KEY TO THE IDENTIFICATION OF BASIC SEDIMENTARY ROCKS

Angular
Gravel Grains
BRECCIA
Grains >
GRAVEL Rounded CONGLOM-

Scratch Glass
Grains visible Gravel Grains ERATE
or rock feels gritty
Grains < Grains distinct & SAND
visible even under
but still visible a microscope STONE
Feels gritty but can't see
SILT
DO NOT React With Acid

particles even with microscope;

scratches fingernail readily STONE

No grains , may feel Conchoidal fracture glassy;

dull luster; many colors CHERT
gritty or be glassy
Feels smooth; does not
scratch fingernail; SHALE
often layered

Black, light weight

smudgy or shiney
COAL

Salty taste; three perfect ROCK SALT

right angle cleavages;
White, pink, clear clear, gray, (HALITE)
crystalline, softer Softer than finger nail; pink or
than fingernail white; fiberous thick plates, GYPSUM
or dense

Softer Than Glass

Fine grained martix FOSSIL
(micrite) with many fossils
Abundant fossils or fossil fragments LIMESTONE
present, whole or
React With Dilute HCl

broken Porous, light weight;

broken shell fragments; COQUINA
tan to whitish
Reacts with
dilute Miniature spheres about 1mm
in diameter, like tiny pearls; OOLITIC
hydrochloric LIMESTONE
acid (HCl) white, gray, blue-gray common
White, powdery
feels gritty; reacts vigorously CHALK
with acid LIMESTONE
Fine grained; smooth, dense;
often conchoidal fracture, or MICRITE
irregular blocky LIMESTONE
Rock must be Must be powdered to react
powdered to react with acid; dull luster; gray, tan DOLOMITE
with acid (HCl) white, plus many other colors
L.S. Fichter
August, 2000
http://geollab.jmu.edu/Fichter/SedRx/index.html