Definition
Gritstone or grit is a hard, coarse-grained, siliceous sandstone
Ijolite is an intrusive igneous rock which is composed mainly of nepheline and an alkali pyroxene, usually aegirine-augite
Origin
Pennines, England
Finland, Europe
Discoverer
J.J. Ferber
Unknown
Etymology
From Grit + Stone
From the first syllable of the Finnish words Ii-vaara, Iijoki, &c. commonly used geographical names in Finland, and the Gr. Xiflos, a stone
Class
Sedimentary Rocks
Igneous Rocks
Sub-Class
Durable Rock, Hard Rock
Durable Rock, Medium Hardness Rock
Other Categories
Coarse Grained Rock, Opaque Rock
Coarse Grained Rock, Opaque Rock
Texture
Earthy
Earthy, Granular
Color
Beige, Black, Brown, Cream, Dark Brown, Green, Grey, Light Green, Light to Dark Grey, Pink, Red, White, Yellow
Brown, Buff, Cream, Green, Grey, Pink, White
Durability
Durable
Durable
Scratch Resistant
Yes
Yes
Appearance
Layered and Foliated
Banded and Foilated
Interior Uses
Countertops, Decorative Aggregates, Homes, Interior Decoration
Decorative Aggregates, Entryways, Floor Tiles, Flooring, Homes, Interior Decoration, Kitchens
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, Cement Manufacture, Construction Aggregate, for Road Aggregate, Landscaping, Making natural cement, Manufacture of Magnesium and Dolomite Refractories
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
Cemetery Markers, Creating Artwork
Types
Sedimentary rock
Alkaline rock
Features
Available in Lots of Colors and Patterns, Generally rough to touch, Very fine grained rock
Application of acids on the surface causes cloudy frosting, Available in Lots of Colors and Patterns, 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.
Ijolite 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
Albite, Amphibole, Biotite, Cancrinite, Feldspar, Hornblende, Plagioclase, Pyroxene, Sodalite
Compound Content
Aluminium Oxide, CaO, Iron(III) Oxide, Potassium Oxide, MgO, Sodium Oxide, Silicon Dioxide
Aluminium Oxide, CaO, Iron(III) Oxide, FeO, Potassium Oxide, MgO, MnO, Sodium Oxide, Phosphorus Pentoxide, Silicon Dioxide
Types of Metamorphism
-
Burial Metamorphism, Cataclastic Metamorphism, Contact Metamorphism
Types of Weathering
Biological Weathering, Chemical Weathering, Mechanical Weathering
Biological Weathering, Chemical Weathering
Types of Erosion
Chemical Erosion, Coastal Erosion
Chemical Erosion, Water Erosion, Wind Erosion
Grain Size
Coarse Grained
Coarse Grained
Fracture
Conchoidal
Conchoidal to Uneven
Porosity
Highly Porous
Less Porous
Luster
Dull
Greasy to Dull
Specific Gravity
2.250
2.6-2.76
Transparency
Opaque
Opaque
Density
2.2 g/cm3
2.6 g/cm3
Resistance
Heat Resistant, Impact Resistant, Pressure Resistant
Heat Resistant, Impact Resistant, Wear Resistant
Deposits in Eastern Continents
Asia
China, India, Kazakhstan, Mongolia, Russia, Uzbekistan
Indonesia, Iran, Russia, Saudi Arabia, Sri Lanka, Taiwan, Thailand, Turkey, Vietnam
Africa
Namibia, Nigeria, South Africa
Angola, Egypt, Madagascar, Namibia, Nigeria, South Africa
Europe
Austria, Denmark, Germany, Great Britain, Netherlands, Poland, Sweden, Switzerland, United Kingdom
England, Finland, Germany, Great Britain, Greece, United Kingdom
Deposits in Western Continents
North America
Canada, USA
Canada, USA
South America
Brazil
Colombia
Deposits in Oceania Continent
Australia
New South Wales, New Zealand, Western Australia
New Zealand, Queensland, Western Australia
Gritstone vs Ijolite 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 Ijolite characteristics assist us to distinguish and recognize rocks. Also you can check about Properties of Gritstone and Properties of Ijolite. Learn more about Gritstone vs Ijolite in the next section. The interior uses of Gritstone include Countertops, Decorative aggregates, Homes and Interior decoration whereas the interior uses of Ijolite include Decorative aggregates, Entryways, Floor tiles, Flooring, Homes, Interior decoration and Kitchens. Due to some exceptional properties of Gritstone and Ijolite, they have various applications in construction industry. The uses of Gritstone in construction industry include Construction aggregate, Roadstone and that of Ijolite include As dimension stone, Cement manufacture, Construction aggregate, For road aggregate, Landscaping, Making natural cement, Manufacture of magnesium and dolomite refractories.
More about Gritstone and Ijolite
Here you can know more about Gritstone and Ijolite. The life cycle of a rock consists of formation of rock, composition of rock and transformation of rock. The composition of Gritstone and Ijolite consists of mineral content and compound content. The mineral content of Gritstone includes Calcite, Clay Minerals, Feldspar, Micas, Quartz and mineral content of Ijolite includes Albite, Amphibole, Biotite, Cancrinite, Feldspar, Hornblende, Plagioclase, Pyroxene, Sodalite. You can also check out the list of all Sedimentary Rocks. When we have to compare Gritstone vs Ijolite, 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, Ijolite is available in brown, buff, cream, green, grey, pink, white colors. Appearance of Gritstone is Layered and Foliated and that of Ijolite is Banded and Foilated. Properties of rock is another aspect for Gritstone vs Ijolite. The hardness of Gritstone is 6-7 and that of Ijolite is 5.5-6. The types of Gritstone are Sedimentary rock whereas types of Ijolite are Alkaline rock. Streak of rock is the color of powder produced when it is dragged across an unweathered surface. The streak of Gritstone and Ijolite is white. The specific heat capacity of Gritstone is 0.92 kJ/Kg K and that of Ijolite is 0.84 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 Ijolite is heat resistant, impact resistant, wear resistant.