Definition
Gritstone or grit is a hard, coarse-grained, siliceous sandstone
Laterite rock is a type of Sedimentary rock which is rich in iron and aluminium, formed in hot and wet tropical areas
Origin
Pennines, England
India
Discoverer
J.J. Ferber
Francis Buchanan-Hamilton
Etymology
From Grit + Stone
From Latin later brick, tile + -ite1
Class
Sedimentary Rocks
Sedimentary Rocks
Sub-Class
Durable Rock, Hard Rock
Durable Rock, Soft Rock
Group
Not Applicable
Not Applicable
Other Categories
Coarse Grained Rock, Opaque Rock
Fine Grained Rock, Opaque Rock
Texture
Earthy
Earthy, Massive, Porphyritic
Color
Beige, Black, Brown, Colourless, Cream, Dark Brown, Green, Grey, Light Green, Light to Dark Grey, Pink, Red, White, Yellow
Brown, Buff, Red
Durability
Durable
Durable
Appearance
Layered and Foliated
Rough and Banded
Interior Uses
Countertops, Decorative Aggregates, Homes, Interior Decoration
Decorative Aggregates, Flooring, Interior Decoration
Exterior Uses
As Building Stone, Garden Decoration, Office Buildings, Paving Stone
As Building Stone, As Facing Stone, Garden Decoration
Other Architectural Uses
Curbing
Curbing
Construction Industry
Construction Aggregate, Roadstone
Cobblestones, for Road Aggregate, Landscaping, Roadstone
Medical Industry
Not Yet Used
Not Yet Used
Antiquity Uses
Artifacts, Monuments, Sculpture
Artifacts, Monuments, Sculpture
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
An Oil and Gas Reservoir, Source of bauxite, Used in aquariums
Types
Not Available
Not Available
Features
Available in Lots of Colors and Patterns, Generally rough to touch, Very fine grained rock
Is one of the oldest rock, Very fine grained 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.
Laterite is a type of sedimentary rock which is generally a reddish weathering product of basalt.
Mineral Content
Calcite, Clay Minerals, Feldspar, Micas, Quartz
Aluminum Oxides, Biotite, Hematite, Hornblade, Iron Oxides, Manganese Oxides, Micas, Muscovite or Illite, Plagioclase, Pyroxene
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, Titanium Dioxide
Types of Metamorphism
Not Applicable
Not Applicable
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
Fine Grained
Fracture
Conchoidal
Conchoidal
Porosity
Highly Porous
Highly Porous
Compressive Strength
Not Available
Cleavage
Perfect
Not Applicable
Toughness
Not Available
Not Available
Specific Gravity
2.250
Not Available
Transparency
Opaque
Opaque
Density
2.2 g/cm3
Not Available
Specific Heat Capacity
Not Available
Resistance
Heat Resistant, Impact Resistant, Pressure Resistant
Heat Resistant, Pressure Resistant
Deposits in Eastern Continents
Asia
China, India, Kazakhstan, Mongolia, Russia, Uzbekistan
India
Africa
Namibia, Nigeria, South Africa
East Africa, Western Africa
Europe
Austria, Denmark, Germany, Great Britain, Netherlands, Poland, Sweden, Switzerland, United Kingdom
England, Romania, Scotland
Others
Greenland
Not Yet Found
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
Central Australia, Western Australia
Gritstone vs Laterite 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 Laterite characteristics assist us to distinguish and recognize rocks. Also you can check about Properties of Gritstone and Properties of Laterite. Learn more about Gritstone vs Laterite in the next section. The interior uses of Gritstone include Countertops, Decorative aggregates, Homes and Interior decoration whereas the interior uses of Laterite include Decorative aggregates, Flooring and Interior decoration. Due to some exceptional properties of Gritstone and Laterite, they have various applications in construction industry. The uses of Gritstone in construction industry include Construction aggregate, Roadstone and that of Laterite include Cobblestones, For road aggregate, Landscaping, Roadstone.
More about Gritstone and Laterite
Here you can know more about Gritstone and Laterite. The life cycle of a rock consists of formation of rock, composition of rock and transformation of rock. The composition of Gritstone and Laterite consists of mineral content and compound content. The mineral content of Gritstone includes Calcite, Clay Minerals, Feldspar, Micas, Quartz and mineral content of Laterite includes Aluminum Oxides, Biotite, Hematite, Hornblade, Iron Oxides, Manganese Oxides, Micas, Muscovite or Illite, Plagioclase, Pyroxene. You can also check out the list of all Sedimentary Rocks. When we have to compare Gritstone vs Laterite, 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, Laterite is available in brown, buff, red colors. Appearance of Gritstone is Layered and Foliated and that of Laterite is Rough and Banded. Properties of rock is another aspect for Gritstone vs Laterite. The hardness of Gritstone is 6-7 and that of Laterite is 2. The types of Gritstone are Not Available whereas types of Laterite 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 Laterite is white. The specific heat capacity of Gritstone is 0.92 kJ/Kg K and that of Laterite is Not Available. 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 Laterite is heat resistant, pressure resistant.