Glossary · Lithology
Shale
A fine-grained mudrock that splits into thin sheets along bedding (it is fissile); mudstone is the non-fissile equivalent.
A fine-grained mudrock that splits into thin sheets along bedding (it is fissile); mudstone is the non-fissile equivalent. Most exceptional fossil preservation of soft tissue is in shales and fine mudrocks.
Sources
Cite this article
Stratum Study. "Shale" (Glossary). Stratum Study pack 2026.09, as of 2026-09-16. https://stratum.black/study/glossary/shale. Accessed 2026-09-20.
@misc{stratum-shale,
title = {Shale},
author = {{Stratum Study}},
howpublished = {\url{https://stratum.black/study/glossary/shale}},
year = {2026},
note = {Glossary article, Stratum Study pack 2026.09, as of 2026-09-16; sources: stratum. Accessed 2026-09-20.}
} Citations carry the pack version and the article's as-of date so they resolve to the same text later. The facts themselves belong to the sources listed below; cite those for the science.