Editing Lithification (section)

{{short description|Geologic process}}
'''Lithification''' (from the [[Ancient Greek]] word ''lithos'' meaning 'rock' and the [[Latin]]-derived suffix ''-ific'') is the process in which [[sediment]]s compact under [[pressure]], expel [[connate fluids]], and gradually become solid rock.  Essentially, lithification is a process of [[porosity]] destruction through [[Compaction (geology)|compaction]] and [[cementation (geology)|cementation]]. Lithification includes all the processes which convert unconsolidated sediments into [[sedimentary rock]]s. ''[[Petrifaction]]'', though often used as a synonym, is more specifically used to describe the replacement of [[organic compound|organic]] material by [[silica]] in the formation of [[fossil]]s.<ref>{{cite book|last1=Monroe|first1=J.S.|last2=Wicander|first2=R.|last3=Hazlett|first3=R.W.|title=Physical Geology: Exploring the Earth|year=2006|publisher=Thomson|location=Belmont|isbn=9780495011484|pages=203–204|edition=6th}}</ref>