mudstones
Compacted clay rocks
Mudstones are sedimentary rocks formed from compacted mud—fine-grained particles of clay and silt.
Unlike shale, mudstone lacks the thin layers that allow easy splitting.
The term appears in geology and construction: The cliff face exposed ancient mudstones.
Mudstone weathers easily and often contains fossils preserved in the original mud.
Formed from deposited material
- shaleCompacted clay sediment
- siltstoneConsolidated silt deposit
- claystoneIndurated fine-grained sedimentary rock
- stratigraphyStudy of rock layers
bedding · lamination · compaction · deposition · fissile · outcrop · formation · basin
Red planet, war deity
- CuriosityMars surface laboratory
- GaleGiven name or surname
- craterImpact or volcanic basin
- roverDrifter or space explorer
Perseverance · astrobiology · biosignatures · ancient · lakebed · NASA · analysis · drill
Preserved ancient organism traces
- preservationMaintaining something's condition
- traceMinute remnant or pursue
- burrowsAnimal-dug underground shelters
- imprintsMarks made by pressing
specimens · excavation · matrix · extraction · dinosaur · bones · invertebrates · ammonites
sedimentary
Formed from deposited material
- shaleCompacted clay sediment
- siltstoneConsolidated silt deposit
- claystoneIndurated fine-grained sedimentary rock
stratigraphy · bedding · lamination · compaction · deposition · fissile · outcrop · formation · basin · marine
Mars
Red planet, war deity
rover · Perseverance · astrobiology · biosignatures · ancient · lakebed · NASA · analysis · drill · samples
fossils
Preserved ancient organism traces
- preservationMaintaining something's condition
- traceMinute remnant or pursue
- burrowsAnimal-dug underground shelters
imprints · specimens · excavation · matrix · extraction · dinosaur · bones · invertebrates · ammonites · trilobites
brick
Fired clay building unit
traditional · vernacular · rammed · cob · plaster · render · aggregate · fill · substrate · foundation