sedimentary
Sandstone
Sedimentary Clastic Rock
AI-generated identification · may be incorrectHardness 6 to 7 on Mohs scale depending on cement, tan to reddish-brown color, dull luster, clastic texture with visible quartz grains, specific gravity 2.2 to 2.8.
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 to 7 on Mohs scale depending on cement, tan to reddish-brown color, dull luster, clastic texture with visible quartz grains, specific gravity 2.2 to 2.8.
Formation & geological history
Formed through the accumulation, compaction, and cementation of mineral particles or rock fragments, primarily quartz and feldspar, in marine, desert, or river environments.
Uses & applications
Widely used in construction as building stone, paving material, and in the manufacturing of glass and abrasives.
Geological facts
Sandstone formations can be thousands of feet thick and often preserve ancient ripple marks and fossil tracks from millions of years ago.
Field identification & locations
Identify by its gritty sandpaper-like texture and visible mineral grains; commonly found in deserts, riverbeds, and cliff formations worldwide.
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