Konglomeraatin

Konglomeraatin is a fictional rock type used in speculative geology and science fiction worldbuilding to describe a conglomerate-like material with a distinctive cementing phase and microtexture. It is not an acknowledged term in real-world geological classifications.

In described settings, konglomeraatin consists of sub-rounded clasts of quartz, feldspar, and lithic fragments set in a cementing matrix that often includes microcrystalline silica or calcite. The matrix weaves between grains to create a fine, glassy to waxy appearance, giving the rock a characteristic sheen and a tighter, more cohesive feel than typical clastic conglomerates. Colors commonly range from gray to brown, with iron oxide staining contributing to reddish hues in some variants.

Texture and properties of konglomeraatin are notable for interlocking cement bridges that bind clasts at a fine scale. The cementation can form a porous network still, but with reduced primary porosity compared with ordinary conglomerates. Some depictions describe subtle evidence of diagenetic overprinting, including siliceous overgrowths and minor vesicular textures from gas release during formation.

Formation and environments in fiction often place konglomeraatin in tectonically active belts or submarine fan settings where rapid burial accompanies hydrothermal or silica-rich fluid flow. In these narratives, cementation may occur during diagenesis or metasomatic alteration, producing a durable rock valued for construction or artifact material within the story’s world.

See also: conglomerate, silicification, metasomatism.