Definition
Gritstone or grit is a hard, coarse-grained, siliceous sandstone
Arkose is a sedimentary rock, specifically a type of sandstone containing at least 25% feldspar
Origin
Pennines, England
France
Discoverer
J.J. Ferber
Alexandre Brongniart
Etymology
From Grit + Stone
From Auvergne region of France used by a French geologist Alexandre Brongniart in 1826 who applied this term to some feldspathic sandstones
Class
Sedimentary Rocks
Sedimentary Rocks
Sub-Class
Durable Rock, Hard Rock
Durable Rock, Hard Rock
Other Categories
Coarse Grained Rock, Opaque Rock
Coarse Grained Rock, Opaque Rock
Color
Beige, Black, Brown, Cream, Dark Brown, Green, Grey, Light Green, Light to Dark Grey, Pink, Red, White, Yellow
Reddish Brown
Durability
Durable
Durable
Scratch Resistant
Yes
Yes
Appearance
Layered and Foliated
Rough and Dull
Interior Uses
Countertops, Decorative Aggregates, Homes, Interior Decoration
Decorative Aggregates, Homes, Interior Decoration
Exterior Uses
As Building Stone, Garden Decoration, Office Buildings, Paving Stone
Paving Stone, Office Buildings
Other Architectural Uses
Curbing
Whetstones
Construction Industry
Construction Aggregate, Roadstone
Cement Manufacture, Construction Aggregate, for Road Aggregate, Production of Glass and Ceramics, Raw material for the manufacture of mortar
Antiquity Uses
Artifacts, Monuments, Sculpture
Artifacts, Sculpture, Small Figurines
Commercial Uses
An Oil and Gas Reservoir, As a Feed Additive for Livestock, Gemstone, Metallurgical Flux, Production of Lime, Soil Conditioner, Source of Magnesia (MgO), Tombstones
In aquifers, Soil Conditioner, Source of Magnesia (MgO), Tombstones
Types
Sedimentary rock
Arkose
Features
Available in Lots of Colors and Patterns, Generally rough to touch, Very fine grained rock
Available in Lots of Colors and Patterns, Generally rough to touch, Is one of the oldest rock
Archaeological Significance
Formation
Gritstone is a type of sedimentary rock which was formed on the floors of wide river deltas where the grit deposits were laid down, with every tide or flood dumping another layer of sediment.
Arkose rock forms from the weathering of feldspar-rich igneous or metamorphic rock, most commonly granitic rocks, which are primarily composed of quartz and feldspar.
Mineral Content
Calcite, Clay Minerals, Feldspar, Micas, Quartz
Calcite, Clay, Clay Minerals, Feldspar, Micas, Quartz
Compound Content
Aluminium Oxide, CaO, Iron(III) Oxide, Potassium Oxide, MgO, Sodium Oxide, Silicon Dioxide
Aluminium Oxide, CaO, Iron(III) Oxide, Potassium Oxide, MgO, Sodium Oxide, Silicon Dioxide
Types of Metamorphism
-
-
Types of Weathering
Biological Weathering, Chemical Weathering, Mechanical Weathering
Biological Weathering, Chemical Weathering, Mechanical Weathering
Types of Erosion
Chemical Erosion, Coastal Erosion
Coastal Erosion, Glacier Erosion, Water Erosion, Wind Erosion
Grain Size
Coarse Grained
Coarse Grained
Fracture
Conchoidal
Conchoidal
Porosity
Highly Porous
Highly Porous
Transparency
Opaque
Opaque
Density
2.2 g/cm3
-9999 g/cm3
Resistance
Heat Resistant, Impact Resistant, Pressure Resistant
Heat Resistant, Impact Resistant, Pressure Resistant
Deposits in Eastern Continents
Asia
China, India, Kazakhstan, Mongolia, Russia, Uzbekistan
China, India, Kazakhstan, Mongolia, Russia, Uzbekistan
Africa
Namibia, Nigeria, South Africa
Namibia, Nigeria, South Africa
Europe
Austria, Denmark, Germany, Great Britain, Netherlands, Poland, Sweden, Switzerland, United Kingdom
Austria, Denmark, Germany, Great Britain, Netherlands, Norway, Poland, Sweden, Switzerland, United Kingdom
Others
Greenland
Greenland
Deposits in Western Continents
North America
Canada, USA
Canada, USA
South America
Brazil
Brazil
Deposits in Oceania Continent
Australia
New South Wales, New Zealand, Western Australia
New South Wales, New Zealand
Gritstone vs Arkose 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. Gritstone vs Arkose characteristics assist us to distinguish and recognize rocks. Also you can check about Properties of Gritstone and Properties of Arkose. Learn more about Gritstone vs Arkose in the next section. The interior uses of Gritstone include Countertops, Decorative aggregates, Homes and Interior decoration whereas the interior uses of Arkose include Decorative aggregates, Homes and Interior decoration. Due to some exceptional properties of Gritstone and Arkose, they have various applications in construction industry. The uses of Gritstone in construction industry include Construction aggregate, Roadstone and that of Arkose include Cement manufacture, Construction aggregate, For road aggregate, Production of glass and ceramics, Raw material for the manufacture of mortar.
More about Gritstone and Arkose
Here you can know more about Gritstone and Arkose. The life cycle of a rock consists of formation of rock, composition of rock and transformation of rock. The composition of Gritstone and Arkose consists of mineral content and compound content. The mineral content of Gritstone includes Calcite, Clay Minerals, Feldspar, Micas, Quartz and mineral content of Arkose includes Calcite, Clay, Clay Minerals, Feldspar, Micas, Quartz. You can also check out the list of all Sedimentary Rocks. When we have to compare Gritstone vs Arkose, the texture, color and appearance plays an important role in determining the type of rock. Gritstone is available in beige, black, brown, cream, dark brown, green, grey, light green, light to dark grey, pink, red, white, yellow colors whereas, Arkose is available in reddish brown colors. Appearance of Gritstone is Layered and Foliated and that of Arkose is Rough and Dull. Properties of rock is another aspect for Gritstone vs Arkose. Hardness of Gritstone and Arkose is 6-7. The types of Gritstone are Sedimentary rock whereas types of Arkose are Arkose. Streak of rock is the color of powder produced when it is dragged across an unweathered surface. The streak of Gritstone and Arkose is white. The specific heat capacity of Gritstone is 0.92 kJ/Kg K and that of Arkose is 0.78 kJ/Kg K. Depending on the properties like hardness, toughness, specific heat capacity, porosity etc., rocks are resistant to heat, wear, impact, etc.Gritstone is heat resistant, impact resistant, pressure resistant whereas Arkose is heat resistant, impact resistant, pressure resistant.