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Letter MGeology glossary

Mud Crack

Mud cracks are fractures that form in drying mud as it contracts. These features are preserved in sedimentary rocks and provide important evidence of past environmental conditions, such as periodic drying in wetland or shallow marine environments. They are often found in association with evaporite deposits.

Cracked dry earth showing severe drought conditions (mud crack)
Fig. 1 Cracked dry earth showing severe drought conditions (mud crack)

Source Boggs, S. (2009). “Petrology of Sedimentary Rocks.” Cambridge University Press.

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