sedimentary
Sandstone
Clastic Sedimentary Rock
AI-generated identification · may be incorrectHardness of 6 to 7 on the Mohs scale depending on cementation, typically tan, brown, or red, with a dull luster and a granular texture.
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 of 6 to 7 on the Mohs scale depending on cementation, typically tan, brown, or red, with a dull luster and a granular texture.
Formation & geological history
Formed from the accumulation, compaction, and cementation of mineral particles or rock fragments mostly composed of quartz and feldspar, often in desert, river, or marine environments.
Uses & applications
Widely used as a construction and building material, for paving, and in the manufacture of glass and abrasives.
Geological facts
Sandstone is porous and permeable, making it an excellent natural aquifer for storing groundwater and petroleum.
Field identification & locations
Identified by its visible sand-sized grains and gritty texture; found worldwide in sedimentary basins and escarpments.
More like this
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
Fossiliferous Sedimentary Rock
Sedimentary limestone with invertebrate fossil imprint
fossil
Sandstone or Siltstone
Arenite (if sandstone)
Sedimentary
Sandstone
Arenite
sedimentary
Shale
Shale (clastic sedimentary rock)
sedimentary
Shale (or Mudstone/Siltstone)
Sedimentary Mudrock (SiO2, Al2O3 base with clay minerals)
sedimentary