Definition
Greywacke is defined as a dark coarse-grained sandstone rock which contains more than 15 per cent clay
Oolite is a sedimentary rock formed from ooids, spherical grains which are composed of concentric layers of calcite
Discoverer
Unknown
William Smith
Etymology
From German Grauwacke, from grau grey + wacke
From oo- + -lite, after German Oolit. A rock consisting of fine grains of carbonate of lime
Class
Sedimentary Rocks
Sedimentary Rocks
Sub-Class
Durable Rock, Hard Rock
Durable Rock, Medium Hardness Rock
Other Categories
Fine Grained Rock, Opaque Rock
Fine Grained Rock, Opaque Rock
Texture
Clastic
Clastic or Non-Clastic
Color
Beige, Black, Brown, Cream, Dark Brown, Green, Grey, Light Green, Light to Dark Grey, Pink, Red, White, Yellow
Black, Blue, Brown, Cream, Green, Grey, Pink, Red, Silver, White, Yellow
Durability
Durable
Durable
Scratch Resistant
Yes
Yes
Appearance
Dull
Rounded and Rough
Interior Uses
Decorative Aggregates, Floor Tiles, Flooring, Homes, Interior Decoration
Decorative Aggregates, Flooring, Interior Decoration
Exterior Uses
As Building Stone, As Facing Stone, Garden Decoration, Office Buildings, Paving Stone
As Building Stone, As Facing Stone, Garden Decoration, Paving Stone
Other Architectural Uses
Curbing, Whetstones
-
Construction Industry
Building houses or walls, Cement Manufacture, Construction Aggregate, for Road Aggregate, Raw material for the manufacture of mortar
Cement Manufacture, Cobblestones, Landscaping
Antiquity Uses
Artifacts, Sculpture, Small Figurines
Artifacts
Commercial Uses
As armour rock for sea walls, Petroleum reservoirs, Sea Defence, Tombstones
Creating Artwork, Jewelry, Used in aquariums
Types
Greywacke
Pisolitic Oolite and Oncolitic Oolite
Features
Available in Lots of Colors and Patterns, Generally rough to touch, Non-vesicular, Veined
Available in lots of colors, Generally rough to touch, Very fine grained rock
Archaeological Significance
Formation
Graywacke rock is a type of sedimentary rock, which is also known as immature sandstone, which is indurated, dark grey and consisting of poorly sorted angular to sub-angular, sand-sized grains.
Oolites form when layers of calcite are deposited around a sand grain or fossil piece and are rolled around in calm water, which makes them round.
Mineral Content
Augite, Biotite, Calcite, Chlorite, Clay, Clay Minerals, Feldspar, Micas, Muscovite or Illite, Plagioclase, Pyroxene, Quartz
Calcite, Chert, Clay, Dolomite, Quartz, Sand, Silt
Compound Content
Aluminium Oxide, NaCl, CaO, Chromium(III) Oxide, Iron(III) Oxide, FeO, Potassium Oxide, Magnesium Carbonate, MgO, MnO, Sodium Oxide, Phosphorus Pentoxide, Silicon Dioxide, Titanium Dioxide
Aluminium Oxide, Ca, NaCl, CaO, Iron(III) Oxide, FeO, MgO
Types of Metamorphism
-
-
Types of Weathering
Biological Weathering, Chemical Weathering
Biological Weathering, Chemical Weathering, Mechanical Weathering
Types of Erosion
Coastal Erosion, Sea Erosion, Wind Erosion
Chemical Erosion, Coastal Erosion
Grain Size
Angular and Fine
Fine Grained
Fracture
Conchoidal
Conchoidal
Porosity
Highly Porous
Less Porous
Luster
Dull
Pearly to Shiny
Specific Gravity
2.2-2.8
-9999
Transparency
Opaque
Opaque
Density
2.6-2.61 g/cm3
-9999 g/cm3
Resistance
Heat Resistant, Impact Resistant, Pressure Resistant
Heat Resistant, Wear Resistant
Deposits in Eastern Continents
Asia
China, India, Kazakhstan, Mongolia, Russia, Uzbekistan
Brunei, India, Indonesia, Malaysia, Singapore, Thailand, Vietnam
Africa
Namibia, Nigeria, South Africa
Cameroon, Chad, Ghana, Kenya, Malawi, Sudan, Tanzania, Togo, Zambia, Zimbabwe
Europe
Austria, Denmark, Germany, Great Britain, Netherlands, Norway, Poland, Sweden, Switzerland, United Kingdom
United Kingdom
Deposits in Western Continents
North America
Canada, USA
USA
South America
Brazil
Colombia
Deposits in Oceania Continent
Australia
New South Wales, New Zealand
Adelaide, New Zealand, Queensland, Victoria, Yorke Peninsula
Greywacke vs Oolite 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. Greywacke vs Oolite characteristics assist us to distinguish and recognize rocks. Also you can check about Properties of Greywacke and Properties of Oolite. Learn more about Greywacke vs Oolite in the next section. The interior uses of Greywacke include Decorative aggregates, Floor tiles, Flooring, Homes and Interior decoration whereas the interior uses of Oolite include Decorative aggregates, Flooring and Interior decoration. Due to some exceptional properties of Greywacke and Oolite, they have various applications in construction industry. The uses of Greywacke in construction industry include Building houses or walls, Cement manufacture, Construction aggregate, For road aggregate, Raw material for the manufacture of mortar and that of Oolite include Cement manufacture, Cobblestones, Landscaping.
More about Greywacke and Oolite
Here you can know more about Greywacke and Oolite. The life cycle of a rock consists of formation of rock, composition of rock and transformation of rock. The composition of Greywacke and Oolite consists of mineral content and compound content. The mineral content of Greywacke includes Augite, Biotite, Calcite, Chlorite, Clay, Clay Minerals, Feldspar, Micas, Muscovite or Illite, Plagioclase, Pyroxene, Quartz and mineral content of Oolite includes Calcite, Chert, Clay, Dolomite, Quartz, Sand, Silt. You can also check out the list of all Sedimentary Rocks. When we have to compare Greywacke vs Oolite, the texture, color and appearance plays an important role in determining the type of rock. Greywacke is available in beige, black, brown, cream, dark brown, green, grey, light green, light to dark grey, pink, red, white, yellow colors whereas, Oolite is available in black, blue, brown, cream, green, grey, pink, red, silver, white, yellow colors. Appearance of Greywacke is Dull and that of Oolite is Rounded and Rough. Properties of rock is another aspect for Greywacke vs Oolite. The hardness of Greywacke is 6-7 and that of Oolite is 3-4. The types of Greywacke are Greywacke whereas types of Oolite are Pisolitic Oolite and Oncolitic Oolite. Streak of rock is the color of powder produced when it is dragged across an unweathered surface. The streak of Greywacke and Oolite is white. The specific heat capacity of Greywacke is 0.71 kJ/Kg K and that of Oolite is 0.65 kJ/Kg K. Depending on the properties like hardness, toughness, specific heat capacity, porosity etc., rocks are resistant to heat, wear, impact, etc.Greywacke is heat resistant, impact resistant, pressure resistant whereas Oolite is heat resistant, wear resistant.