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4 votes
What kind of sedimentary rock is produced by the precipitation of gypsum due to evaporation of seawater?

1) Shale
2) Limestone
3) Sandstone
4) Gypsum

1 Answer

3 votes

Final answer:

The correct answer is option 4, gypsum.Gypsum is the sedimentary rock formed through the precipitation of dissolved gypsum from the evaporation of seawater.

Step-by-step explanation:

The type of sedimentary rock that is produced by the precipitation of gypsum due to the evaporation of seawater is known as gypsum. This non-clastic sedimentary rock forms when water evaporates and the dissolved minerals that were carried in the solution precipitate out.

Gypsum, being one of these soluble minerals, crystallizes and solidifies to form a rock when the seawater it is dissolved in becomes supersaturated due to the evaporation process. Therefore, the correct answer from the given options would be option 4, gypsum. Other common non-clastic rocks that form through similar deposition, such as the formation of rock salt from evaporating brine or limestone precipitating from calcite-laden waters, occur through related mechanisms.

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