sedimentary
Conglomerate
Conglomerate (Sedimentary Rock)
Hardness: 2-3 (clasts may be harder), Color: Brown, gray, or greenish with visible clasts, Luster: Dull or earthy, Structure: Clastic with rounded grains, Cleavage: None
Identified More sedimentary →
Explore Conglomerate in the encyclopedia →Identify your own rocks.
Get a report just like this from any photo, free.
Physical properties
Hardness: 2-3 (clasts may be harder), Color: Brown, gray, or greenish with visible clasts, Luster: Dull or earthy, Structure: Clastic with rounded grains, Cleavage: None
Formation & geological history
Formed by the lithification of rounded gravel and pebbles, often in high-energy environments like riverbeds, beaches, or alluvial fans.
Uses & applications
Used primarily in the construction industry as coarse aggregate for concrete and road projects; occasionally used as decorative stone.
Geological facts
Conglomerates are often dubbed 'puddingstone' because they look like a mixture of raisins and nuts in a pudding. They require high water energy to transport the heavy rounded stones found within them.
Field identification & locations
Identify by the presence of rounded, water-worn pebbles or cobbles cemented within a finer-grained matrix. Commonly found in old river drainage basins.
More like this
Other sedimentary specimens
Sandstone or Siltstone
Arenite (if sandstone)
Sedimentary
Cone-in-cone structure (Limestone)
Cone-in-cone structure (Secondary Sedimentary Structure)
sedimentary
Chert Breccia
Brecciated Chert (Microcrystalline Silica)
sedimentary
Sandstone Grain
Clastic Sedimentary Rock Grain (SiO2 dominated)
sedimentary
Shale or Slaty Mudstone
Argillaceous sedimentary rock
sedimentary
Sandstone
Arenite (primarily SiO2)
sedimentary