Mud and mudstones : introduction and overview /

Fine-grained mudstones and shales are the most common types of sedimentary rocks on Earth. Nevertheless, they are often overlooked by geologists who tend to focus interpretive studies on coarser-grained counterparts (siltstones and sandstones). The reasons for this neglect are varied. Most often they relate to the relative ease of study of the latter types in the field and to a general ignorance about what finer-grained rocks can tell about the original depositional conditions at the field site. Potter and Maynard (both, Univ. of Cincinnati) and Depetris (Universidad Nacional de Cordoba, Argentina) lift the cloud that enshrouds studies of fine-grained rocks. Written in the style of the much earlier book by Potter, Maynard, and Wayne A. Pryor, Sedimentology of Shale (CH, Feb'81), this volume treats the reader to lively, up-to-date discussions of how muds are produced, transported, deposited, and later compacted, lithified, and exposed. The chemistry of mudstones and shales, integral to every stage of their being, is incorporated seamlessly throughout the book. The economic and engineering importance of mudrocks is treated in the final chapter. The only real drawback is a cursory discussion of clay mineralogy, relegated to an appendix but warranting a full chapter of its own. This book is richly illustrated with diagrams and photographs. ^BSumming Up: Highly recommended. Lower-division undergraduates through professionals. J. H. Beck Boston College