Definition
Sandstone is defined as a rock which is composed of sand-sized grains of various minerals mostly of uniform size and often are smooth and rounded
Chalk is a soft, white, powdery limestone consisting mainly of fossil shells of foraminifers
Discoverer
Unknown
Unknown
Etymology
From its composition, sand and stone
From old English cealc chalk, lime, plaster; pebble, from Greek khalix small pebble, in English transferred to the opaque, white, soft limestone
Class
Sedimentary Rocks
Sedimentary Rocks
Sub-Class
Durable Rock, Hard Rock
Durable Rock, Soft Rock
Group
Not Applicable
Not Applicable
Other Categories
Coarse Grained Rock, Fine Grained Rock, Opaque Rock
Fine Grained Rock, Opaque Rock
Texture
Clastic, Granular, Rough
Clastic or Non-Clastic
Color
Beige, Black, Brown, Colourless, Cream, Dark Brown, Green, Grey, Light Green, Light to Dark Grey, Pink, Red, White, Yellow
Grey, White, Yellow
Durability
Durable
Durable
Interior Uses
Countertops, Decorative Aggregates, Interior Decoration
Decorative Aggregates, Homes, Interior Decoration
Exterior Uses
As Building Stone, As Facing Stone, Office Buildings
As Building Stone, As Facing Stone, Paving Stone, Garden Decoration
Other Architectural Uses
Curbing
Powder
Construction Industry
Cement Manufacture, Construction Aggregate, for Road Aggregate, Production of Glass and Ceramics, Raw material for the manufacture of mortar
As Dimension Stone, Cement Manufacture, Construction Aggregate, for Road Aggregate, Making natural cement, raw material for manufacture of quicklime and slaked lime, Source of calcium
Medical Industry
Not Yet Used
Not Yet Used
Antiquity Uses
Artifacts, Monuments, Sculpture
Artifacts, Monuments, Sculpture, Small Figurines
Commercial Uses
An Oil and Gas Reservoir, In aquifers, Petroleum reservoirs, Soil Conditioner, Source of Magnesia (MgO), Tombstones, Used in aquariums
Alumina Refineries, Creating Artwork, Drawing on blackboards, Gymnasts, athletes and mountain climbers use for grip, In aquifers, Paper Industry, Production of Lime, Raw material for manufacture of quicklime, slaked lime, Soil Conditioner, Whiting, Whiting material in toothpaste, paint and paper
Types
Grey Sandstones, Crystallized Sandstones, Hard Sandstones , Carbonate Cemented Sandstones and Ganister
Not Available
Features
Available in Lots of Colors and Patterns, Generally rough to touch, Very fine grained rock
Clasts are smooth to touch, Is one of the oldest rock, Smooth to touch, Very fine grained rock
Archaeological Significance
Famous Monuments
Abu Simbel in Egypt, Agia Sophia in Istanbul, Turkey, Angkor Wat in Cambodia, Buland Darwaza in Agra, India, Chhatrapati Shivaji Terminus in Maharashtra, India, Dom in Berlin, Great Sphinx at Giza, Egypt, Hawa Mahal in Jaipur, India, Humayun's Tomb in Delhi, India, India Gate in Delhi, India, Jama Masjid in Delhi, India, Khajuraho Temples, India, Leh Palace in Leh, India, Lotus Temple in New Delhi, India, Luxor Temple in Egypt, Machu Picchu in Peru, Neuschwanstein in Bavaria, Petra in Jordan, Qutb Minar in India, Red Fort in Delhi, India, Sanchi Stupa in India
Data Not Available
Famous Sculptures
Ajanta Caves in Maharashtra, India, Elephanta Caves in Maharashtra, India, Mount Rushmore National Memorial in South Dakota, US
Data Not Available
Pictographs
Not Used
Used
Petroglyphs
Not Used
Used
Formation
Sandstone is a sedimentary rock which forms from cemented sand-sized clasts. It forms when sand layers are buried under sediments of sand.
Chalk is formed from lime mud, which accumulates on the sea floor which is then transformed into rock by geological processes.
Mineral Content
Calcite, Clay, Clay Minerals, Feldspar, Micas, Quartz
Calcite, Clay, Clay Minerals, Quartz, Sand
Compound Content
Aluminium Oxide, CaO, Iron(III) Oxide, Potassium Oxide, MgO, Sodium Oxide, Silicon Dioxide
Ca, NaCl, CaO
Types of Metamorphism
Not Applicable
Not Applicable
Types of Weathering
Biological Weathering, Chemical Weathering, Mechanical Weathering
Biological Weathering, Chemical Weathering
Types of Erosion
Chemical Erosion, Coastal Erosion, Glacier Erosion, Sea Erosion, Water Erosion, Wind Erosion
Chemical Erosion, Coastal Erosion, Water Erosion
Grain Size
Coarse or Fine
Very fine-grained
Fracture
Conchoidal
Not Available
Porosity
Highly Porous
Highly Porous
Compressive Strength
Not Available
Cleavage
Perfect
Non-Existent
Specific Gravity
2.2-2.8
2.3-2.4
Transparency
Opaque
Opaque
Density
2.2-2.8 g/cm3
2.49-2.50 g/cm3
Resistance
Heat Resistant, Impact Resistant, Pressure Resistant
Heat Resistant
Deposits in Eastern Continents
Asia
China, India, Kazakhstan, Mongolia, Russia, Thailand, Uzbekistan
Brunei, India, Indonesia, Malaysia, Singapore, Thailand, Vietnam
Africa
Namibia, Nigeria, South Africa
Cameroon, Chad, Ghana, Kenya, Malawi, Sudan, Tanzania, Togo, Zambia, Zimbabwe
Europe
Austria, Denmark, Germany, Great Britain, Netherlands, Norway, Poland, Sweden, Switzerland, United Kingdom
England, France, Germany, Spain, United Kingdom
Others
Greenland
Not Yet Found
Deposits in Western Continents
North America
Canada, USA
Canada, USA
South America
Brazil
Colombia
Deposits in Oceania Continent
Australia
New South Wales, New Zealand
Adelaide, New Zealand, Queensland, Tonga, Victoria, Yorke Peninsula
Sandstone vs Chalk Characteristics
Though some rocks look identical, they have certain characteristics which distinguish them from others. Characteristics of rocks include texture, appearance, color, fracture, streak, hardness etc. Sandstone vs Chalk characteristics assist us to distinguish and recognize rocks. Also you can check about Properties of Sandstone and Properties of Chalk. Learn more about Sandstone vs Chalk in the next section. The interior uses of Sandstone include Countertops, Decorative aggregates and Interior decoration whereas the interior uses of Chalk include Decorative aggregates, Homes and Interior decoration. Due to some exceptional properties of Sandstone and Chalk, they have various applications in construction industry. The uses of Sandstone in construction industry include Cement manufacture, Construction aggregate, For road aggregate, Production of glass and ceramics, Raw material for the manufacture of mortar and that of Chalk include As dimension stone, Cement manufacture, Construction aggregate, For road aggregate, Making natural cement, Raw material for manufacture of quicklime and slaked lime, Source of calcium.
More about Sandstone and Chalk
Here you can know more about Sandstone and Chalk. The life cycle of a rock consists of formation of rock, composition of rock and transformation of rock. The composition of Sandstone and Chalk consists of mineral content and compound content. The mineral content of Sandstone includes Calcite, Clay, Clay Minerals, Feldspar, Micas, Quartz and mineral content of Chalk includes Calcite, Clay, Clay Minerals, Quartz, Sand. You can also check out the list of all Sedimentary Rocks. When we have to compare Sandstone vs Chalk, the texture, color and appearance plays an important role in determining the type of rock. Sandstone is available in beige, black, brown, colourless, cream, dark brown, green, grey, light green, light to dark grey, pink, red, white, yellow colors whereas, Chalk is available in grey, white, yellow colors. Appearance of Sandstone is Rough and that of Chalk is Soft. Properties of rock is another aspect for Sandstone vs Chalk. The hardness of Sandstone is 6-7 and that of Chalk is 1. The types of Sandstone are Grey Sandstones, Crystallized Sandstones, Hard Sandstones , Carbonate Cemented Sandstones and Ganister whereas types of Chalk are Not Available. Streak of rock is the color of powder produced when it is dragged across an unweathered surface. The streak of Sandstone and Chalk is white. The specific heat capacity of Sandstone is 0.92 kJ/Kg K and that of Chalk is 0.90 kJ/Kg K. Depending on the properties like hardness, toughness, specific heat capacity, porosity etc., rocks are resistant to heat, wear, impact, etc.Sandstone is heat resistant, impact resistant, pressure resistant whereas Chalk is heat resistant.