Greensand

For other uses, see Greensand (disambiguation).
Greensand (glauconitic sandstone)
This image shows a rock and the occurrence of glauconitic siltstone in the Serra da Saudade ridge, in the Alto Paranaíba region, Minas Gerais state, Brazil.
Occurrence of glauconitic siltstone in the Serra da Saudade ridge, in the Alto Paranaíba region, Minas Gerais, Brazil

Greensand or green sand is a sand or sandstone which has a greenish color. This term is specifically applied to shallow marine sediment that contains noticeable quantities of rounded greenish grains. These grains are called glauconies and consist of a mixture of mixed-layer clay minerals, such as smectite and glauconite. Greensand is also loosely applied to any glauconitic sediment.[1][2][3]

  1. ^ Odin, G. S., ed. (1988). Green Marine Clays. Developments in Sedimentology. Vol. 45. Amsterdam: Elsevier. ISBN 978-0-444-87120-6.
  2. ^ Pettijohn, F. J.; Potter, P.; Siever, R. (1987). Sand and Sandstone. New York, NY: Springer-Verlag.[ISBN missing]
  3. ^ Neuendorf, K. K. E.; Mehl, J. P. Jr.; Jackson, J. A., eds. (2005). Glossary of Geology (5th ed.). Alexandria, VA: American Geological Institute. ISBN 0-922152-76-4.