraphy; Seismic, Sequence, and Magnetic Stratigraphy; Biostratigraphy; Chronostratigraphy and Geologic Time; Basin Analysis, Tectonics, and Sedimentation. MARKET: A comprehensive reference for geology/engineering professionals.