Name: Grey-green shale
Type: rock
Class: Sedimentary
Subclass: Argillaceou
Particle Size: Solid
Sample No.: FGE6
Owner: University of NSW
Wavelength Range: TIR
Origin: Fowlers Gap Shale, Fowlers Gap, western New South Wales, AustraliaHewson(1998) PhD thesis 
Collection Date: N/A
Description: Shale containing fine quartz in a matrix of chlorite/muscovite/biotite. Some desert varnish coatingPhysiography: Weathered outcrop exposures with abundant scree in areas of low relief. Original ASTER Spectral Library name was jpl.nicolet.rock.sedimentary.argillaceous.solid.fge6.spectrum.txt
Moderately cleavaged grey-green shale with a fine micaceous matrix.

Clay mineralogy : The petrology indicates a groundmass consisting of 
chlorite/muscovite/biotite (alteration of biotite to chlorite) and some iron 
oxides. XRD analysis confirms this composition with the additional 
identification of expansive clays (and absence of biotite), probably as a 
weathering product of the chlorite/mica. Fieldspec spectra indicates the 
presence of goethite, kaolinite and illite.

Coarse mineralogy : The petrology indicates a composition of approximately 50 % 
quartz with a 20 um or less grain size. XRF-normative analysis indicated this 
shale consisted of 52% quartz, 30% illite/muscovite, 5% kaolinite, 4% calcite.

Spectral Description: The FTIR spectrum for fge6 shows the quartz reststrahlen 
features at 8.2, 8.625 and the doublet feature at 12.52 and 12.85 um. The 
presence of clay minerals (kaolinite, montmorillonite and/or illite) are 
suggested by the broadened longer wavelength quartz reststrahlen feature with a 
spectral peak at 9.27 um and a shoulder at 9.6 um. The FTIR spectrum confirm the 
presence of kaolinite by the spectral trough at 9.0 um and shoulders at 9.9 and 
10.97 um. 


