Identification of Sedimentary Rocks

Hardness Grain Size Composition Other Rock Type

hard coarse clean quartz white to brown Sandstone
hard or soft mixed mixed rocks and sediment round rocks in finer sediment matrix Conglomerate
soft fine clay minerals splits in layers Shale
soft fine calcite fizzes with acid Limestone
very soft coarse halite salt taste Rock Salt
very soft coarse gypsum white, tan or pink Rock Gypsum

Sedimentary Rock Identification Chart

TEXTURE GRAIN SIZE COMPOSITION ROCK NAME
Clastic
>2 mm rounded quartz, feldspar and rock fragments Conglomerate
>2 mm angular quartz, feldspar and rock fragments Breccia
1/16 - 2 mm quartz, feldspar Sandstone
>1/16 mm feldspar, quartz Arkose
<1/16 mm quartz, clay minerals
Siltstone
(Mudstone, Shale)
<1/256 mm quartz, clay minerals Claystone
Chemical

silica (quartz) Chert

dolomite Dolostone

calcite Limestone

halite Rock Salt

gypsum Rock Gypsum

Part|c|e
8|ze
6ompos|t|on 6omments Rock Name
6|ast|c
Coarse
0ra|rs
> 2 rr
Ary roc| lype
(quarlz, crerl, or
quarlz|le rosl
corror)
Rourded c|asls 6ong|omerate
Argu|ar c|asls recc|a
|re 0uarlz W|lr r|ror wr|le, lar, oroWr; ":artz 8
0ra|rs
1/1 lo 2
rr
Car oe
seer W/
ra|ed
eye
accessory
r|rera|s
sardpapery lee| 8andstone A
N
0
8
T
0
N
E
0uarlz, W|lr al
|easl 25
polass|ur
le|dspar
(orlroc|ase)
0ller redd|sr oecause
ol polass|ur le|dspar;
sardpapery lee|
Arkos|c
8andstone
Roc| lragrerls,
r|ca, c|ay, quarlz
0|rly |oo||rg, dar|
co|ored; sardpapery
lee|
raywacke
'ery |re
0ra|rs
<1/1
rr
Carrol
oe seer
W/ ra|ed
eye
0uarlz ard c|ay
r|rera|s
0r|lly, 1/1-1/25 rr;
sore gra|rs ray oe
seer W|lr rard |ers
8||tstone H
U
0
8
T
0
N
E
C|ay s|zed
parl|c|es;
< 1/25 rr
Nor-lo||aled;
c|ay lre s|ze
6|aystone
o||aled;
c|ay lre r|rera|
8ha|e
|o|og|ca|
'ar|es,
gerera||y
very l|re
gra|red
Ca|c|le (CaC03)
l|zzes W|lr d||ule
lCl
Aourdarl loss||s
oss|||fero:s
L|mestone
!oWdery; sre||s ol
r|croscop|c p|arls
ard/or ar|ra|s
6ha|k
Coarse
lo very
l|re
gra|red
Ca|c|le (CaC03)
l|zzes rap|d|y W|lr
d||ule lCl
oss||s & loss||
lragrerls; |oose|y
cererled
6oq:|na
'ar|es,
gerera||y
l|re
gra|red
Carooraceous
Valer|a|
!|arl
rera|rs
8roWr, soll,
porous
Peat
8roWr L|gn|te
8|ac|,
sooly,
o|oc|y
|t:m|no:s 6oa|
|o-
6hem|ca|
0erera||y
very l|re
Ca|c|le (CaC03)
Nor-lr|ao|e; l|zzes W|lr
d||ule lCl
L|mestone
gra|red
0o|or|le
(Ca,Vg) (C03)2
Nor-lr|ao|e; l|zzes W|lr
d||ule lCl or|y Wrer
poWdered
0o|ostone
Cra|cedory (3|02)
L|grl co|ored, r = Z 6hert
0ar| co|ored, r = Z ||nt
6hem|ca|
0erera||y
very l|re
gra|red
Ca|c|le (CaC03)
|zzes
W|lr
d||ule
lC|
Ved|ur lo
coarse
gra|red
6rysta|||ne
L|mestone
0o|ds (l|ry
spreres)
0o||t|c L|mestone
8arded Travert|ne
la||le (NaCl) Evapor|le, lasles sa|ly Rock 8a|t
0ypsur (Ca301
2l20)
Evapor|le, rardress ol
2
yps:m