VOOZH about

URL: https://www.mindat.org/min-50900.html

⇱ Black shale: Mineral information, data and localities.

👁 Image
Now Featuring: The Bruce Carter Collection at Heritage Auctions, Live May 16th
Log InRegister
AboutSupport UsPhotosDiscussionsSearchLearnMore

Black shale

A rock classification type
This page is currently not sponsored. Click here to sponsor this page.

About Black shaleHide

This section is currently hidden. Click the show button to view.
A shale with at least 1% carbonaceous material indicating a reducing environment.

A dark, thinly laminated carbonaceous shale, exceptionally rich in organic matter (5% or more carbon content) and sulfide (esp. iron sulfide, usually pyrite), and often containing unusual concentrations of certain trace elements (U, V, Cu, Ni). It is formed by partial anaerobic decay of buried organic matter in a quiet-water, reducing environment (such as in a stagnant marine basin) characterized by restricted circulation and very slow deposition of clastic material. Fossil organisms are preserved as a graphitic or carbonaceous film or as pyrite replacements.

Sometimes resembling cannel coal, often found as a roof to a coal, or in place of a coal, resting on a fire clay.

See also: sapropelite, bituminous shale.
Ref: AGI


Unique IdentifiersHide

This section is currently hidden. Click the show button to view.
Mindat ID:
50900
Long-form identifier:
mindat:1:1:50900:2

Classification of Black shaleHide

This section is currently hidden. Click the show button to view.

Sub-divisions of Black shaleHide

This section is currently hidden. Click the show button to view.

Synonyms of Black shaleHide

This section is currently hidden. Click the show button to view.

Other Language Names for Black shaleHide

This section is currently hidden. Click the show button to view.

Common AssociatesHide

This section is currently hidden. Click the show button to view.
Associations Based on Photo Data:
13 photos of Black shale associated with 'Organic-rich-sediment'
11 photos of Black shale associated with 'Glendonite'CaCO3
10 photos of Black shale associated with IkaiteCaCO3 · 6H2O
10 photos of Black shale associated with CalciteCaCO3
6 photos of Black shale associated with DolomiteCaMg(CO3)2
6 photos of Black shale associated with OrthoclaseK(AlSi3O8)
5 photos of Black shale associated with SphaleriteZnS
5 photos of Black shale associated with SanidineK(AlSi3O8)
5 photos of Black shale associated with PyriteFeS2
4 photos of Black shale associated with 'Argillite'

Internet Links for Black shaleHide

This section is currently hidden. Click the show button to view.
mindat.org URL:
https://www.mindat.org/min-50900.html
Please feel free to link to this page.

References for Black shaleHide

This section is currently hidden. Click the show button to view.
Reference List:
Quick NavTopAbout Black shaleUnique IdentifiersClassification Sub-divisions SynonymsOther LanguagesCommon AssociatesInternet Links References
Mindat.org® is an outreach project of the Hudson Institute of Mineralogy, a 501(c)(3) not-for-profit organization. Mindat® and mindat.org® are registered trademarks of the Hudson Institute of Mineralogy.
Copyright © mindat.org and the Hudson Institute of Mineralogy 1993-2026, except where stated. Most political location boundaries are © OpenStreetMap contributors. Mindat.org relies on the contributions of thousands of members and supporters. Founded in 2000 by Jolyon Ralph and Ida Chau.
To cite: Ralph, J., Von Bargen, D., Martynov, P., Zhang, J., Que, X., Prabhu, A., Morrison, S. M., Li, W., Chen, W., & Ma, X. (2025). Mindat.org: The open access mineralogy database to accelerate data-intensive geoscience research. American Mineralogist, 110(6), 833–844. doi:10.2138/am-2024-9486.
Privacy Policy - Terms & Conditions - Contact Us / DMCA issues - Report a bug/vulnerability Current server date and time: April 5, 2026 00:50:13 Page updated: March 13, 2026 11:36:03
Go to top of page