Arkose

Arkose stone

Description

A coarse-grain feldspathic Sandstone. Arkose is composed of Quartz, Feldspar, Calcite, and Mica and is produced from the disintegration of Granite. It is an important type of sediment as it tends to contain a significant number of fossils. In Australia, the world's largest natural monolith, Ayers Rock, is formed by massive deposits of arkose. Arkosic sandstone is used as a dimension stone in building construction.

Arkose

Synonyms and Related Terms

Arkosic sandstone; arkose (Fr.); arcosa (Esp.); arcose (Port.); Arkose (Deut.); arkose (Ned.)

Physical and Chemical Properties

Arkose effervesces slightly with a drop of dilute hydrochloric acid

Resources and Citations

• Dictionary of Building Preservation, Ward Bucher, ed., John Wiley & Sons, Inc., New York City, 1996

• Anne Grimmer, Glossary of Building Stone Terms, A Glossary of Historic Masonry Deterioration Problems and Preservation Treatments, National Park Service, Washington DC, 1984

• Olympus Microscopy Resource Center at http://www.olympusmicro.com/galleries/polarizedlight/pages/arkosesmall.html (Accessed Sept. 17, 2005)

• Van Nostrand's Scientific Encyclopedia, Douglas M. Considine (ed.), Van Nostrand Reinhold, New York, 1976

• Random House, Webster's Encyclopedic Unabridged Dictionary of the English Language, Grammercy Book, New York, 1997