pelite
/ˈpiːlʌɪt
/noun Geology
A sediment or sedimentary rock composed of very fine clay or mud particles: the Eastern Cordillera comprises pelites of pre-Ordovician age...
- The latter sediments are covered by pelites and sandstones carrying marine invertebrate fossils and deltaic facies with a Glossopteris flora, which indicates an Early Permian age.
- Foliations vary from grain-shape fabrics in quartzites and psammites, to a dominant crenulation cleavage in pelites, with intermediate rocks showing folded cleavage within a bed, and sometimes two cross-cutting cleavages.
- A variety of sedimentary lithologies have been metamorphosed including pelites, psammites, quartzites and carbonates.
Origin
Late 19th century: from Greek pēlos 'clay, mud' + -ite1.