Definition
A ganister is a hard, fine-grained quartzose sandstone or orthoquartzite which is basically used in the manufacture of silica brick typically used to line furnaces and is a type of sedimentary rocks.
Chert is a hard, dark, opaque sedimentary rock which is composed of silica with an amorphous fine-grained texture
Discoverer
Unknown
Unknown
Etymology
From gan′is-ter i.e a hard, close-grained siliceous stone, often forming the stratum which underlies a coal-seam
From flint-like quartz, 1670s, of unknown origin- a local term, which has been taken into geological use
Class
Sedimentary Rocks
Sedimentary Rocks
Sub-Class
Durable Rock, Hard Rock
Durable Rock, Hard Rock
Group
Not Applicable
Not Applicable
Other Categories
Coarse Grained Rock, Fine Grained Rock, Opaque Rock
Fine Grained Rock, Opaque Rock
Texture
Clastic, Granular, Rough
Banded, Rough
Color
Beige, Black, Brown, Colourless, Cream, Dark Brown, Green, Grey, Light Green, Light to Dark Grey, Pink, Red, White, Yellow
Black, Brown, Green, Grey, Red, White
Durability
Durable
Durable
Scratch Resistant
Yes
Yes
Appearance
Rough
Glassy or Pearly
Interior Uses
Decorative Aggregates, Entryways, Flooring, Homes, Interior Decoration
Decorative Aggregates, Homes
Exterior Uses
As Building Stone, Garden Decoration, Office Buildings, Paving Stone
As Building Stone, As Facing Stone, Garden Decoration, Office Buildings
Other Architectural Uses
Curbing
Curbing
Construction Industry
Cement Manufacture, Construction Aggregate, for Road Aggregate, Production of Glass and Ceramics, Raw material for the manufacture of mortar
Arrowheads, Construction Aggregate, Cutting Tool, Spear Points
Medical Industry
Not Yet Used
Not Yet Used
Antiquity Uses
Artifacts, Monuments, Sculpture, Small Figurines
Artifacts, Monuments
Commercial Uses
An Oil and Gas Reservoir, In aquifers, Petroleum reservoirs, Soil Conditioner, Source of Magnesia (MgO), Tombstones
Creating Artwork, Gemstone, In fire-starting tools, Jewelry, To ignite fire, Used in flintlock firearms
Types
Not Available
Flint, Jasper, Radiolarite, Common Chert, Chalcedony, Agate, Onyx, Opal, Magadi-type Chert, Porcelanite, Siliceous Sinter
Features
Available in Lots of Colors and Patterns, Generally rough to touch, Very fine grained rock
Clasts are smooth to touch, Easily splits into thin plates, Has High structural resistance against erosion and climate
Archaeological Significance
Famous Monuments
Data Not Available
Data Not Available
Sculpture
Used
Not Yet Used
Famous Sculptures
Data Not Available
Not Applicable
Pictographs
Not Used
Not Used
Petroglyphs
Not Used
Not Used
Figurines
Used
Not Yet Used
Formation
Ganisters are formed by the destruction of easily weathered minerals mainly feldspar, within the surface horizon of soil by soil-forming processes.
Chert forms when microcrystals of silicon dioxide grow within soft sediments that become limestone or chalk. The chert formation can be either of chemical or biological origin.
Mineral Content
Calcite, Clay, Clay Minerals, Feldspar, Micas, Quartz
Quartz, Silicon
Compound Content
Aluminium Oxide, CaO, Iron(III) Oxide, Potassium Oxide, MgO, Sodium Oxide, Silicon Dioxide
Silicon Dioxide
Types of Metamorphism
Not Applicable
Not Applicable
Types of Weathering
Biological Weathering
Not Applicable
Types of Erosion
Water Erosion, Wind Erosion
Chemical Erosion
Grain Size
Coarse or Fine
Very fine-grained
Fracture
Splintery
Uneven, Splintery or Conchoidal
Porosity
Highly Porous
Highly Porous
Luster
Dull
Waxy and Dull
Cleavage
Perfect
Non-Existent
Specific Gravity
2.2-2.8
2.5-2.8
Transparency
Opaque
Translucent to Opaque
Density
2.2-2.8 g/cm3
2.7 g/cm3
Resistance
Heat Resistant, Impact Resistant, Pressure Resistant
Heat Resistant, Impact Resistant, Pressure Resistant, Wear Resistant
Deposits in Eastern Continents
Asia
China, India, Kazakhstan, Mongolia, Russia, Uzbekistan
China, India, Iran, Japan, Oman, Russia, Saudi Arabia, Taiwan, Thailand, Vietnam
Africa
Namibia, Nigeria, South Africa
Kenya, Morocco, South Africa, Tanzania
Europe
Austria, Denmark, Germany, Great Britain, Netherlands, Norway, Poland, Sweden, Switzerland, United Kingdom
Austria, France, Greece, Italy, Malta, Poland, Portugal, Serbia, Spain, Sweden, United Kingdom
Others
Greenland
Greenland, Mid-Atlantic Ridge
Deposits in Western Continents
North America
Canada, USA
Canada, Mexico, USA
South America
Brazil
Bolivia, Brazil
Deposits in Oceania Continent
Australia
New South Wales, New Zealand
New South Wales, Queensland, South Australia, Western Australia
Ganister vs Chert Characteristics
Though some rocks look identical, they have certain characteristics which distinguish them from others. Characteristics of rocks include texture, appearance, color, fracture, streak, hardness etc. Ganister vs Chert characteristics assist us to distinguish and recognize rocks. Also you can check about Properties of Ganister and Properties of Chert. Learn more about Ganister vs Chert in the next section. The interior uses of Ganister include Decorative aggregates, Entryways, Flooring, Homes and Interior decoration whereas the interior uses of Chert include Decorative aggregates and Homes. Due to some exceptional properties of Ganister and Chert, they have various applications in construction industry. The uses of Ganister in construction industry include Cement manufacture, Construction aggregate, For road aggregate, Production of glass and ceramics, Raw material for the manufacture of mortar and that of Chert include Arrowheads, Construction aggregate, Cutting tool, Spear points.
More about Ganister and Chert
Here you can know more about Ganister and Chert. The life cycle of a rock consists of formation of rock, composition of rock and transformation of rock. The composition of Ganister and Chert consists of mineral content and compound content. The mineral content of Ganister includes Calcite, Clay, Clay Minerals, Feldspar, Micas, Quartz and mineral content of Chert includes Quartz, Silicon. You can also check out the list of all Sedimentary Rocks. When we have to compare Ganister vs Chert, the texture, color and appearance plays an important role in determining the type of rock. Ganister is available in beige, black, brown, colourless, cream, dark brown, green, grey, light green, light to dark grey, pink, red, white, yellow colors whereas, Chert is available in black, brown, green, grey, red, white colors. Appearance of Ganister is Rough and that of Chert is Glassy or Pearly. Properties of rock is another aspect for Ganister vs Chert. The hardness of Ganister is 6-7 and that of Chert is 6.5-7. The types of Ganister are Not Available whereas types of Chert are Flint, Jasper, Radiolarite, Common Chert, Chalcedony, Agate, Onyx, Opal, Magadi-type Chert, Porcelanite, Siliceous Sinter. Streak of rock is the color of powder produced when it is dragged across an unweathered surface. The streak of Ganister and Chert is white. The specific heat capacity of Ganister is 0.92 kJ/Kg K and that of Chert is 0.74 kJ/Kg K. Depending on the properties like hardness, toughness, specific heat capacity, porosity etc., rocks are resistant to heat, wear, impact, etc.Ganister is heat resistant, impact resistant, pressure resistant whereas Chert is heat resistant, impact resistant, pressure resistant, wear resistant.