Sedimentary
Sandstone
Arenite
Hardness varies from 6-7 (if quartz-rich). Color can be tan, brown, yellow, red, gray, pink, white, or black. Luster is dull to earthy. Clastic sedimentary rock composed of sand-sized minerals or rock grains.
Identified More sedimentary →
Identify your own rocks.
Get a report just like this from any photo, free.
Physical properties
Hardness varies from 6-7 (if quartz-rich). Color can be tan, brown, yellow, red, gray, pink, white, or black. Luster is dull to earthy. Clastic sedimentary rock composed of sand-sized minerals or rock grains.
Formation & geological history
Formed by the deposition and subsequent cementation of that material at the Earth's surface and within bodies of water. Environmental origins include riverbeds, ocean floors, and desert dunes.
Uses & applications
Used primarily in construction for buildings and monuments. Also used to make glass (if pure quartz) and as a building material.
Geological facts
Sandstone allows the percolation of water and other fluids and is porous enough to store large quantities, making it a valuable aquifer and petroleum reservoir.
Field identification & locations
Identified by its sandy, grainy texture and visible layers (if present). Commonly found worldwide in sedimentary basins.
More like this
Other sedimentary specimens
Sandstone or Siltstone
Arenite (if sandstone)
Sedimentary
Sandstone
Arenite (primarily SiO2)
sedimentary
Sandstone Grain
Clastic Sedimentary Rock Grain (SiO2 dominated)
sedimentary
Chert Breccia
Brecciated Chert (Microcrystalline Silica)
sedimentary
Shale or Slaty Mudstone
Argillaceous sedimentary rock
sedimentary
Sandstone
Arenite
sedimentary