Definition
Gritstone or grit is a hard, coarse-grained, siliceous sandstone
Icelandite belongs to volcanic igneous rocks which is rich in iron and belongs to andesite rock
History
Origin
Pennines, England
Iceland
Discoverer
J.J. Ferber
Ian S. E. Carmichael
Etymology
From Grit + Stone
From its origin place near Cenozoic volcano near the parsonage Þingmúli in East Iceland
Class
Sedimentary Rocks
Igneous Rocks
Sub-Class
Durable Rock, Hard Rock
Durable Rock, Hard Rock
Family
Group
-
Volcanic
Other Categories
Coarse Grained Rock, Opaque Rock
Fine Grained Rock, Opaque Rock
Texture
Earthy
Aphanitic to Porphyritic
Color
Beige, Black, Brown, Cream, Dark Brown, Green, Grey, Light Green, Light to Dark Grey, Pink, Red, White, Yellow
Bluish - Grey, Grey, Pink, Yellow
Maintenance
Less
More
Durability
Durable
Durable
Water Resistant
✔
✘
✔
✘
Scratch Resistant
✔
✘
✔
✘
Stain Resistant
✔
✘
✔
✘
Wind Resistant
✔
✘
✔
✘
Acid Resistant
✔
✘
✔
✘
Appearance
Layered and Foliated
Dull and Soft
Architecture
Interior Uses
Countertops, Decorative Aggregates, Homes, Interior Decoration
Decorative Aggregates, Floor Tiles, Homes, Interior Decoration, Kitchens
Exterior Uses
As Building Stone, Garden Decoration, Office Buildings, Paving Stone
Office Buildings, Roof Tiles
Other Architectural Uses
Curbing
Curbing
Industry
Construction Industry
Construction Aggregate, Roadstone
Cobblestones, Construction Aggregate, for Road Aggregate
Medical Industry
-
-
Antiquity Uses
Artifacts, Monuments, Sculpture
Artifacts, Jewellery, Sculpture, Small Figurines
Other Uses
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
Cemetery Markers, Creating Artwork
Types
Sedimentary rock
Intermediate volcanic rock
Features
Available in Lots of Colors and Patterns, Generally rough to touch, Very fine grained rock
Generally rough to touch, High silica content, Is one of the oldest rock
Archaeological Significance
Monuments
-
-
Famous Monuments
-
-
Sculpture
-
-
Famous Sculptures
-
-
Pictographs
-
-
Petroglyphs
-
-
Figurines
-
-
Fossils
Present
Absent
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.
Icelandite 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.
Composition
Mineral Content
Calcite, Clay Minerals, Feldspar, Micas, Quartz
Amphibole, Apatite, Biotite, Feldspar, Garnet, Hornblade, Ilmenite, Magnetite, Plagioclase, Pyroxene, Quartz, Zircon
Compound Content
Aluminium Oxide, CaO, Iron(III) Oxide, Potassium Oxide, MgO, Sodium Oxide, Silicon Dioxide
Silicon Dioxide
Transformation
Metamorphism
✔
✘
✔
✘
Types of Metamorphism
-
Burial Metamorphism, Cataclastic Metamorphism, Contact Metamorphism, Hydrothermal Metamorphism, Impact Metamorphism, Regional Metamorphism
Weathering
✔
✘
✔
✘
Types of Weathering
Biological Weathering, Chemical Weathering, Mechanical Weathering
Biological Weathering
Erosion
✔
✘
✔
✘
Types of Erosion
Chemical Erosion, Coastal Erosion
Chemical Erosion, Coastal Erosion, Sea Erosion, Water Erosion, Wind Erosion
Physical Properties
Hardness
6-77
1
7
👆🏻
Grain Size
Coarse Grained
Very fine-grained
Fracture
Conchoidal
Uneven
Streak
White
White
Porosity
Highly Porous
Less Porous
Luster
Dull
Vitreous
Compressive Strength
70.00 N/mm2200.00 N/mm2
0.15
450
👆🏻
Cleavage
Perfect
-
Toughness
-
1.1
Specific Gravity
2.2502.5-2.8
0
8.4
👆🏻
Transparency
Opaque
Opaque
Density
2.2 g/cm32.11-2.36 g/cm3
0
1400
👆🏻
Thermal Properties
Specific Heat Capacity
0.92 kJ/Kg K2.39 kJ/Kg K
0.14
3.2
👆🏻
Resistance
Heat Resistant, Impact Resistant, Pressure Resistant
Heat Resistant, Pressure Resistant, Scratch Resistant, Wear Resistant
Deposits in Eastern Continents
Asia
China, India, Kazakhstan, Mongolia, Russia, Uzbekistan
India, Indonesia, Japan, Nepal, South Korea
Africa
Namibia, Nigeria, South Africa
Egypt, Ethiopia, Morocco, Namibia, South Africa, Tanzania
Europe
Austria, Denmark, Germany, Great Britain, Netherlands, Poland, Sweden, Switzerland, United Kingdom
Austria, Finland, Germany, Italy, Romania, Turkey, United Kingdom
Others
Greenland
-
Deposits in Western Continents
North America
Canada, USA
Mexico, USA
South America
Brazil
Argentina, Bolivia, Chile, Colombia, Ecuador, Peru, Venezuela
Deposits in Oceania Continent
Australia
New South Wales, New Zealand, Western Australia
New South Wales, New Zealand, Western Australia