sedimentary
Shale
Fissile Sedimentary Rock
AI-generated identification · may be incorrectMohs hardness of 3, gray to black color, dull luster, very fine-grained clastic crystal structure, distinct fissility and planar cleavage.
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Physical properties
Mohs hardness of 3, gray to black color, dull luster, very fine-grained clastic crystal structure, distinct fissility and planar cleavage.
Formation & geological history
Formed through the compaction of silt and clay-sized mineral particles in quiet depositional environments over millions of years.
Uses & applications
Used in the manufacturing of bricks, tile, and cement, and as a source rock for oil and natural gas extraction.
Geological facts
Shale is the most abundant sedimentary rock on Earth, making up over 70 percent of sedimentary crust.
Field identification & locations
Identify in the field by its thin, parallel layers that easily split apart and a smooth texture that yields a clay smell when moistened.
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Fossil-bearing concretion, possibly containing a fossil shell or other organic inclusion
Calcareous concretion; exact fossil and host-rock composition are not identifiable from the image
fossil
Sandstone or Siltstone
Arenite (if sandstone)
Sedimentary
Fossiliferous Sedimentary Rock
Sedimentary limestone with invertebrate fossil imprint
fossil
Sandstone
Arenite
sedimentary
Shale
Clastic sedimentary rock
sedimentary
Shale
Shale (clastic sedimentary rock)
sedimentary