1 Definition
1.1 Definition
Gritstone or grit is a hard, coarse-grained, siliceous sandstone
Ignimbrite is a volcanic rock consisting mainly of pumice fragments, formed by the consolidation of material deposited by pyroclastic flows
1.2 History
1.2.1 Origin
Pennines, England
New Zealand
1.2.2 Discoverer
J.J. Ferber
Patrick Marshall
1.3 Etymology
From Grit + Stone
From Latin ignis fire + imber, imbr- shower of rain, storm cloud + -ite
1.4 Class
Sedimentary Rocks
Igneous Rocks
1.4.1 Sub-Class
Durable Rock, Hard Rock
Durable Rock, Medium Hardness Rock
1.5 Family
1.5.1 Group
1.6 Other Categories
Coarse Grained Rock, Opaque Rock
Fine Grained Rock, Opaque Rock
2 Texture
2.1 Texture
2.2 Color
Beige, Black, Brown, Colourless, Cream, Dark Brown, Green, Grey, Light Green, Light to Dark Grey, Pink, Red, White, Yellow
Beige, Black, Brown, Grey, Pink, White
2.3 Maintenance
2.4 Durability
2.4.1 Water Resistant
2.4.2 Scratch Resistant
2.4.3 Stain Resistant
2.4.4 Wind Resistant
2.4.5 Acid Resistant
2.5 Appearance
Layered and Foliated
Dull, Vesicular and Foilated
3 Uses
3.1 Architecture
3.1.1 Interior Uses
Countertops, Decorative Aggregates, Homes, Interior Decoration
Decorative Aggregates, Floor Tiles, Homes, Interior Decoration
3.1.2 Exterior Uses
As Building Stone, Garden Decoration, Office Buildings, Paving Stone
As Building Stone, Garden Decoration, Office Buildings, Paving Stone
3.1.3 Other Architectural Uses
3.2 Industry
3.2.1 Construction Industry
Construction Aggregate, Roadstone
Building houses or walls, Construction Aggregate
3.2.2 Medical Industry
Not Yet Used
Not Yet Used
3.3 Antiquity Uses
Artifacts, Monuments, Sculpture
Artifacts, Monuments, Sculpture, Small Figurines
3.4 Other Uses
3.4.1 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, Commemorative Tablets, Creating Artwork
4 Types
4.1 Types
Not Available
Not Available
4.2 Features
Available in Lots of Colors and Patterns, Generally rough to touch, Very fine grained rock
Always found as volcanic pipes over deep continental crust
4.3 Archaeological Significance
4.3.1 Monuments
4.3.2 Famous Monuments
Data Not Available
Data Not Available
4.3.3 Sculpture
4.3.4 Famous Sculptures
Data Not Available
Data Not Available
4.3.5 Pictographs
4.3.6 Petroglyphs
4.3.7 Figurines
4.4 Fossils
5 Formation
5.1 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.
Ignimbrites are formed from very poorly sorted mixture of volcanic ash or tuff and pumice lapilli, commonly with scattered lithic fragments.
5.2 Composition
5.2.1 Mineral Content
Calcite, Clay Minerals, Feldspar, Micas, Quartz
Apatite, Biotite, Calcite, Chlorite, Feldspar, Hematite, Hornblade, Ilmenite, Magnetite, Olivine, Pyroxene, Quartz
5.2.2 Compound Content
Aluminium Oxide, CaO, Iron(III) Oxide, Potassium Oxide, MgO, Sodium Oxide, Silicon Dioxide
Ca, NaCl
5.3 Transformation
5.3.1 Metamorphism
5.3.2 Types of Metamorphism
Not Applicable
Burial Metamorphism, Contact Metamorphism, Hydrothermal Metamorphism, Impact Metamorphism, Regional Metamorphism
5.3.3 Weathering
5.3.4 Types of Weathering
Biological Weathering, Chemical Weathering, Mechanical Weathering
Biological Weathering, Chemical Weathering
5.3.5 Erosion
5.3.6 Types of Erosion
Chemical Erosion, Coastal Erosion
Chemical Erosion, Coastal Erosion
6 Properties
6.1 Physical Properties
6.1.1 Hardness
6.1.2 Grain Size
Coarse Grained
Fine Grained
6.1.3 Fracture
6.1.4 Streak
6.1.5 Porosity
Highly Porous
Highly Porous
6.1.6 Luster
6.1.7 Compressive Strength
70.00 N/mm2243.80 N/mm2
0.15
450
6.1.8 Cleavage
6.1.9 Toughness
Not Available
Not Available
6.1.10 Specific Gravity
6.1.11 Transparency
6.1.12 Density
2.2 g/cm31-1.8 g/cm3
0
1400
6.2 Thermal Properties
6.2.1 Specific Heat Capacity
0.92 kJ/Kg K0.20 kJ/Kg K
0.14
3.2
6.2.2 Resistance
Heat Resistant, Impact Resistant, Pressure Resistant
Heat Resistant, Impact Resistant, Pressure Resistant, Wear Resistant
7 Reserves
7.1 Deposits in Eastern Continents
7.1.1 Asia
China, India, Kazakhstan, Mongolia, Russia, Uzbekistan
Afghanistan, Armenia, Azerbaijan, Burma, Cambodia, China, India, Indonesia, Iran, Japan, Malaysia, Mongolia, Nepal, North Korea, Pakistan, Saudi Arabia, Syria, Taiwan, Thailand, Turkey, Vietnam, Yemen
7.1.2 Africa
Namibia, Nigeria, South Africa
Cameroon, Cape Verde, Chad, Djibouti, Eritrea, Ethiopia, Kenya, Libya, Madagascar, Nigeria, Rwanda, South Africa, Sudan, Tanzania, Uganda
7.1.3 Europe
Austria, Denmark, Germany, Great Britain, Netherlands, Poland, Sweden, Switzerland, United Kingdom
France, Georgia, Germany, Greece, Iceland, Italy, Netherlands, Poland, Portugal, Spain, United Kingdom
7.1.4 Others
Greenland
Antarctica, Hawaii Islands
7.2 Deposits in Western Continents
7.2.1 North America
Canada, USA
Canada, Costa Rica, Panama, USA
7.2.2 South America
Brazil
Argentina, Bolivia, Brazil, Chile, Colombia, Ecuador
7.3 Deposits in Oceania Continent
7.3.1 Australia
New South Wales, New Zealand, Western Australia
Central Australia, Western Australia