sandstone - teaching hand/display specimen of a Late Triassic medium-grained yellow-brown layered sandstone from the Chinle Formation of Utah

This sandstone forms a prominent cuesta on the flanks of the Virgin Anticline near Hurricane, Utah. These specimens are from the Shinarump Conglomerate Member of the Chinle Formation, Late Triassic in age and are from a sandstone interval in the Shinarump. They show good stratification, a useful characteristic when introducing students to sedimentary rocks. The cement is silica - these specimens will stand up well to student examination.

When this sandstone was deposited, Pangea straddled the equator. Utah was at about 10˚ north in a region with a monsoonal climate that shifted seasonally from very wet to dry. This particular member of the Chinle represents river-deposited valley fill.

This specimen has slight liesegang banding along one edge. Liesegang banding is formed of sinuous bands of iron-oxide cement alternating with iron-oxide staining. The area between iron-oxide cement bands regularly varies between lightly stained rock and rock that lacks iron-oxide staining. The banding crosscuts and obscures sedimentary structures. The iron-oxide staining consists of mounds of acicular needles precipitated on quartz grains.

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