Name: Desert varnished ferruginous sandstone
Type: rock
Class: Sedimentary
Subclass: Arenaceou
Particle Size: Solid
Sample No.: fge2
Owner: University of NSW
Wavelength Range: TIR
Origin: Nundooka Sandstone, Fowlers Gap, western New South Wales, AustraliaHewson(1998) PhD thesis 
Collection Date: N/A
Description: Fine to medium grained sandstone with kaolinitic matrixwith calcrete coatingPhysiography: Forms hillsides and resistant bluffs above broad floodplains Original ASTER Spectral Library name was jpl.nicolet.rock.sedimentary.arenaceous.solid.fge2.spectrum.txt
Medium grained quartz rich sandstone (finer/equal than 130um) with a 
ferrugginous/desert varnish coating.

Clay mineralogy  : XRD analysis indicates the presence of kaolinite and 
muscovite/illite. PIMA SWIR spectra identifies kaolinite and montmorillonite but 
fails to identify illite. However Fieldspec NIR spectra identifies hematite 
within the desert varnish suggestive of a multi-layer iron oxide desert varnish.

Coarse mineralogy : XRF normative analysis estimated 71% quartz, 14% 
illite/muscovite, 5% kaolinite and 7% smectite.

Spectral Description:  The presence of the 12.4-12.8 um doublet suggests the 
medium quartz grained texture. Spectral features suggestive of kaolinite are 
observed at 9.0, 9.9 and 11.0 um for fge2, with a broad 9.0-10 um reststrahlen 
feature suggestive of the significant clay mineral content. 

