Sandstone

Limestone

Sandstone vs Limestone

Sandstone

Limestone

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1 Definition

1.1 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

Limestone is a sedimentary rock composed mostly of calcite and aragonite, which are different crystal forms of calcium carbonate

1.2 History

1.2.1 Origin

Unknown

New Zealand

1.2.2 Discoverer

Unknown

Belsazar Hacquet

1.3 Etymology

From its composition, sand and stone

From lime and stone in late 14th Century

1.4 Class

Sedimentary Rocks

1.4.1 Sub-Class

Durable Rock, Hard Rock

Durable Rock, Medium Hardness Rock

1.5 Family

1.5.1 Group

Not Applicable

1.6 Other Categories

Coarse Grained Rock, Fine Grained Rock, Opaque Rock

Fine Grained Rock, Opaque Rock

2 Texture

2.1 Texture

Clastic, Granular, Rough

Clastic or Non-Clastic

2.2 Color

Beige, Black, Brown, Colourless, Cream, Dark Brown, Green, Grey, Light Green, Light to Dark Grey, Pink, Red, White, Yellow

Beige, Black, Blue, Brown, Cream, Gold, Green, Grey, Light Green, Light Grey, Linen, Pink, Red, Rust, Silver, White, Yellow

2.3 Maintenance

2.4 Durability

Durable

2.4.1 Water Resistant

✔ ✘

2.4.2 Scratch Resistant

✔ ✘

2.4.3 Stain Resistant

✔ ✘

2.4.4 Wind Resistant

✔ ✘

2.4.5 Acid Resistant

✔ ✘

2.5 Appearance

Rough

Rough and Banded

3 Uses

3.1 Architecture

3.1.1 Interior Uses

Countertops, Decorative Aggregates, Interior Decoration

Decorative Aggregates, Interior Decoration

3.1.2 Exterior Uses

As Building Stone, As Facing Stone, Office Buildings

As Building Stone, As Facing Stone, Garden Decoration, Office Buildings

3.1.3 Other Architectural Uses

Curbing

3.2 Industry

3.2.1 Construction Industry

Cement Manufacture, Construction Aggregate, for Road Aggregate, Production of Glass and Ceramics, Raw material for the manufacture of mortar

Cement Manufacture, Cobblestones, for Road Aggregate, Production of Glass and Ceramics, Raw material for the manufacture of mortar, Roadstone, Source of calcium

3.2.2 Medical Industry

Not Yet Used

In Chemical and Pharmaceutical Industry, Medicines and Cosmetics

3.3 Antiquity Uses

Artifacts, Monuments, Sculpture

Artifacts, Monuments, Sculpture, Small Figurines

3.4 Other Uses

3.4.1 Commercial Uses

An Oil and Gas Reservoir, In aquifers, Petroleum reservoirs, Soil Conditioner, Source of Magnesia (MgO), Tombstones, Used in aquariums

Animal feed filler, As a Feed Additive for Livestock, Paper Industry, Raw material for manufacture of quicklime, slaked lime, Soil Conditioner, Used in aquariums, Whiting material in toothpaste, paint and paper

4 Types

4.1 Types

Grey Sandstones, Crystallized Sandstones, Hard Sandstones , Carbonate Cemented Sandstones and Ganister

Chalk, Coquina, Fossiliferous Limestone, Lithographic Limestone, Oolitic Limestone, Travertine, Tufa

4.2 Features

Available in Lots of Colors and Patterns, Generally rough to touch, Very fine grained rock

Host Rock for Lead, Stalactites and stalagmites are formed from this rock, Zinc and Copper Deposits

4.3 Archaeological Significance

4.3.1 Monuments

Used

4.3.2 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

Acropolis of Athens in Greece, Agia Sophia in Istanbul, Turkey, Al Aqsa Mosque in Jerusalem, Angkor Wat in Cambodia, Big Ben in London, Charminar in Hyderabad, India, Chhatrapati Shivaji Terminus in Maharashtra, India, Chichen Itza in Mexico, Empire State Building in New York, Khajuraho Temples, India, Kremlin in Moscow, Louvre in Paris, France, Neuschwanstein in Bavaria, Potala Palace in Lahasa, Tibet, Wailing Wall in Jerusalem

4.3.3 Sculpture

Used

4.3.4 Famous Sculptures

Ajanta Caves in Maharashtra, India, Elephanta Caves in Maharashtra, India, Mount Rushmore National Memorial in South Dakota, US

Ajanta Caves in Maharashtra, India, Elephanta Caves in Maharashtra, India

4.3.5 Pictographs

Not Used

Used

4.3.6 Petroglyphs

Not Used

Used

4.3.7 Figurines

Used

4.4 Fossils

Present

5 Formation

5.1 Formation

Sandstone is a sedimentary rock which forms from cemented sand-sized clasts. It forms when sand layers are buried under sediments of sand.

Limestone is a sedimentary rock which is mainly made up of calcium carbonate.

5.2 Composition

5.2.1 Mineral Content

Calcite, Clay, Clay Minerals, Feldspar, Micas, Quartz

Calcite, Chert, Clay, Dolomite, Quartz, Sand, Silt

5.2.2 Compound Content

Aluminium Oxide, CaO, Iron(III) Oxide, Potassium Oxide, MgO, Sodium Oxide, Silicon Dioxide

Aluminium Oxide, NaCl, CaO, Iron(III) Oxide, FeO, MgO

5.3 Transformation

5.3.1 Metamorphism

✔ ✘

5.3.2 Types of Metamorphism

Not Applicable

5.3.3 Weathering

✔ ✘

5.3.4 Types of Weathering

Biological Weathering, Chemical Weathering, Mechanical Weathering

5.3.5 Erosion

✔ ✘

5.3.6 Types of Erosion

Chemical Erosion, Coastal Erosion, Glacier Erosion, Sea Erosion, Water Erosion, Wind Erosion

Chemical Erosion, Coastal Erosion

6 Properties

6.1 Physical Properties

6.1.1 Hardness

6-73-4

1 7

6.1.2 Grain Size

Coarse or Fine

Fine Grained

6.1.3 Fracture

Conchoidal

Splintery

6.1.4 Streak

White

6.1.5 Porosity

Highly Porous

Less Porous

6.1.6 Luster

Dull

Dull to Pearly

6.1.7 Compressive Strength

95.00 N/mm²115.00 N/mm²

0.15 450

6.1.8 Cleavage

Perfect

Non-Existent

6.1.9 Toughness

2.6

6.1.10 Specific Gravity

2.2-2.82.3-2.7

0 8.4

6.1.11 Transparency

Opaque

6.1.12 Density

2.2-2.8 g/cm³2.3-2.7 g/cm³

0 1400

6.2 Thermal Properties

6.2.1 Specific Heat Capacity

0.92 kJ/Kg K0.91 kJ/Kg K

0.14 3.2

6.2.2 Resistance

Heat Resistant, Impact Resistant, Pressure Resistant

Pressure Resistant

7 Reserves

7.1 Deposits in Eastern Continents

7.1.1 Asia

China, India, Kazakhstan, Mongolia, Russia, Thailand, Uzbekistan

Brunei, India, Indonesia, Malaysia, Singapore, Thailand, Vietnam

7.1.2 Africa

Namibia, Nigeria, South Africa

Cameroon, Chad, Ghana, Kenya, Malawi, Sudan, Tanzania, Togo, Zambia, Zimbabwe

7.1.3 Europe

Austria, Denmark, Germany, Great Britain, Netherlands, Norway, Poland, Sweden, Switzerland, United Kingdom

United Kingdom

7.1.4 Others

Greenland

Not Yet Found

7.2 Deposits in Western Continents

7.2.1 North America

Canada, USA

USA

7.2.2 South America

Brazil

Colombia

7.3 Deposits in Oceania Continent

7.3.1 Australia

New South Wales, New Zealand

Adelaide, New Zealand, Queensland, Tonga, Victoria, Yorke Peninsula

Sandstone vs Limestone Information

Earth’s outer layer is covered by rocks and these rocks have different physical and chemical properties. As two rocks are not same, it’s fun to compare them. You can also know more about Sandstone and Limestone Reserves. 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. Limestone is a sedimentary rock composed mostly of calcite and aragonite, which are different crystal forms of calcium carbonate. These rocks are composed of many distinct minerals. The process of formation of rocks is different for various rocks. Rocks are quarried from many years for various purposes. You can check out Sandstone vs Limestone information and Sandstone vs Limestone characteristics in the upcoming sections.

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Sandstone vs Limestone 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 Limestone characteristics assist us to distinguish and recognize rocks. Also you can check about Properties of Sandstone and Properties of Limestone. Learn more about Sandstone vs Limestone in the next section. The interior uses of Sandstone include Countertops, Decorative aggregates and Interior decoration whereas the interior uses of Limestone include Decorative aggregates and Interior decoration. Due to some exceptional properties of Sandstone and Limestone, 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 Limestone include Cement manufacture, Cobblestones, For road aggregate, Production of glass and ceramics, Raw material for the manufacture of mortar, Roadstone, Source of calcium.

More about Sandstone and Limestone

Here you can know more about Sandstone and Limestone. The life cycle of a rock consists of formation of rock, composition of rock and transformation of rock. The composition of Sandstone and Limestone consists of mineral content and compound content. The mineral content of Sandstone includes Calcite, Clay, Clay Minerals, Feldspar, Micas, Quartz and mineral content of Limestone includes Calcite, Chert, Clay, Dolomite, Quartz, Sand, Silt. You can also check out the list of all Sedimentary Rocks. When we have to compare Sandstone vs Limestone, 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, Limestone is available in beige, black, blue, brown, cream, gold, green, grey, light green, light grey, linen, pink, red, rust, silver, white, yellow colors. Appearance of Sandstone is Rough and that of Limestone is Rough and Banded. Properties of rock is another aspect for Sandstone vs Limestone. The hardness of Sandstone is 6-7 and that of Limestone is 3-4. The types of Sandstone are Grey Sandstones, Crystallized Sandstones, Hard Sandstones , Carbonate Cemented Sandstones and Ganister whereas types of Limestone are Chalk, Coquina, Fossiliferous Limestone, Lithographic Limestone, Oolitic Limestone, Travertine, Tufa. Streak of rock is the color of powder produced when it is dragged across an unweathered surface. The streak of Sandstone and Limestone is white. The specific heat capacity of Sandstone is 0.92 kJ/Kg K and that of Limestone is 0.91 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 Limestone is pressure resistant.