Gravel

Gravel is a type of block typically found in naturally occurring pits, underwater, or underground. Alike Sand, Gravel will fall to the lowest z-coordinate below it if there is no block underneath it. Therefore it is possible to suffocate with careless use of gravel, being crushed beneath the weight. If the lowest block in a collumn, directly beneath Gravel, is occupied by a Torch or flower, the Gravel block will disintegrate into a gravel resource instead.

In Alpha, it has a roughly an 8.5% (based on testing) chance to drop Flint once destroyed, which is used to create Flint and Steel and Arrows. Shovels will destroy this block quicker than normal, alike Sand and Dirt. Due to the fact that Gravel is affected by gravity, it was used to make hallways that seal when water touches torches supporting it, creating an Airlock. However, recent changes made means Gravel disintegrates when falling on torches so creating an airlock is only possible with Sand.

Gravel has been added to caves, and is infamous for being capable of suffocating the player if two blocks fall on him. There was once a glitch in an older version of singleplayer Creative mode for a moment, that caused a flood if water was placed on a wall with blocks affected by gravity. This bug has now since been fixed.

Minecarts prevent Gravel from falling.

Trivia

 * On occasion, some normally generated maps may produce beaches made of gravel instead of sand.
 * A great way to power mine massive columns of gravel, is to dig under the stone or dirt that it is resting on. Under that dirt or stone, place a torch. Mine the dirt or stone, and watch as the gravel column falls into the torch quickly, giving you gravel blocks and flint. This also works with sand.