Dear geologists: how do I summarise the processes leading to this pattern of colours in a slate bed in north Wales? Ignore the brown stuff on the right, which is just staining/biofilm Credit given in my voluntarily-written account of a drainage adit, which cuts through this. 🙏

#geology #rocks

@JanPV Usually, stripes like that are due to changing conditions that occurred while the sediment was deposited. For example more or less oxygen in the water. But for more detail, you need an actual geologist. I'm just married to one.
@Dewines There is also the matter of different reduction states, as I understand it. Oddly, no geologist has yet answered.