Shales can have substantial porosity but have low _____.

Question

Quizplus · Accepted Answer

Shales can have substantial porosity, meaning they have a significant amount of void space or pore space, but due to their fine-grained nature and the presence of clay minerals, they often have low permeability, which means fluids or gases have difficulty flowing through them. Choice A is incorrect because cement refers to the material that fills in space between grains, and shales are already composed of fine-grained, compacted clay minerals. Choice C and D are incorrect because they are essentially synonymous with porosity, which is already mentioned in the question stem. Choice E is related to permeability but does not specifically describe shale properties.

Shales Can Have Substantial Porosity but Have Low _____