Question

Marine sediment with more than 30% biogenous material is called __________.

A. oolite
B. slime
C. clathrate
D. mud
E. ooze

Answer 1

Marine sediment that contains more than 30% biogenous material is known as ooze, made up of the remains of marine organisms and is important for studying past environmental conditions.

Step-by-step explanation:

Marine sediment with more than 30% biogenous material is called ooze. This sedimentary deposit is characterized by a high percentage of small skeletal fragments and shells from marine organisms such as foraminifera and diatoms. Unlike an oolite, which is a type of limestone made up of rounded carbonate grains called ooliths, an ooze is composed primarily of the remains of microscopic organisms that have settled to the ocean floor. Oozes play a significant role in the carbon cycle as they are often rich in calcium carbonate or silica, which are derived from the hard parts of these organisms.

The sediments that form oozes are important in understanding past climate and oceanographic conditions.

Answer 2

Marine sediment that contains more than 30% biogenous material is called ooze, which is comprised of the skeletal remains of marine organisms like coccolithophores and diatoms.

Step-by-step explanation:

Marine sediment with more than 30% biogenous material is called ooze. Biogenous sediments are generally composed of the remains of microscopic marine organisms such as coccolithophores and diatoms. These tiny organisms produce shells or skeletons made out of calcium carbonate or silica dioxide, which accumulate on the ocean floor after the organisms die.

This material, when exceeding 30% of the sediment composition, classifies the sediment as an ooze. Unlike oolite, which is a type of limestone formed from well-rounded carbonate particles in shallow, wave-agitated environments, ooze is a soft, mud-like sediment found on the deep ocean floor.