sedimentary
Sandstone with Lichen and Iron Oxide Staining
Quartz Arenite / Sandstone
Hardness: 6-7 (quartz grains); Color: Buff, tan, brownish-orange with green patchy biological lichen growth; Luster: Dull, earthy; Texture: Granular, medium-grained silica sand.
- Hardness
- 6-7 (quartz grains)
- Luster
- Dull, earthy
Identified More sedimentary →
Explore Sandstone with Lichen and Iron Oxide Staining in the encyclopedia →Identify your own rocks.
Get a report just like this from any photo, free.
Physical properties
Hardness: 6-7 (quartz grains); Color: Buff, tan, brownish-orange with green patchy biological lichen growth; Luster: Dull, earthy; Texture: Granular, medium-grained silica sand.
Formation & geological history
Formed through the accumulation, compaction, and cementation of mineral or rock particles (predominantly quartz) in ancient riverbeds, beaches, or desert environments, followed by exposure and weathering.
Uses & applications
Commonly used as building stone, flagstone, paving material, aggregate, and as landscaping rock.
Geological facts
Sandstone accounts for roughly 20-25 percent of all sedimentary rocks on Earth. The greenish patches on the rock surface are moss or lichens that colonize exposed rock surfaces.
Field identification & locations
Identified by its sand-like texture, gritty feel, layered weathering, and presence of iron staining along with opportunistic biological lichen/moss cover. Widely found worldwide in sedimentary basins and outcrops.
More like this
Other sedimentary specimens
Sandstone or Siltstone
Arenite (if sandstone)
Sedimentary
Sedimentary Sandstone
Arenite (Sedimentary Rock)
sedimentary
Fossiliferous Concretion
Septarian Concretion containing Brachiopods/Crinoids
fossil
Banded Siltstone / Mudstone Pebble
Siltstone / Argillite
sedimentary
Shale
Shale (clastic sedimentary rock)
sedimentary
Shale
Sedimentary Shale
sedimentary