Definition
Gritstone or grit is a hard, coarse-grained, siliceous sandstone
Oolite is a sedimentary rock formed from ooids, spherical grains which are composed of concentric layers of calcite
Origin
Pennines, England
Unknown
Discoverer
J.J. Ferber
Unknown
Etymology
From Grit + Stone
From oo- + -lite, after German Oolit. A rock consisting of fine grains of carbonate of lime
Class
Sedimentary Rocks
Sedimentary Rocks
Sub-Class
Durable Rock, Hard Rock
Durable Rock, Medium Hardness Rock
Group
Not Applicable
Volcanic
Other Categories
Coarse Grained Rock, Opaque Rock
Fine Grained Rock, Opaque Rock
Texture
Earthy
Clastic or Non-Clastic
Color
Beige, Black, Brown, Colourless, Cream, Dark Brown, Green, Grey, Light Green, Light to Dark Grey, Pink, Red, White, Yellow
Black, Blue, Brown, Cream, Green, Grey, Pink, Red, Silver, White, Yellow
Durability
Durable
Durable
Scratch Resistant
Yes
Yes
Appearance
Layered and Foliated
Rounded and Rough
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, Paving Stone
Other Architectural Uses
Curbing
Not Yet Used
Construction Industry
Construction Aggregate, Roadstone
Cement Manufacture, Cobblestones, Landscaping
Medical Industry
Not Yet Used
Not Yet Used
Antiquity Uses
Artifacts, Monuments, Sculpture
Artifacts
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, Jewelry, Used in aquariums
Types
Not Available
Not Available
Features
Available in Lots of Colors and Patterns, Generally rough to touch, Very fine grained rock
Available in lots of colors, Generally rough to touch, Very fine grained rock
Archaeological Significance
Monuments
Used
Not Yet Used
Famous Monuments
Data Not Available
Not Applicable
Sculpture
Used
Not Yet Used
Famous Sculptures
Data Not Available
Not Applicable
Pictographs
Not Used
Used
Petroglyphs
Not Used
Used
Figurines
Used
Not Yet 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.
Oolites form when layers of calcite are deposited around a sand grain or fossil piece and are rolled around in calm water, which makes them round.
Mineral Content
Calcite, Clay Minerals, Feldspar, Micas, Quartz
Calcite, Chert, Clay, Dolomite, Quartz, Sand, Silt
Compound Content
Aluminium Oxide, CaO, Iron(III) Oxide, Potassium Oxide, MgO, Sodium Oxide, Silicon Dioxide
Aluminium Oxide, Ca, NaCl, CaO, Iron(III) Oxide, FeO, MgO
Types of Metamorphism
Not Applicable
Not Applicable
Types of Weathering
Biological Weathering, Chemical Weathering, Mechanical Weathering
Biological Weathering, Chemical Weathering, Mechanical Weathering
Types of Erosion
Chemical Erosion, Coastal Erosion
Chemical Erosion, Coastal Erosion
Grain Size
Coarse Grained
Fine Grained
Fracture
Conchoidal
Conchoidal
Porosity
Highly Porous
Less Porous
Luster
Dull
Pearly to Shiny
Compressive Strength
Not Available
Cleavage
Perfect
Non-Existent
Toughness
Not Available
1
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, Wear Resistant
Deposits in Eastern Continents
Asia
China, India, Kazakhstan, Mongolia, Russia, Uzbekistan
Brunei, India, Indonesia, Malaysia, Singapore, Thailand, Vietnam
Africa
Namibia, Nigeria, South Africa
Cameroon, Chad, Ghana, Kenya, Malawi, Sudan, Tanzania, Togo, Zambia, Zimbabwe
Europe
Austria, Denmark, Germany, Great Britain, Netherlands, Poland, Sweden, Switzerland, United Kingdom
United Kingdom
Others
Greenland
Not Yet Found
Deposits in Western Continents
North America
Canada, USA
USA
South America
Brazil
Colombia
Deposits in Oceania Continent
Australia
New South Wales, New Zealand, Western Australia
Adelaide, New Zealand, Queensland, Tonga, Victoria, Yorke Peninsula
Gritstone vs Oolite 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 Oolite characteristics assist us to distinguish and recognize rocks. Also you can check about Properties of Gritstone and Properties of Oolite. Learn more about Gritstone vs Oolite in the next section. The interior uses of Gritstone include Countertops, Decorative aggregates, Homes and Interior decoration whereas the interior uses of Oolite include Decorative aggregates, Flooring and Interior decoration. Due to some exceptional properties of Gritstone and Oolite, they have various applications in construction industry. The uses of Gritstone in construction industry include Construction aggregate, Roadstone and that of Oolite include Cement manufacture, Cobblestones, Landscaping.
More about Gritstone and Oolite
Here you can know more about Gritstone and Oolite. The life cycle of a rock consists of formation of rock, composition of rock and transformation of rock. The composition of Gritstone and Oolite consists of mineral content and compound content. The mineral content of Gritstone includes Calcite, Clay Minerals, Feldspar, Micas, Quartz and mineral content of Oolite includes Calcite, Chert, Clay, Dolomite, Quartz, Sand, Silt. You can also check out the list of all Sedimentary Rocks. When we have to compare Gritstone vs Oolite, 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, Oolite is available in black, blue, brown, cream, green, grey, pink, red, silver, white, yellow colors. Appearance of Gritstone is Layered and Foliated and that of Oolite is Rounded and Rough. Properties of rock is another aspect for Gritstone vs Oolite. The hardness of Gritstone is 6-7 and that of Oolite is 3-4. The types of Gritstone are Not Available whereas types of Oolite 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 Oolite is white. The specific heat capacity of Gritstone is 0.92 kJ/Kg K and that of Oolite 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 Oolite is heat resistant, wear resistant.