Definition
Gritstone or grit is a hard, coarse-grained, siliceous sandstone
  
Marl is an unconsolidated sedimentary rock consisting of clay and lime
  
History
  
  
Origin
Pennines, England
  
Unknown
  
Discoverer
J.J. Ferber
  
Unknown
  
Etymology
From Grit + Stone
  
From Old French marle, from Late Latin marglia
  
Class
Sedimentary Rocks
  
Sedimentary Rocks
  
Sub-Class
Durable Rock, Hard Rock
  
Durable Rock, Soft Rock
  
Family
  
  
Group
Not Applicable
  
Not Applicable
  
Other Categories
Coarse Grained Rock, Opaque Rock
  
Fine Grained Rock, Opaque Rock
  
Texture
Earthy
  
Earthy
  
Color
Beige, Black, Brown, Colourless, Cream, Dark Brown, Green, Grey, Light Green, Light to Dark Grey, Pink, Red, White, Yellow
  
Beige, Brown, Green, Grey, White
  
Maintenance
Less
  
Less
  
Durability
Durable
  
Durable
  
Water Resistant
Yes
  
Yes
  
Scratch Resistant
Yes
  
No
  
Stain Resistant
Yes
  
No
  
Wind Resistant
Yes
  
No
  
Acid Resistant
No
  
No
  
Appearance
Layered and Foliated
  
Rough and Dull
  
Architecture
  
  
Interior Uses
Countertops, Decorative Aggregates, Homes, Interior Decoration
  
Decorative Aggregates, Floor Tiles
  
Exterior Uses
As Building Stone, Garden Decoration, Office Buildings, Paving Stone
  
As Building Stone, Roof Tiles
  
Other Architectural Uses
Curbing
  
Curbing
  
Industry
  
  
Construction Industry
Construction Aggregate, Roadstone
  
Cement Manufacture, Construction Aggregate, for Road Aggregate, Making natural cement, Raw material for the manufacture of mortar
  
Medical Industry
Not Yet Used
  
Not Yet Used
  
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
  
Creating Artwork, Soil Conditioner
  
Types
Not Available
  
Clay Marl ,Blue Marl, Red Marl, High Bank Marl, Shell Layer Marl, Under Shell Layer Marl, Sand Marl, Green Marl, Grey Marl and Clayey Marl
  
Features
Available in Lots of Colors and Patterns, Generally rough to touch, Very fine grained rock
  
Generally rough to touch, Is one of the oldest rock, Splintery, Very fine grained rock
  
Archaeological Significance
  
  
Monuments
Used
  
Not Yet Used
  
Famous Monuments
Data Not Available
  
Not Applicable
  
Sculpture
Used
  
Used
  
Famous Sculptures
Data Not Available
  
Data Not Available
  
Pictographs
Not Used
  
Used
  
Petroglyphs
Not Used
  
Used
  
Figurines
Used
  
Used
  
Fossils
Present
  
Present
  
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.
  
Marl forms when very fine-grained clay particles are deposited in water which settles at the bottom of water bodies and are compacted by overlying sediment; the water squeezes out and hence forming Marl rock.
  
Composition
  
  
Mineral Content
Calcite, Clay Minerals, Feldspar, Micas, Quartz
  
Calcite, Clay, Dolomite, Gypsum, Micas, Pyrite, Quartz
  
Compound Content
Aluminium Oxide, CaO, Iron(III) Oxide, Potassium Oxide, MgO, Sodium Oxide, Silicon Dioxide
  
Aluminium Oxide, NaCl, CaO, Iron(III) Oxide, Silicon Dioxide
  
Transformation
  
  
Metamorphism
No
  
No
  
Types of Metamorphism
Not Applicable
  
Not Applicable
  
Weathering
Yes
  
Yes
  
Types of Weathering
Biological Weathering, Chemical Weathering, Mechanical Weathering
  
Biological Weathering, Chemical Weathering
  
Erosion
Yes
  
Yes
  
Types of Erosion
Chemical Erosion, Coastal Erosion
  
Chemical Erosion, Coastal Erosion, Water Erosion, Wind Erosion
  
Physical Properties
  
  
Hardness
6-7
  
2-3
  
Grain Size
Coarse Grained
  
Very fine-grained
  
Fracture
Conchoidal
  
Conchoidal
  
Streak
White
  
White
  
Porosity
Highly Porous
  
Highly Porous
  
Luster
Dull
  
Dull
  
Compressive Strength
70.00 N/mm
2
  
24
Not Available
  
Cleavage
Perfect
  
Not Available
  
Toughness
Not Available
  
2.6
  
Specific Gravity
2.250
  
2.2-2.8
  
Transparency
Opaque
  
Opaque
  
Density
2.2 g/cm3
  
2.4-2.8 g/cm3
  
Thermal Properties
  
  
Specific Heat Capacity
0.92 kJ/Kg K
  
10
Not Available
  
Resistance
Heat Resistant, Impact Resistant, Pressure Resistant
  
Heat Resistant, Impact Resistant
  
Deposits in Eastern Continents
  
  
Asia
China, India, Kazakhstan, Mongolia, Russia, Uzbekistan
  
India, Pakistan, Russia
  
Africa
Namibia, Nigeria, South Africa
  
Ethiopia, Kenya, Morocco, South Africa
  
Europe
Austria, Denmark, Germany, Great Britain, Netherlands, Poland, Sweden, Switzerland, United Kingdom
  
Austria, France, Germany, Greece, Italy, Romania, Scotland, Spain, Switzerland
  
Others
Greenland
  
Not Yet Found
  
Deposits in Western Continents
  
  
North America
Canada, USA
  
USA
  
South America
Brazil
  
Colombia, Ecuador, Peru
  
Deposits in Oceania Continent
  
  
Australia
New South Wales, New Zealand, Western Australia
  
New South Wales, Victoria, Western Australia
  
Gritstone vs Marl 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 Marl characteristics assist us to distinguish and recognize rocks. Also you can check about Properties of Gritstone and Properties of Marl. Learn more about Gritstone vs Marl in the next section. The interior uses of Gritstone include Countertops, Decorative aggregates, Homes and Interior decoration whereas the interior uses of Marl include Decorative aggregates and Floor tiles. Due to some exceptional properties of Gritstone and Marl, they have various applications in construction industry. The uses of Gritstone in construction industry include Construction aggregate, Roadstone and that of Marl include Cement manufacture, Construction aggregate, For road aggregate, Making natural cement, Raw material for the manufacture of mortar.
More about Gritstone and Marl
Here you can know more about Gritstone and Marl. The life cycle of a rock consists of formation of rock, composition of rock and transformation of rock. The composition of Gritstone and Marl consists of mineral content and compound content. The mineral content of Gritstone includes Calcite, Clay Minerals, Feldspar, Micas, Quartz and mineral content of Marl includes Calcite, Clay, Dolomite, Gypsum, Micas, Pyrite, Quartz. You can also check out the list of all Sedimentary Rocks. When we have to compare Gritstone vs Marl, 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, Marl is available in beige, brown, green, grey, white colors. Appearance of Gritstone is Layered and Foliated and that of Marl is Rough and Dull. Properties of rock is another aspect for Gritstone vs Marl. The hardness of Gritstone is 6-7 and that of Marl is 2-3. The types of Gritstone are Not Available whereas types of Marl are Clay Marl ,Blue Marl, Red Marl, High Bank Marl, Shell Layer Marl, Under Shell Layer Marl, Sand Marl, Green Marl, Grey Marl and Clayey Marl. Streak of rock is the color of powder produced when it is dragged across an unweathered surface. The streak of Gritstone and Marl is white. The specific heat capacity of Gritstone is 0.92 kJ/Kg K and that of Marl 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 Marl is heat resistant, impact resistant.