Depositional environment

Continental

• Alluvial , Loose soil or sediment that is eroded and redeposited in a non-marine settingPages displaying short descriptions of redirect targets, type of Fluvial deposit. Caused by moving water in a fan shape (Alluvial Fan) and containing mostly impermeable and nonporous sediments well sorted.
• Aeolian , Processes due to wind activity. Often in deserts and coastal regions and well sorted, large scale cross-beds
• Fluvial , Natural flowing freshwater streamPages displaying short descriptions of redirect targets, processes due to moving water, mainly streams. Common sediments are gravel, sand, and silt.
• Lacustrine , Sediment deposited by a lake, processes due to moving water, mainly lakes. Common sediments are sand, silt, and clay.

Transitional

• Deltaic , Silt deposition landform at the mouth of a river (possible cross beds, ripple marks) Common sediments are sand, silt, and clay.
• Tide , Change in sea level due to gravity, processes due to tidal currents, creates tidal flats (fine-grained, ripple marks, cross-beds). Common sediments are silt and clay
• Lagoonal , Shallow body of water separated from a larger one by a narrow landform. Little transportation, creates lagoon bottom environment. Common sediments are carbonates (in tropical climates).
• Beach , Area of loose particles at the edge of a body of water. Caused by waves and longshore currents. Creates beaches, spits, and sandbars with the common sediments of gravel and sand.
• Lake , Large inland body of relatively still water

Marine

• Shallow water marine environment , Marine environment between the shore and the continental shelf, processes due to waves and tidal currents, creates shelves and slopes, lagoons. Common sediments are carbonates (in tropical climates) or sand, silt, and clay (elsewhere)
  • Upper shoreface , Maximum depth at which a water wave's passage causes significant water motionPages displaying short descriptions of redirect targets
  • Lower shoreface , Maximum depth at which a water wave's passage causes significant water motionPages displaying short descriptions of redirect targets
• Deep water marine environment , Flat area on the deep ocean floor (abyssal plains) caused by ocean currents. Common sediments are clay, carbonate mud, silica mud.
• Reef , Submerged ridge of rock, coral or other material caused by waves and tidal currents. Also creates adjacent basins. Common sediments are carbonates.

Others

• Evaporite , Water-soluble mineral deposit formed by evaporation from an aqueous solution
• Glacial , Persistent body of ice that moves downhill under its own weightPages displaying short descriptions of redirect targets
  • Till, angular to rounded grains, poorly sorted, unstratified (massive)
  • Outwash, ripple marks, cross-beds, similar to stream channel
• Volcanic , Rupture in a planet's crust where material escapesPages displaying short descriptions of redirect targets
• Tsunami , Sedimentary unit deposited by a tsunami

Depositional environments in ancient sediments are recognised using a combination of sedimentary facies, facies associations, sedimentary structures and fossils, particularly trace fossil assemblages, as they indicate the environment in which they lived.