Geology

The clay deposit of Klingenberg can be found at about 1,5 km in the east of the town.

The clay is a product of the weathering of silicic acid, argillaceous earth, ferric oxide, quartz and feldspar. By a pollen-analysis the deposit was determined to be of a oligocene age.
 

The deposit lies in a bunter canyon. The width of this canyon measures from east to west about 150–200 m, its length from north to south is about 350-400m. The deposit has in some places a thickness up to 60 meters. The geological structure of the clay leads to the assumption that the clay lies on a secondary deposit, because there aren’t any feldspar-minerals, from which the clay originates as we know, in the surrounding. It is clear so far that the clay deposit comes from a stagnant water sediment. It wasn’t determined yet how the process of sedimentation went on.

 
Bochalluvium horizontal clay
Slagheap upper bunter
slope-rubble middle bunter
loess and loess-loam fault
end-of-slope clay (grey refractory clay) fault (hinted or decreased)
clay of best quality (crucible clay, glass-clay) blind shaft (main shaft)
 

Differences between clay and loam
CLAY

A clastic sediment-stone with a corn-diameter of less than 0,002 mm. Clay isn’t solidified, thus a loose sediment.

Clay deposits in oceans, lakes and rivers and also in the melting water of glaciers. Clay absorbs great quantums of water (the water content can amount up to 70 per cent) and swells up accordingly. Clay is composed of clay-minerals like quartz, feldspar and mica as well as of organic and amorphous components.
LOAM

A wide-spread weathering-product, which consists of clay, silt and sand. Because of the different shares of the corn-classes, it is described more precisely with the terms sandy, clay-like and silty. Loam is produced by the weathering of different stones and is composed of clay-minerals and iron. The iron compounds are responsible for its yellow to brown colour. Depending on the formation one distinguishes between loess-loam, boulder-clay produced by boulder-marl and meadow-clay originating from river-sediments.