Definition
Conglomerate is a sedimentary rock which forms from rounded gravel and boulder sized clasts which are cemented together in a matrix
A sedimentary rock, deposit of a submarine turbidity currents and are composed of layered particles
History
Origin
Italy
European Foreland Basins
Discoverer
Unknown
Arnold H. Bouma
Etymology
From Latin conglomeratus, to roll together, i.e. from com together + glomerare to gather into a ball, from glomus (genitive glomeris) a ball
From Medieval Latin turbiditas, from Latin turbidus (turbid). Turbidity current is from 1939
Class
Sedimentary Rocks
Sedimentary Rocks
Sub-Class
Durable Rock, Soft Rock
Durable Rock, Soft Rock
Family
Group
-
-
Other Categories
Coarse Grained Rock, Opaque Rock
Coarse Grained Rock, Fine Grained Rock, Opaque Rock
Texture
Clastic
Mud-rich, Sandy
Color
Beige, Black, Brown, Buff, Light to Dark Grey, Orange, Rust, White, Yellow
Black, Brown, Green, Grey, Pink
Maintenance
More
Less
Durability
Durable
Durable
Water Resistant
✔
✘
✔
✘
Scratch Resistant
✔
✘
✔
✘
Stain Resistant
✔
✘
✔
✘
Wind Resistant
✔
✘
✔
✘
Acid Resistant
✔
✘
✔
✘
Appearance
Shiny and Rounded
Dull and Banded
Architecture
Interior Uses
Decorative Aggregates, Floor Tiles, Homes
Bathrooms, Countertops, Decorative Aggregates, Flooring, Homes, Interior Decoration
Exterior Uses
As Building Stone, As Facing Stone, Garden Decoration, Office Buildings, Roof Tiles
As Building Stone, As Facing Stone, Paving Stone, Garden Decoration
Other Architectural Uses
Curbing
Curbing
Industry
Construction Industry
As Dimension Stone, Cement Manufacture, Construction Aggregate, for Road Aggregate, Roadstone
As Dimension Stone, Cement Manufacture, Construction Aggregate, for Road Aggregate, Making natural cement
Medical Industry
-
-
Antiquity Uses
Artifacts, Monuments, Sculpture, Small Figurines
Artifacts, Monuments, Sculpture
Other Uses
Commercial Uses
Cemetery Markers, In aquifers, Tombstones
Cemetery Markers, Creating Artwork
Types
Orthoconglomerate and Paraconglomerate
Sedimentary rock
Features
Clasts are smooth to touch, Is one of the oldest rock, Matrix variable
High silica content, Host Rock for Lead
Archaeological Significance
Monuments
-
-
Famous Monuments
-
-
Sculpture
-
-
Famous Sculptures
-
-
Pictographs
-
-
Petroglyphs
-
-
Figurines
-
-
Fossils
Present
Present
Formation
Conglomerate forms where sediments consisting mainly of pebble and cobble-size clasts at least two millimeters in diameter starts accumulating.
Turbidite is a type of sedimentary rock formed when a river carries or transports pieces of broken rock as it flows. These particles then settle down and are subjected to high temperature and pressures hence forming Turbidite.
Composition
Mineral Content
Clay, Sand, Silica, Silt
Coesite, Quartz, Sand
Compound Content
NaCl, CaO
CaO, Carbon Dioxide, MgO
Transformation
Metamorphism
✔
✘
✔
✘
Types of Metamorphism
Burial Metamorphism, Cataclastic Metamorphism, Regional Metamorphism
-
Weathering
✔
✘
✔
✘
Types of Weathering
-
Biological Weathering, Chemical Weathering, Mechanical Weathering
Erosion
✔
✘
✔
✘
Types of Erosion
Chemical Erosion, Coastal Erosion
Chemical Erosion, Coastal Erosion, Sea Erosion, Water Erosion, Wind Erosion
Physical Properties
Hardness
2-33
1
7
👆🏻
Grain Size
Coarse Grained
Fine to Coarse Grained
Fracture
Uneven
Splintery
Streak
White
White, Greenish White or Grey
Porosity
Highly Porous
Very Less Porous
Luster
Dull
Metallic
Compressive Strength
70.00 N/mm2200.00 N/mm2
0.15
450
👆🏻
Cleavage
-
Disjunctive
Toughness
-
2.4
Specific Gravity
2.86-2.882.46-2.73
0
8.4
👆🏻
Transparency
Opaque
Opaque
Density
1.7-2.3 g/cm31.6-2.5 g/cm3
0
1400
👆🏻
Thermal Properties
Specific Heat Capacity
0.92 kJ/Kg K0.92 kJ/Kg K
0.14
3.2
👆🏻
Resistance
Heat Resistant
Heat Resistant
Deposits in Eastern Continents
Asia
China, India, Kazakhstan, Mongolia, Russia, Uzbekistan
-
Africa
Namibia, Nigeria, South Africa
Western Africa
Europe
Austria, Denmark, Germany, Great Britain, Netherlands, Norway, Poland, Sweden, Switzerland, United Kingdom
Austria, Belarus, Romania, Switzerland, United Kingdom
Others
Greenland
-
Deposits in Western Continents
North America
Canada, USA
Canada, USA
South America
Brazil
Brazil, Colombia
Deposits in Oceania Continent
Australia
New South Wales, New Zealand
New Zealand, Western Australia