BATUAN SEDIMEN

Sedimentary Rocks
HardnessGrain SizeCompositionOtherRock
Typehardmixedmixed rocks and sedimentround rocks in sediment
matrixConglomeratehard or
softmixedmixed rocks and sedimentsharp pieces of same material
as groundmassBrecciahardcoarseclean quartzwhite to brown
Sandstonehardcoarseclean quartz and feldsparusually very
coarseArkosehardmixedmixed sediment with rock grains and
claygray or dark and "dirty"Graywackehardfinevery fine sand; no
clayfeels gritty on teethSiltstonehardfinechalcedonyno fizzing with
acidChertsoftfineclay mineralsfoliatedShalesoftfinecarbonblack;
burns with tarry smokeCoalsoftfinecalcitefizzes with acidLimestone
softany sizedolomite (magnesian calcite)no fizzing with acid unless
powderedDolomite or Dolostonesoftcoarsefossil shellsmostly
piecesCoquinavery softcoarsehalitesalt tasteRock Saltvery
softcoarsegypsumwhite or pinkGypsum

Sedimentary Rocks
Hardness
hard

Grain Size
mixed

Composition

Other

Rock Type

mixed rocks and sediment

round rocks in sediment matrix

Conglomerate

Breccia

hard or
soft

mixed

mixed rocks and sediment

sharp pieces of same material as

groundmass

hard

coarse

clean quartz

white to brown

Sandstone

hard

coarse

clean quartz and feldspar

usually very coarse

Arkose

hard

mixed

mixed sediment with rock grains

and clay

gray or dark and "dirty"

Graywacke

hard

fine

very fine sand; no clay

feels gritty on teeth

Siltstone

hard

fine

chalcedony

no fizzing with acid

Chert

soft

fine

clay minerals

foliated

Shale

soft

fine

carbon

black; burns with tarry smoke

Coal

soft

fine

calcite

fizzes with acid

Limestone
Dolomite or
Dolostone

soft

any size

dolomite (magnesian calcite)

no fizzing with acid unless

powdered

soft

coarse

fossil shells

mostly pieces

Coquina

very soft

coarse

halite

salt taste

Rock Salt

very soft

coarse

gypsum

white or pink

Gypsum

A Basic Classification Derived From the

Simple Ideal Model

 Classification of Environments by Depositional

ProcessesTerrestrialTransitionalMarineAlluvial Fan
Braided River
Meandering River
(including alluvial plain)
LakeDelta Complex
Beach
Lagoon
Tidal Flat
DunesShelf (storm and tidal dominated)
Submarine fan
Basin CarbonateTidal Flat
LagoonCarbonate Barrier (reef)
Shelf
Basin

Petroleum geologists study very thin slices of reservoir rocks under a

microscope to analyze the character of rock porosity and permeability. This
thin section shows a conventional sandstone reservoir that has been
injected with blue epoxy. The blue areas are pore space and would contain
natural gas in a producing gas field. The pore space can be seen to be
interconnected so gas is able to flow easily from the rock.