
There are three clastic sedimentary rocks
that are composed of very fine particles (clay and silt). The general name for
these rocks is mudstone, however we can classify these rocks even farther. Feel
your rock with your fingertips and see if it feels smooth or gritty. Some
geologists will even put a tiny fragment between their teeth and grind on it a
little to see if it is
gritty or smooth. If you determine your rock feels gritty, take a closer look at
it with your hand lens. You may be able to see tiny grains sparkling in
the light. If you determine that your rock is smooth (or composed of
clay size particles) then look to see if it tends to break in layers or if it
tends to be more blocky in appearance.
| Rock feels gritty | (CLICK HERE) |
| Rock feels smooth and crumbles or breaks into blocks | (CLICK HERE) |
| Rock feels smooth and tends to split apart into layers | (CLICK HERE) |
| BACK TO STEP
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| SEDIMENTARY ROCK TEXTURES |
SEDIMENTARY ROCK TYPES |
SEDIMENTARY ROCK CLASSIFICATION |