Common Sedimentary Rocks (Part 1)
• Shale
• Chert
Conglomerate
Conglomerate is a detrital sedimentary rock with rounded, gravel-sized grains.
Conglomerate (Photograph by Stan Johnson)
This Albemarle County conglomerate is a good example. It contains gravel and sand grains. Note dime for scale.
Sandstone
Sandstone, shown with sand, is a detrital sedimentary rock with clastic texture. Sandstone can be identified by its sandy feel and grain size. This sample is a quartz sandstone. Note quarter for scale.
Sandstone (Photograph by Parvinder Sethi)
Shale is a detrital sedimentary rock with clastic texture. It can be identified by its fine grains and the way it splits apart along thin layers.
Shale (Photograph by Parvinder Sethi)
This sample is from Grayson County in the Mount Rogers area.