Studying sedimentary rocks in the field is the pinnacle of observational science, allowing one to read directly from the book of nature, revealing the story of the environments in which the rock components were deposited, and the type and energy of the processes involved. In effect, you stand on the shores of long-gone oceans, looking at the waves, currents, and winds carving intricate patterns into the sediments that would eventually become the rock you're studying.
