Mudstone

Mudstone, a type of mudrock, is a fine-grained sedimentary rock whose original constituents were clays or muds. Mudstone is distinguished from shale by its lack of fissility (parallel layering).^[1]^[2]

The term mudstone is also used to describe carbonate rocks (limestone or dolomite) that are composed predominantly of carbonate mud.^[3] However, in most contexts, the term refers to siliciclastic mudstone, composed mostly of silicate minerals.^[2]

The NASA Curiosity rover has found deposits of mudstone on Mars that contain organic substances such as propane, benzene and toluene.^[4]

^ Blatt, H., and R.J. Tracy, 1996, Petrology. New York, New York, W. H. Freeman, 2nd ed, 529 pp. ISBN 0-7167-2438-3
^ ^a ^b Boggs, Sam Jr. (2006). Principles of sedimentology and stratigraphy (4th ed.). Pearson Prentice Hall. ISBN 0131547283.
^ Lokier, Stephen W.; Al Junaibi, Mariam (2016-12-01). "The petrographic description of carbonate facies: are we all speaking the same language?". Sedimentology. 63 (7): 1843–1885. doi:10.1111/sed.12293. ISSN 1365-3091.
^ Brown, Dwayne; Wendel, JoAnna; Steigerwald, Bill; Jones, Nancy; Good, Andrew (June 7, 2018). "Release 18-050 - NASA Finds Ancient Organic Material, Mysterious Methane on Mars". NASA. Retrieved June 11, 2018.

[BlattOthers1996a-1] Blatt, H., and R.J. Tracy, 1996, Petrology. New York, New York, W. H. Freeman, 2nd ed, 529 pp. ISBN 0-7167-2438-3

[boggs-2006-2] Boggs, Sam Jr. (2006). Principles of sedimentology and stratigraphy (4th ed.). Pearson Prentice Hall. ISBN 0131547283.

[:1-3] Lokier, Stephen W.; Al Junaibi, Mariam (2016-12-01). "The petrographic description of carbonate facies: are we all speaking the same language?". Sedimentology. 63 (7): 1843–1885. doi:10.1111/sed.12293. ISSN 1365-3091.

[NASA-20180607-4] Brown, Dwayne; Wendel, JoAnna; Steigerwald, Bill; Jones, Nancy; Good, Andrew (June 7, 2018). "Release 18-050 - NASA Finds Ancient Organic Material, Mysterious Methane on Mars". NASA. Retrieved June 11, 2018.

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