sedimentary
Conglomerate
Conglomeratic Sandstone
Hardness: 6-7 (based on quartz content); Color: Tan, brown, and white clasts; Luster: Dull/Earthy; Structure: Clastic; Cleavage: None; Specific Gravity: 2.6-2.8.
- Hardness
- 6-7 (based on quartz content)
- Color
- Tan, brown, and white clasts
- Luster
- Dull/Earthy
Identified More sedimentary →
Explore Conglomerate in the encyclopedia →Identify your own rocks.
Get a report just like this from any photo, free.
Physical properties
Hardness: 6-7 (based on quartz content); Color: Tan, brown, and white clasts; Luster: Dull/Earthy; Structure: Clastic; Cleavage: None; Specific Gravity: 2.6-2.8.
Formation & geological history
Formed in high-energy environments like riverbeds or alluvial fans where rounded gravel and pebbles are cemented together by finer grains of sand or silt.
Uses & applications
Used primarily as coarse aggregate for road construction, fill material, and occasionally as decorative building stone.
Geological facts
Conglomerates are often referred to as 'puddingstone' because they resemble fruit pudding. They provide records of ancient river systems and paleo-environments.
Field identification & locations
Identify by the presence of rounded rocky clasts bigger than 2mm embedded in a finer sandy matrix. Commonly found in sedimentary basins and mountain foothills.
More like this
Other sedimentary specimens
Sandstone or Siltstone
Arenite (if sandstone)
Sedimentary
Mudstone
Argillite / Siliciclastic sedimentary rock
sedimentary
Cone-in-cone structure (Limestone)
Cone-in-cone structure (Secondary Sedimentary Structure)
sedimentary
Brown Sandstone (River Rock)
Arenite
sedimentary
Sandstone Grain
Clastic Sedimentary Rock Grain (SiO2 dominated)
sedimentary
Chert Breccia
Brecciated Chert (Microcrystalline Silica)
sedimentary