sedimentary
Sandstone
Arenite (primarily SiO2)
AI-generated identification · may be incorrectHardness 6-7 on Mohs scale; tan, buff, or yellowish-brown color; earthy to dull luster; granular, gritty texture.
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Physical properties
Hardness 6-7 on Mohs scale; tan, buff, or yellowish-brown color; earthy to dull luster; granular, gritty texture.
Formation & geological history
Formed by the compaction and cementation of mineral particles or rock fragments, typically in desert dunes, riverbeds, or beaches.
Uses & applications
Widely used as building stone, flagstone, paving material, and in the manufacturing of glass.
Geological facts
Sandstone makes up about 20 to 25 percent of all sedimentary rocks on Earth and frequently serves as an important aquifer or petroleum reservoir.
Field identification & locations
Identified by its gritty feel (like sandpaper) and visible sand grains cemented together; ubiquitous 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
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