sedimentary
Sandstone
Clastic sedimentary rock (Quartz arenite / Arkose)
Hardness: 6-7 (due to quartz grains); Color: Varies from brown, red, tan, yellow to grey; Luster: Dull to earthy; Structure: Clastic, granular texture composed of cemented mineral particles or rock fragments; Cleavage: None (fractures irregularly); Specific Gravity: 2.2-2.8
- Hardness
- 6-7 (due to quartz grains)
- Color
- Varies from brown, red, tan, yellow to grey
- Luster
- Dull to earthy
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: 6-7 (due to quartz grains); Color: Varies from brown, red, tan, yellow to grey; Luster: Dull to earthy; Structure: Clastic, granular texture composed of cemented mineral particles or rock fragments; Cleavage: None (fractures irregularly); Specific Gravity: 2.2-2.8
Formation & geological history
Formed by the accumulation, compaction, and cementation of mineral particles or rock fragments, chiefly quartz and feldspar, typically deposited by water, wind, or ice in environments such as deserts, rivers, and beaches over millions of years.
Uses & applications
Widely used as a construction material for buildings, paving, and decorative stonework, as well as an aggregate in road construction.
Geological facts
Sandstone is porous and permeable, making it an excellent natural aquifer that stores and filters groundwater. Many famous ancient monuments, such as Petra in Jordan and the temples of Angkor Wat, are carved directly out of sandstone formations.
Field identification & locations
Easily identified by its gritty, sandpaper-like texture and visible mineral grains. It is commonly found in sedimentary basins worldwide, particularly in arid regions and ancient riverbeds.
More like this
Other sedimentary specimens
Sandstone or Siltstone
Arenite (if sandstone)
Sedimentary
Fossiliferous Concretion
Septarian Concretion containing Brachiopods/Crinoids
fossil
Quartz pebble
Silicon dioxide (SiO2)
sedimentary
Generic Pebble / Rock Fragment
Lithic fragment / Weathered rock
sedimentary
Sedimentary Sandstone
Arenite (Sedimentary Rock)
sedimentary
Banded Siltstone / Mudstone Pebble
Siltstone / Argillite
sedimentary