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Conglomerate identification and geology

A coarse-grained clastic sedimentary rock composed predominantly of rounded clasts greater than 2 mm in diameter pebbles, cobbles, or boulders cemented in a finer-grained matrix of sand, silt, or clay. The roundness of the clasts distinguishes conglomerate from breccia and indicates significant transport and abrasion. Conglomerates record high-energy depositional environments such as river channels, alluvial fans, and beaches. Field: sedimentology. Example: The gold-bearing Witwatersrand conglomerates of South Africa are Archean fluvial deposits containing well-rounded quartz pebbles and detrital gold, representing the world's largest gold resource.. Related terms: Breccia, Clast, Gravel, Fluvial.

Sources, scope & corrections

These authoritative resources support category-level nomenclature, terminology, identification methods, and safety. When a specimen-specific safety warning appears, the public-health source listed here directly supports that precaution. They are not line-by-line citations for every other property on this entry, and natural specimens vary.

Editorial owner
GeoMiner
Last updated
2026-03-30T15:19:41.970235+00:00
Review status
Published; not independently peer-reviewed
  • USGS Thesaurus — U.S. Geological Survey. Controlled earth-science terminology used to describe USGS information resources.
  • Glossary of Geologic Terms — U.S. National Park Service. Geologic definitions prepared by the NPS Geologic Resources Inventory.

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Common questions

What does Conglomerate mean in geology?
A coarse-grained clastic sedimentary rock composed predominantly of rounded clasts greater than 2 mm in diameter pebbles, cobbles, or boulders cemented in a finer-grained matrix of sand, silt, or clay. The roundness of the clasts distinguishes conglomerate from breccia and indicates significant transport and abrasion. Conglomerates record high-energy depositional environments such as river channels, alluvial fans, and beaches.
What is an example of Conglomerate?
The gold-bearing Witwatersrand conglomerates of South Africa are Archean fluvial deposits containing well-rounded quartz pebbles and detrital gold, representing the world's largest gold resource.
Which earth-science field uses the term Conglomerate?
Conglomerate is used in sedimentology.
Which terms are related to Conglomerate?
Related terms in this reference are Breccia, Clast, Gravel, Fluvial.

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