What is Mudstone?
[[File:Rocks in the sea - geograph.org.uk - 219304.jpg|thumb|right|220px|These are some of the oldest rocks in the [[Dingle]] Peninsula, being [[Silurian]] in date. They consist of mudstones and [[siltstone]]s with some volcanic material ([[County Kerry]])]] A '''mudstone''' is a [[Silica|siliciclastic]] [[sedimentary rock]] which has a mixture of [[silt]]- and [[clay]]-sized particles (at least 1/3 of each).<ref name=Blatt>Blatt H; Middleton G & Murray R. 1980. ''Origin of sedimentary rocks''. 2nd ed, Prentice Hall, Englewood Cliffs, N.J. ISBN 0-13-642702-2</ref> So, a mudstone is a type of [[mudrock]] with a more varied grain size than either [[siltstone]]s or [[claystone]]s. Alternatively, some sources say it is a [[synonym]] for [[mudrock]].<ref>Kearey P. ''The new Penguin dictionary of geology''. London: Penguin Books. p176</ref> [[File:Claystone2.JPG|thumb|right|Claystone in Slovakia]] == Claystone == A '''claystone''' is a [[mudrock]] which does not split easily. In order for a rock to be a claystone, it must be up to half (50%) clay, whose particles measure less than 1/256th of a [[millimeter]]. ==Related pages== *[[Mud]] == References == {{Reflist}} {{-}} {{geo-stub}} [[Category:Sedimentary rocks]]