Definition
Gritstone or grit is a hard, coarse-grained, siliceous sandstone
Harzburgite is a plutonic rock of the peridotite group consisting largely of orthopyroxene and olivine
Origin
Pennines, England
Germany
Discoverer
J.J. Ferber
Unknown
Etymology
From Grit + Stone
From the name of a town in Harzburg, Germany
Class
Sedimentary Rocks
Igneous Rocks
Sub-Class
Durable Rock, Hard Rock
Durable Rock, Medium Hardness Rock
Group
Not Applicable
Plutonic
Other Categories
Coarse Grained Rock, Opaque Rock
Coarse Grained Rock, Opaque Rock
Texture
Earthy
Phaneritic
Color
Beige, Black, Brown, Colourless, Cream, Dark Brown, Green, Grey, Light Green, Light to Dark Grey, Pink, Red, White, Yellow
Dark Greenish - Grey
Durability
Durable
Durable
Scratch Resistant
Yes
Yes
Appearance
Layered and Foliated
Rough and Shiny
Interior Uses
Countertops, Decorative Aggregates, Homes, Interior Decoration
Decorative Aggregates, Homes, Interior Decoration
Exterior Uses
As Building Stone, Garden Decoration, Office Buildings, Paving Stone
As Building Stone, As Facing Stone, Garden Decoration, Office Buildings, Paving Stone
Other Architectural Uses
Curbing
Curbing
Construction Industry
Construction Aggregate, Roadstone
As Dimension Stone, Cobblestones
Medical Industry
Not Yet Used
Not Yet Used
Antiquity Uses
Artifacts, Monuments, Sculpture
Artifacts, Monuments, 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
Creating Artwork, Gemstone, Jewelry, Source of Chromite, Platinum, Nickel and Garnet, Source of Diamonds
Types
Not Available
Not Available
Features
Available in Lots of Colors and Patterns, Generally rough to touch, Very fine grained rock
Constitutes upper part of the Earth's mantle, Generally rough to touch, Is one of the oldest rock
Archaeological Significance
Famous Monuments
Data Not Available
Data Not Available
Famous Sculptures
Data Not Available
Data Not Available
Pictographs
Not Used
Used
Petroglyphs
Not Used
Used
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.
Harzburgite is a fine-grained, hard rock which is a type of metasomatite, essentially altered basalt. It forms with or without crystallization, either below the surface as intrusive rocks or on the surface as extrusive rocks.
Mineral Content
Calcite, Clay Minerals, Feldspar, Micas, Quartz
Amphibole, Chromite, Garnet, Magnesium, Olivine, Phlogopite, Plagioclase, Pyroxene
Compound Content
Aluminium Oxide, CaO, Iron(III) Oxide, Potassium Oxide, MgO, Sodium Oxide, Silicon Dioxide
Ca, Fe, Mg, Potassium, Silicon Dioxide, Sodium, Titanium Dioxide
Types of Metamorphism
Not Applicable
Impact Metamorphism
Types of Weathering
Biological Weathering, Chemical Weathering, Mechanical Weathering
Chemical Weathering, Mechanical Weathering
Types of Erosion
Chemical Erosion, Coastal Erosion
Chemical Erosion, Sea Erosion
Grain Size
Coarse Grained
Coarse Grained
Fracture
Conchoidal
Irregular
Porosity
Highly Porous
Less Porous
Compressive Strength
Not Available
Cleavage
Perfect
Imperfect
Toughness
Not Available
2.1
Specific Gravity
2.250
3-3.01
Transparency
Opaque
Translucent to Opaque
Density
2.2 g/cm3
3.1-3.4 g/cm3
Resistance
Heat Resistant, Impact Resistant, Pressure Resistant
Heat Resistant, Pressure Resistant, Wear Resistant
Deposits in Eastern Continents
Asia
China, India, Kazakhstan, Mongolia, Russia, Uzbekistan
Japan, Oman
Africa
Namibia, Nigeria, South Africa
South Africa
Europe
Austria, Denmark, Germany, Great Britain, Netherlands, Poland, Sweden, Switzerland, United Kingdom
France, Germany, Italy, Venezuela
Others
Greenland
Hawaii Islands, Mid-Atlantic Ridge
Deposits in Western Continents
North America
Canada, USA
Canada, USA
South America
Brazil
Not Yet Found
Deposits in Oceania Continent
Australia
New South Wales, New Zealand, Western Australia
Not Yet Found
Gritstone vs Harzburgite 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 Harzburgite characteristics assist us to distinguish and recognize rocks. Also you can check about Properties of Gritstone and Properties of Harzburgite. Learn more about Gritstone vs Harzburgite in the next section. The interior uses of Gritstone include Countertops, Decorative aggregates, Homes and Interior decoration whereas the interior uses of Harzburgite include Decorative aggregates, Homes and Interior decoration. Due to some exceptional properties of Gritstone and Harzburgite, they have various applications in construction industry. The uses of Gritstone in construction industry include Construction aggregate, Roadstone and that of Harzburgite include As dimension stone, Cobblestones.
More about Gritstone and Harzburgite
Here you can know more about Gritstone and Harzburgite. The life cycle of a rock consists of formation of rock, composition of rock and transformation of rock. The composition of Gritstone and Harzburgite consists of mineral content and compound content. The mineral content of Gritstone includes Calcite, Clay Minerals, Feldspar, Micas, Quartz and mineral content of Harzburgite includes Amphibole, Chromite, Garnet, Magnesium, Olivine, Phlogopite, Plagioclase, Pyroxene. You can also check out the list of all Sedimentary Rocks. When we have to compare Gritstone vs Harzburgite, the texture, color and appearance plays an important role in determining the type of rock. Gritstone is available in beige, black, brown, colourless, cream, dark brown, green, grey, light green, light to dark grey, pink, red, white, yellow colors whereas, Harzburgite is available in dark greenish - grey colors. Appearance of Gritstone is Layered and Foliated and that of Harzburgite is Rough and Shiny. Properties of rock is another aspect for Gritstone vs Harzburgite. The hardness of Gritstone is 6-7 and that of Harzburgite is 5.5-6. The types of Gritstone are Not Available whereas types of Harzburgite are Not Available. Streak of rock is the color of powder produced when it is dragged across an unweathered surface. The streak of Gritstone and Harzburgite is white. The specific heat capacity of Gritstone is 0.92 kJ/Kg K and that of Harzburgite is 1.25 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 Harzburgite is heat resistant, pressure resistant, wear resistant.