Sedimentary rocks have one thing in common, they all have something to do with water. Even the sands in the desert, are later cemented by water that percolates through the sand. There are many types of sedimentary environments. There are streams, rivers, oceans, coral reefs, beaches, deserts, and glaciers. The picture shows many of these different environments.

Many environments form sedimentary rocks that have distinguishing features. For example, sandstone is common in beach or desert environments, while mudstone and siltstone are common in quiet, deep marine environments.