Rock Identifier

sedimentary

Red Sandstone

Clastic Sedimentary Rock

AI-generated identification · may be incorrect

Hardness on Mohs scale is typically 6 to 7 for quartz-rich varieties; color ranges from reddish-brown to brick red due to iron oxide cement; luster is dull to earthy; crystal structure is clastic with quartz grains cemented together; cleavage is absent.

Identified July 31, 2026More sedimentary →

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Physical properties

Hardness on Mohs scale is typically 6 to 7 for quartz-rich varieties; color ranges from reddish-brown to brick red due to iron oxide cement; luster is dull to earthy; crystal structure is clastic with quartz grains cemented together; cleavage is absent.

Formation & geological history

Formed from the accumulation, compaction, and cementation of mineral particles or rock fragments, often in desert or arid environments where iron oxide precipitates as a cement, spanning various geological ages.

Uses & applications

Used widely in construction as building stone, paving, and flagging, as well as in monuments and decorative aggregates.

Geological facts

Red sandstone formations often preserve ancient desert dune cross-bedding and sometimes fossilized footprints of prehistoric creatures.

Field identification & locations

Easily identified by its distinctive red color and gritty texture, commonly found in stratified sedimentary layers worldwide.

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Fossil-bearing concretion, possibly containing a fossil shell or other organic inclusion

Calcareous concretion; exact fossil and host-rock composition are not identifiable from the image

Sandstone or Siltstone (Arenite (if sandstone)) — Sedimentary

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Arenite (if sandstone)

Fossiliferous Sedimentary Rock (Sedimentary limestone with invertebrate fossil imprint) — fossil

Fossiliferous Sedimentary Rock

Sedimentary limestone with invertebrate fossil imprint

Sandstone (Arenite) — sedimentary

Sandstone

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Shale (Shale (clastic sedimentary rock)) — sedimentary

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Shale (clastic sedimentary rock)

Shale (or Mudstone/Siltstone) (Sedimentary Mudrock (SiO2, Al2O3 base with clay minerals)) — sedimentary

Shale (or Mudstone/Siltstone)

Sedimentary Mudrock (SiO2, Al2O3 base with clay minerals)