Grain size and surface texturally characteristics that distinguishes between wind and fluvially transported sandstone

ABSTRACT

Sandstone is one of the most common sedimentary rocks usually located within the sedimentary Basins, throughout the world. Sandstones are formed when sand deposits are transported by the agents of denudation such as wind, water and thawing ice and finally deposited in basins where they are accumulated, compressed, and hardened. The sands are usually laid down and buried deep underground . The process of sandstone deposition usually takes place offshore from a river delta. Here, the sand fragments are compressed and hardened to form sedimentary rock known as sandstone. Therefore sandstone refers to a group of fragmental rocks whose average grain size varies from 0.0625 to 2 millimeters. This rock is made up of many mineral types of rock fragments, mainly monomineral gypsum, calcite with the most predominant type of mineral rock fragment being quartzite feldspars. These rock fragments usually determine the realm of the chemical composition of sandstone (Wen, F., Tian, Z., Liu, P.H., Xu, W., Liu, F., & Mitchell, R.N. (2021))

Moreover, sandstone can be classified as either a platform or Basin deposit. Platform sandstones refer to those which accumulate under conditions of tectonic stability as well as steady homogenous currents. On the other hand, Basin sand deposits refer to those sandstone deposits deposited in rapidly subsiding areas that have experienced heavy and consistent sedimentation with a robust rhythmic current that prevails. These two significant groups of sandstone deposits are further subdivided into smaller petrographic types within various characteristics and from where depositional environments are inferred.

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