| Name | Shale |
| Origin | Detrital/Clastic |
| Texture | Clastic; Very fine-grained (< 0.004 mm) |
| Composition | Clay minerals, Quartz |
| Color | Dark Gray to Black |
| Miscellaneous | Thin platy beds |
| Depositional Environment | Flood Plain, Lake (away from shore), Mid-continental Shelf, Delta, Tidal Flat, Lagoon, or Deep Marine |