sedimentary
Sandstone
Clastic sedimentary rock (Quartz arenite)
Hardness varies from 6 to 7 depending on cementation; color is typically tan, brown, yellow, red, grey, or pink; dull or earthy luster; clastic texture composed mostly of quartz sand grains; specific gravity around 2.2 to 2.8.
Identified More sedimentary →
Explore Sandstone in the encyclopedia →Identify your own rocks.
Get a report just like this from any photo, free.
Physical properties
Hardness varies from 6 to 7 depending on cementation; color is typically tan, brown, yellow, red, grey, or pink; dull or earthy luster; clastic texture composed mostly of quartz sand grains; specific gravity around 2.2 to 2.8.
Formation & geological history
Formed by the accumulation, compaction, and cementation of mineral particles or rock fragments, most commonly quartz and feldspar, in environments such as deserts, rivers, beaches, and shallow marine settings over millions of years.
Uses & applications
Widely used as a construction material, for building facades, paving stones, flagstones, and historically for grindstones and whetstones.
Geological facts
Sandstone formations, like the red rocks of the American Southwest, often preserve ancient dune structures and ripple marks from rivers and oceans.
Field identification & locations
Easily identified by its gritty texture, visible sand grains, and layered bedding structures; found globally in sedimentary basins.
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 (or Mudstone/Siltstone)
Sedimentary Mudrock (SiO2, Al2O3 base with clay minerals)
sedimentary
Shale
Shale (clastic sedimentary rock)
sedimentary