sedimentary
Sandstone
Clastic Sedimentary Rock (Quartz arenite)
AI-generated identification · may be incorrectHardness of 6 to 7 on the Mohs scale, predominantly brown to reddish-orange color, dull luster, and granular texture with visible quartz grains.
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Physical properties
Hardness of 6 to 7 on the Mohs scale, predominantly brown to reddish-orange color, dull luster, and granular texture with visible quartz grains.
Formation & geological history
Formed through the accumulation, compaction, and cementation of mineral particles or rock fragments, predominantly quartz, over millions of years in desert, river, or marine environments.
Uses & applications
Widely used in construction as a building material, dimension stone, paving stone, and for manufacturing glass.
Geological facts
Sandstone often preserves ancient ripple marks and fossilized tracks, providing valuable clues about prehistoric environments.
Field identification & locations
Easily identified by its gritty, sandpaper-like texture and visible mineral grains, commonly found in sedimentary basins worldwide.
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Other sedimentary specimens
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
fossil
Sandstone or Siltstone
Arenite (if sandstone)
Sedimentary
Fossiliferous Sedimentary Rock
Sedimentary limestone with invertebrate fossil imprint
fossil
Shale
Fissile Sedimentary Rock
sedimentary
Sandstone
Arenite
sedimentary
Shale
Clastic sedimentary rock
sedimentary