Definition
Gritstone or grit is a hard, coarse-grained, siliceous sandstone
A sedimentary rock, deposit of a submarine turbidity currents and are composed of layered particles
Origin
Pennines, England
European Foreland Basins
Discoverer
J.J. Ferber
Arnold H. Bouma
Etymology
From Grit + Stone
From Medieval Latin turbiditas, from Latin turbidus (turbid). Turbidity current is from 1939
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
Coarse Grained Rock, Fine Grained Rock, Opaque Rock
Texture
Earthy
Mud-rich, Sandy
Color
Beige, Black, Brown, Colourless, Cream, Dark Brown, Green, Grey, Light Green, Light to Dark Grey, Pink, Red, White, Yellow
Black, Brown, Colourless, Green, Grey, Pink
Durability
Durable
Durable
Scratch Resistant
Yes
Yes
Appearance
Layered and Foliated
Dull and Banded
Interior Uses
Countertops, Decorative Aggregates, Homes, Interior Decoration
Bathrooms, Countertops, Decorative Aggregates, Flooring, Homes, Interior Decoration
Exterior Uses
As Building Stone, Garden Decoration, Office Buildings, Paving Stone
As Building Stone, As Facing Stone, Paving Stone, Garden Decoration
Other Architectural Uses
Curbing
Curbing
Construction Industry
Construction Aggregate, Roadstone
As Dimension Stone, Cement Manufacture, Construction Aggregate, for Road Aggregate, Making natural cement
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
Cemetery Markers, Creating Artwork
Types
Not Available
Not Available
Features
Available in Lots of Colors and Patterns, Generally rough to touch, Very fine grained rock
High silica content, Host Rock for Lead
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.
Turbidite is a type of sedimentary rock formed when a river carries or transports pieces of broken rock as it flows. These particles then settle down and are subjected to high temperature and pressures hence forming Turbidite.
Mineral Content
Calcite, Clay Minerals, Feldspar, Micas, Quartz
Coesite, Quartz, Sand
Compound Content
Aluminium Oxide, CaO, Iron(III) Oxide, Potassium Oxide, MgO, Sodium Oxide, Silicon Dioxide
CaO, Carbon Dioxide, 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, Sea Erosion, Water Erosion, Wind Erosion
Grain Size
Coarse Grained
Fine to Coarse Grained
Fracture
Conchoidal
Splintery
Streak
White
White, Greenish White or Grey
Porosity
Highly Porous
Very Less Porous
Cleavage
Perfect
Disjunctive
Toughness
Not Available
2.4
Specific Gravity
2.250
2.46-2.73
Transparency
Opaque
Opaque
Density
2.2 g/cm3
1.6-2.5 g/cm3
Resistance
Heat Resistant, Impact Resistant, Pressure Resistant
Heat Resistant
Deposits in Eastern Continents
Asia
China, India, Kazakhstan, Mongolia, Russia, Uzbekistan
Not Yet Found
Africa
Namibia, Nigeria, South Africa
Western Africa
Europe
Austria, Denmark, Germany, Great Britain, Netherlands, Poland, Sweden, Switzerland, United Kingdom
Austria, Belarus, Romania, Switzerland, United Kingdom
Others
Greenland
Not Yet Found
Deposits in Western Continents
North America
Canada, USA
Canada, USA
South America
Brazil
Brazil, Colombia
Deposits in Oceania Continent
Australia
New South Wales, New Zealand, Western Australia
New Zealand, Western Australia
Gritstone vs Turbidite 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 Turbidite characteristics assist us to distinguish and recognize rocks. Also you can check about Properties of Gritstone and Properties of Turbidite. Learn more about Gritstone vs Turbidite in the next section. The interior uses of Gritstone include Countertops, Decorative aggregates, Homes and Interior decoration whereas the interior uses of Turbidite include Bathrooms, Countertops, Decorative aggregates, Flooring, Homes and Interior decoration. Due to some exceptional properties of Gritstone and Turbidite, they have various applications in construction industry. The uses of Gritstone in construction industry include Construction aggregate, Roadstone and that of Turbidite include As dimension stone, Cement manufacture, Construction aggregate, For road aggregate, Making natural cement.
More about Gritstone and Turbidite
Here you can know more about Gritstone and Turbidite. The life cycle of a rock consists of formation of rock, composition of rock and transformation of rock. The composition of Gritstone and Turbidite consists of mineral content and compound content. The mineral content of Gritstone includes Calcite, Clay Minerals, Feldspar, Micas, Quartz and mineral content of Turbidite includes Coesite, Quartz, Sand. You can also check out the list of all Sedimentary Rocks. When we have to compare Gritstone vs Turbidite, 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, Turbidite is available in black, brown, colourless, green, grey, pink colors. Appearance of Gritstone is Layered and Foliated and that of Turbidite is Dull and Banded. Properties of rock is another aspect for Gritstone vs Turbidite. The hardness of Gritstone is 6-7 and that of Turbidite is 3. The types of Gritstone are Not Available whereas types of Turbidite are Not Available. Streak of rock is the color of powder produced when it is dragged across an unweathered surface. The streak of Gritstone is white while that of Turbidite is white, greenish white or grey. The specific heat capacity of Gritstone is 0.92 kJ/Kg K and that of Turbidite is 0.92 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 Turbidite is heat resistant.