Sedimentary Rock Analysis and Classification Chart

Type of sediment Grain/crystal size Rock's Texture characteristics Rock Type

clasts/fragments: mostly angular

Breccia
and/or subangluar gravel
boulders, cobbles,
2 mm and larger
pebbles clasts/fragments: mostly
subround and/or well rounded Conglomorate
gravel

Clastic sedimentary rocks

can see grains very
Clastic: Fragments or well, feels like coarse arcosic sandstone if mostly pink
sediment grains (of coarse Sandstone
sand paper, grainy- K-feldspar, lithic sandstone if
fragmented rocks or Very coarse grained sandy mostly grey rock fragments,
minerals which can have 1/16 - 2 mm wacke/greywacke if sand mixed sandstones
carbonate or silicate can see grains well, intermediate
very fine grained with lots of mud = greyish,
cement in between) sandpaper feel Sandstone
quartz-sandstone if mostly/only
can see grains + fine quartz grains
fine sandstone
sandpaper feel
silty, can't see grains
up to 1/16 mm but can feel slight breaks into blocks and sheets Siltstone
grit
clay, can't see grains, fissile = splits into thinner
up to 1/16 mm Shale
very smooth sheets, can have fossils
Brown porous rock with visible plant fragments, that
Peat (not in this lab)
are easily brocken apart from one another
Plant fragments and/or
dull, dark brown, brittle rock, fossil plant fragments

Biochemical (Bioclastic) sedimentary rocks

charcoal Lignite (not in this lab)
may be visible
Black, layered, brittle rock, may be sooty or bright Bituminous Coal (not in this lab)
often beige or white; shells -
Biochemical (bioclastic): mostly gravel size
coral fragments, many holes in Coquina
fragments/shells of fragments
between
organisms (which can
have silicate or carbonate shell fragments; often contains a Calc-arenite
Limestone
cement in between) Shells and shell/coral mostly sand size few larger whole fossil shells, (fossilferous
(bubbles when
fragments, and/or mud in between fragments limestone)
HCL is applied)
calcarous microfossils
beige - white, earth rock CaCO3
comprised of microscopic shells
silt size of calcerous phytoplankon Chalk
(microfossil); may contain a few
visible fossils

often beige - grey, no visible

Limestone
grains in most of rock. May break
very fine grained/crystalline = not visible, can Micrite (general (bubbles when
with conchoidal fracture. May
be laminated (very thin layers) limestone) HCL is applied)
contain few visible fossils in the
CaCO3
micrite
Chemical sedimentary rocks

Bubbles in dilute HCl only if powdered. Usually light

microcrystalline
Chemcial (precipitation): coloured. (commonly forms from alteration of Dolostone (MgCaCO3)
dolomite
Crystalline (inorganic) or limestone, can have casts/molds of fossils)
chemical residues (e.g.
rust) Visible crystals, translucent, salty taste Rock salt
halite mineral crystals

Microcrystalline/amorphous, may break with a

microcrystalline/amor
conchoidal fracture. Hard (scratches glass). Usually gray,
phous varieties of Chert (same as:
brown, black, or mottled mixture of those colours. May
quartz (flint, amorphous/microcrystalline SiO2,
contain fossils, as the silica in most chert is derived
chalcedony, chert, flint, chalcedony, japser)
from dissolution of siliceous phytoplankton ooze
japser)
(diatoms, radiolaria)

There are more sedimentary rock types which are not included in this exercise (not as common)!