Sedimentary Rocks

Sedimentary rocks normally form in bedding, or layers.

• Name of rock [components]
  1. Colours
  2. Type; Grain and texture
  3. Uses
• Anhydrite [Anhydrite, gypsum, calcite, dolomite, clay, bitumen, limonite]
  1. Light grey, blue
  2. Evaporite; Fine to medium
  3. Paper industry, fertilizers
• Anthracite [Carbon, pyrite, quartz]
  1. Black, grey, with yellow reflections
  2. Organic; Compact, glassy
  3. Fuel; iron and steel industry; dyes, synthetic rubber
• Argillite [Clay, feldspar, carbonates, mica, pyrite, gypsum, iron oxides]
  1. Various colours
  2. Clastic Terrigenous; Fine, crumbles
  3. Refractory for ceramics, brickwork
• Arkose [Kaolite, geothite, limonite, granite, gneiss, feldspar, biotite, muscovite, quartz]
  1. Red, pink, grey, brown
  2. Clastic Terrigenous; Medium to coarse
     Uses: Building
• Bitumen [Hydrocarbons, waxes, decomposed organisms]
  1. Black, brown, green
  2. Organic;
  3. Paving, fuel, varnishes, paints, paraffin
• Breccia [Various rocks, calcium, quartz, limonite, hematite]
  1. Red, yellow, grey
  2. Clastic Terrigenous; Coarse, angular fragments
  3. Concrete, Ornamental stone
• Calcereous Mudstone [Calcite]
  1. White, grey, yellow
  2. Carbonate;
• Calcerenite [Calcite, fossils, clay, quartz, orthoclase]
  1. Grey
  2. Carbonate; Medium, compact
  3. Gravel, flooring, facings
• Calcilutite [Calcite, microfossils, hematite, pyrite, quartz, orthoclase]
  1. Grey, tawny, black
  2. Carbonate; Fine
  3. Gravel, cement, flooring, facings
• Calcirudite [Carbonate lithic fragments and cement, fossils, iron oxides and hydroxides, quartz]
  1. Light hazel
  2. Carbonate; Coarse
  3. Gravel, slabs
• Chalk [Calcium carbonate, clay, hematite, marcasite, mica, quartz, pyrite, argonite]
  1. White, yellow, grey
  2. Carbonate; Fine, homogeneous
  3. Manufacture of rubber, paint, polishing powders, Portland cement; soil conditioner
• Chert [Silica, chalcedony, agate, flint, jasper]
  1. Grey
  2. (n/a); Fine; structureless, hard
  3. Building highways, ornamental slabs
• Clay [Kaolinite, feldspar, gypsum, mica, quartz]
  1. Grey, white, brown, red, green, blue
  2. (n/a); Fine, plastic
  3. Making of bricks, pottery, pipes, tiles, terra cotta, cement, concrete, mortar
• Conglomerate [Clay, sand, shale, mudstone, quartz, gravel]
  1. Variable
  2. Clastic Terrigenous; Roundness of components
• Dolostone [Dolomite, bitumen, clay, quartz, marcasite, pyrite]
  1. Cream, grey, white, brown, pink
  2. Carbonate; Fine to coarse, joints visible
  3. Building
• Flint [Microcrystalline quartz, chalcedony, calcite, clay, hematite]
  1. Red, white, yellow, green, black
  2. Chemical; Hard
• Graywacke [Quartz, feldspar, chlorite]
  1. Grey, black, green
  2. Clastic Terrigenous; Coarse, angular grains
  3. Rarely used in building
• Ironstone [Chamosite, hematite, limonite, magnetite, pyrite, siderite, calcite, dolomite]
  1. Black, brown, green, red, yellow
  2. (n/a); Various textures
  3. Mined for iron
• Lignite [Vegetable matter]
  1. Brown, black
  2. Organic;
  3. Fuel
• Limestone [Calcite, argonite, dolomite]
  1. White, grey, yellow
  2. Carbonate; Fine to medium
  3. Reservoirs for petroleum and natural gas; cement, building stone, concrete, lime
• Loess [Not visible to the naked eye]
  1. Yellow, brown, buff, grey
  2. (n/a); Fine, compact, porous
     Uses:
• Manganese Module [Manganese and iron oxides, clay, quartz, calcide, copper oxide, zinc, nickel, cobalt, chromium, vanadium]
  1. Dark grey, black
  2. Chemical; Roundish, encrusted with organisms
  3. Source of metals
• Marl [Clay, calcite, quartz, mica, pyrite, gypsum]
  1. Grey, brown, beige, green
  2. Carbonate; Fine
  3. Cement
• Orthoquartzite [Quartz, apatite, feldspar, ilmenite, magnetite, mica, pyrite, zircon, calcite, garnet, graphite]
  1. White, grey, brown, pink
  2. (n/a);
  3. Flooring,facing, ceramics, glass, refractory material in kilns and ovens, railroad ballast
• Peat [Plant material, amber, calcite, quartz]
  1. Chestnut, brown, black
  2. Organic; Volatile, layered
  3. Fuel, plant fertilizer
• Phosphate Rock [Phosphate of calcium, iron, aluminum]
  1. Black, brown, yellow, white
  2. (n/a); Fine to coarse, nodular
• Radiolarite [Shells of fossils, silaceius cement, carbon substances, iron oxides, anastase]
  1. Red, black, green
  2. Organic; Fine, compact
  3. Whetstones
• Rock Gypsum [Anhydrite, halite, calcite, dolomite, clay, iron oxides]
  1. White, pink, red, green, brown
  2. Evaporite; Fine to coarse
• Rock Salt [Halite, sulfates, carbonates, clay, iron oxides]
  1. Colourless, white, orange, red, yellow
  2. Evaporite; Thick, structureless, crystalline, glassy
  3. Human diet, preservative, chemical industry
• Sandstone [Quartz, feldspar]
  1. Red, brown
  2. Clastic Terrigenous; Medium, stratified
  3. Construction of buildings
• Shale [Clay, feldspar, mica, quartz, goethite, hematite]
  1. Black, grey, white, brown, red, green, blue
  2. (n/a); Fine
  3. Fossil finds
• Siltstone [Quartz, feldspar, mica, iron oxides]
  1. Grey to black, brown, buff, yellow
  2. Clastic Terrigenous; Fine, compact
  3. Baked brick
• Travertine [Calcite, iron oxides]
  1. White, yellow, red, brown
  2. Carbonate; Compact, banded
  3. Flooring, facings