Red clay is a type of pelagic sediment. It is also known as brown clay or pelagic clay.
Pelagic sediments are fine-grained sediments that accumulate slowly on the deep ocean floor. Red clay is specifically found in the most remote areas of the ocean, far from land-based sources of sediment. Because of its location and the very slow rate of accumulation, red clay typically contains a higher proportion of wind-blown dust and volcanic ash than other types of pelagic sediment. The characteristic red color is due to the oxidation of iron.
