mudrock
Quick Summary
Mudrocks are the most abundant type of sedimentary rock, making up about 80 percent of Earth's sedimentary rock column. They are composed of silt- and clay-sized particles, including siltstone, claystone, and mudstone. Shale is a type of mudrock that exhibits lamination or fissility.123
Mudrocks form in environments with weak currents and quiet depositional basins, such as deep oceans, continental slopes, bays, swamps, lakes, and river floodplains. While primarily made of weathered rock fragments, they can also contain chemically precipitated cement and organic material. Some mudrocks, known as bentonites, form from the alteration of volcanic materials. Black shales can be economically important as sources of petroleum products and metals like uranium, copper, lead, and zinc.12
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sedimentary rockTerrigenous clastic rocks…rather simplistically, referred to as mudrocks. Mudrocks actually can include any clastic sedimentary rock in which the bulk of the clasts have diameters finer than 1/16 millimetre. Varieties include siltstone (average grain size between 1/16 and 1/256 millimetre) and claystone (discrete particles are
Read More…rather simplistically, referred to as mudrocks. Mudrocks actually can include any clastic sedimentary rock in which the bulk of the clasts have diameters finer than 1/16 millimetre. Varieties include siltstone (average grain size between 1/16 and 1/256 millimetre) and claystone (discrete particles are
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sedimentary rockMudrocksIn terms of volume, mudrocks are by far the most important variety of sedimentary rock, probably constituting nearly 80 percent of Earth’s sedimentary rock column. Despite this abundance, the literature on mudrocks does not match in extent or detail that dealing with sandstones, carbonate…
Read MoreIn terms of volume, mudrocks are by far the most important variety of sedimentary rock, probably constituting nearly 80 percent of Earth’s sedimentary rock column. Despite this abundance, the literature on mudrocks does not match in extent or detail that dealing with sandstones, carbonate…
Read More
