Where is Sandstone Concretion found?
Sedimentary rock, concretion
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Open the appSandstone Concretion occurs in specific geological environments. Knowing where to look, and in what kind of rock, is the difference between going home empty-handed and finding a great specimen.
Where to find Sandstone Concretion
United States
Widely distributed in sandstone formations across the US, including the Navajo Sandstone (Utah, Arizona), Dakota Sandstone (Midwest), and various formations in the Appalachian Basin. Notable occurrences in the Badlands of South Dakota and Theodore Roosevelt National Park in North Dakota.
Canada
Common in sedimentary basins, particularly in the Western Canadian Sedimentary Basin, within Cretaceous and Tertiary sandstone units.
United Kingdom
Found in various sandstone formations, such as the Jurassic sandstones of Yorkshire and the Cretaceous sandstones of southern England.
Australia
Present in numerous sedimentary basins, including the Great Artesian Basin, often associated with iron-rich sandstones.
Worldwide
Sandstone concretions are a common diagenetic feature in sandstone units globally, wherever suitable conditions for localized cementation exist.
Collecting tips
- Look for differential weathering. Concretions are typically harder than the surrounding host rock. Look for areas where erosion has preferentially removed the softer sandstone, leaving the more resistant concretions exposed on slopes, stream beds, or cliff faces.
- Examine weathered outcrops. Actively weathering sandstone outcrops are prime locations. Concretions often 'pop out' of the rock as the softer matrix erodes away.
- Check stream beds and gravels. Eroded concretions can be transported by water and accumulate in stream beds, river gravels, and beach deposits, often appearing as rounded, unusually hard stones.
- Investigate unusual shapes. Concretions often have distinct spherical, ovoid, or irregular shapes that stand out from typical rock fragments. Some can be quite large, forming 'cannonball' concretions.
Quick Check
- Color:
- Variable (brown, red, yellow, gray)
- Luster:
- Dull to earthy
- Streak:
- White to light brown (for siliceous/calcareous); reddish-brown (for ferruginous)
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