Mudstone

Mudstone is a type of fine-grained rock formed from tiny particles of clay and mud. It is part of a group of rocks called mudrocks, but it is different from shale because mudstone does not split easily into thin layers.

Scientists use the word mudstone to talk about two kinds of rocks. Sometimes it describes rocks made mostly from carbonate mud, like limestone or dolomite. But most often, it refers to siliciclastic mudstone, which is made from minerals like quartz and feldspar.

In exciting space news, the NASA Curiosity rover found mudstone on Mars. These rocks contained organic substances such as propane, benzene, and toluene, which are important for learning about possible life on the red planet.

Definition

Mudstone is a type of fine-grained rock made from tiny particles of clay and mud. These particles are so small that you need a microscope to see them clearly. Unlike some other rocks, mudstone does not have layers you can easily split apart.

Scientists often study mudstone to learn about its tiny building blocks, which include clay, quartz, and feldspar. Depending on how it formed, mudstone might look like hardened clay and could have cracks similar to dry earth.

Carbonate mudstone

In the Dunham classification system for limestones, a mudstone is a type of carbonate rock that has less than 10% grains and is mostly made of tiny carbonate pieces.

In December 2016, NASA shared new information suggesting that Mars might have once been a place where life could live. The Curiosity rover found important elements in mudstone rocks that are about 3.5 billion years old.