Marl is an earthy material rich in carbonate minerals, clays, and silt. When hardened into rock, this becomes marlstone. It is formed in marine or freshwater environments, often through the activities of algae.
Marl
Scala dei Turchi coastal marl formation, southern Sicily
Deposition from a Marl lake inside a sheltered paint can, taken from Siseebakwet Lake
Clay minerals are hydrous aluminium phyllosilicates (e.g. kaolin, Al2Si2O5(OH)4), sometimes with variable amounts of iron, magnesium, alkali metals, alkaline earths, and other cations found on or near some planetary surfaces.
Oxford Clay (Jurassic) exposed near Weymouth, England
Hexagonal sheets of the clay mineral kaolinite (SEM image, 1,340× magnification)
Structure of clay mineral groups