Rock Identifier
Sandstone (Clastic Sedimentary Rock) — sedimentary
sedimentary

Sandstone

Clastic Sedimentary Rock

AI-generated identification · may be incorrect

Mohs hardness 6 to 7 for quartz-rich varieties. Color ranges from tan and yellow to red and brown. Luster is dull or earthy. Composed primarily of cemented mineral particles or rock fragments, mainly quartz and feldspar.

Identified More sedimentary →
Explore Sandstone in the encyclopedia →

Identify your own rocks.

Get a report just like this from any photo, free.

App StoreGoogle Play

Physical properties

Mohs hardness 6 to 7 for quartz-rich varieties. Color ranges from tan and yellow to red and brown. Luster is dull or earthy. Composed primarily of cemented mineral particles or rock fragments, mainly quartz and feldspar.

Formation & geological history

Formed through the accumulation, compaction, and cementation of mineral particles or rock fragments, typically in desert, river, or marine environments over millions of years.

Uses & applications

Widely used in construction as a building and paving material, dimension stone, and historically for grindstones.

Geological facts

Famous structures like Petra in Jordan and the temples of ancient Egypt were carved directly from sandstone cliffs.

Field identification & locations

Identified by its visible sand-sized grains and gritty texture. Found worldwide in sedimentary basins and arid regions.

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

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

Fossiliferous Sedimentary Rock

Sedimentary limestone with invertebrate fossil imprint

fossil
Sandstone or Siltstone (Arenite (if sandstone)) — Sedimentary

Sandstone or Siltstone

Arenite (if sandstone)

Sedimentary
Sandstone (Arenite) — sedimentary

Sandstone

Arenite

sedimentary
Shale (Shale (clastic sedimentary rock)) — sedimentary

Shale

Shale (clastic sedimentary rock)

sedimentary
Shale (or Mudstone/Siltstone) (Sedimentary Mudrock (SiO2, Al2O3 base with clay minerals)) — sedimentary

Shale (or Mudstone/Siltstone)

Sedimentary Mudrock (SiO2, Al2O3 base with clay minerals)

sedimentary