Lithification

{{short description|Geologic process}}

Lithification (from the Ancient Greek word lithos meaning 'rock' and the Latin-derived suffix -ific) is the process in which sediments compact under pressure, expel connate fluids, and gradually become solid rock. Essentially, lithification is a process of porosity destruction through compaction and cementation. Lithification includes all the processes which convert unconsolidated sediments into sedimentary rocks. Petrifaction, though often used as a synonym, is more specifically used to describe the replacement of organic material by silica in the formation of fossils.{{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}}