How the geo strata are identified as time periods

Thanks for the link Jar. Now I fell compelled to go out and bite rocks. It raises another dating question in my mind: What is the chemistry (or whatever) of the lithification of various clastic rocks?What happens when mud turns to mudstone, sand to sandstone etc?PS --- ONE MORE (AND ONLY ONE MORE TIME) the flood is NOT on topic here. Not a word, not even typing fxxxd. My friend with the nose will suspend the next person who brings it up.Edited by NosyNed, : corrected one of the spelling errors