Question:easy

Choose the CORRECT match of sedimentary rocks in GROUP X with their processes/mechanisms of formation in GROUP Y.
GROUP XGROUP Y
(P) Evaporite(I) Physical process mainly consisting of lithification/cementation of deposition
(Q) Sandstone(II) Chemical process and depositions by marine living organisms
(R) Limestone(III) Anaerobic deposition of organic materials in mud bed
(S) Siltstone(IV) Evaporation and precipitation of marine water

Show Hint

Match each rock to its formation process: evaporite forms by evaporation, sandstone by physical cementation, limestone by marine biochemical processes, siltstone by anaerobic mud deposition.
Updated On: Jul 28, 2026
  • P-IV; Q-I; R-II; S-III
  • P-II; Q-IV; R-I; S-III
  • P-II; Q-III; R-IV; S-I
  • P-IV; Q-III; R-I; S-II
Show Solution

The Correct Option is A

Solution and Explanation

Step 1: Use the process of elimination starting with the most distinctive rock:
Evaporite is the most chemically distinctive rock in the list, since it can only form by evaporation of water bodies that concentrates and precipitates dissolved salts. Only process (IV), evaporation and precipitation of marine water, describes this. So P-IV is fixed first.
Step 2: Eliminate option pairs that do not have P-IV:
Checking the four given options, only options (A) and (D) pair P with IV, so options (B) and (C) can be ruled out immediately.
Step 3: Distinguish between the remaining two options using Sandstone (Q):
Sandstone is a clastic rock built from mechanically deposited sand grains bound together by cementation, which is a physical process, matching (I). Option (A) assigns Q-I while option (D) assigns Q-III (an anaerobic organic process), which does not fit sandstone at all. So option (A) is favoured over (D) at this step.
Step 4: Confirm using Limestone (R) and Siltstone (S):
Limestone forms mainly through chemical precipitation and marine organism deposition, matching (II), so R-II is correct as in option (A). Siltstone, made of very fine sediment settled in quiet, oxygen poor muddy conditions, matches the anaerobic organic mud bed process (III), so S-III is correct as in option (A).
Step 5: Finalize the match:
All four pairs P-IV, Q-I, R-II, S-III are consistent with option (A), confirming it as the correct choice.
Final Answer:
\[ \boxed{\text{P-IV; Q-I; R-II; S-III}} \]
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