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Hornfels vs Gritstone


Gritstone vs Hornfels


Definition

Definition
Hornfels is a metamorphic rock formed by the contact between mudstone or other clay rich rock, and a hot igneous body, and represents a heat altered equivalent of the original rock   
Gritstone or grit is a hard, coarse-grained, siliceous sandstone   

History
  
  

Origin
New Zealand   
Pennines, England   

Discoverer
Unknown   
J.J. Ferber   

Etymology
From German which means hornstone   
From Grit + Stone   

Class
Metamorphic Rocks   
Sedimentary Rocks   

Sub-Class
Durable Rock, Soft Rock   
Durable Rock, Hard Rock   

Family
  
  

Group
Not Applicable   
Not Applicable   

Other Categories
Fine Grained Rock, Opaque Rock   
Coarse Grained Rock, Opaque Rock   

Texture

Texture
Granular, Platy   
Earthy   

Color
Brown, Dark Greenish - Grey, Green, Reddish Brown   
Beige, Black, Brown, Colourless, Cream, Dark Brown, Green, Grey, Light Green, Light to Dark Grey, Pink, Red, White, Yellow   

Maintenance
Less   
Less   

Durability
Durable   
Durable   

Water Resistant
Yes   
Yes   

Scratch Resistant
No   
Yes   

Stain Resistant
No   
Yes   

Wind Resistant
No   
Yes   

Acid Resistant
No   
No   

Appearance
Dull   
Layered and Foliated   

Uses

Architecture
  
  

Interior Uses
Decorative Aggregates, Flooring, Homes, Interior Decoration   
Countertops, Decorative Aggregates, Homes, Interior Decoration   

Exterior Uses
As Building Stone, As Facing Stone, Garden Decoration, Office Buildings, Paving Stone   
As Building Stone, Garden Decoration, Office Buildings, Paving Stone   

Other Architectural Uses
Curbing   
Curbing   

Industry
  
  

Construction Industry
for Road Aggregate, Roadstone   
Construction Aggregate, Roadstone   

Medical Industry
Not Yet Used   
Not Yet Used   

Antiquity Uses
Artifacts, Monuments   
Artifacts, Monuments, Sculpture   

Other Uses
  
  

Commercial Uses
Cemetery Markers, Commemorative Tablets, Creating Artwork   
An Oil and Gas Reservoir, As a Feed Additive for Livestock, Gemstone, Metallurgical Flux, Production of Lime, Soil Conditioner, Source of Magnesia (MgO), Tombstones   

Types

Types
Biotite hornfels   
Not Available   

Features
Smooth to touch   
Available in Lots of Colors and Patterns, Generally rough to touch, Very fine grained rock   

Archaeological Significance
  
  

Monuments
Used   
Used   

Famous Monuments
Data Not Available   
Data Not Available   

Sculpture
Not Yet Used   
Used   

Famous Sculptures
Not Applicable   
Data Not Available   

Pictographs
Used   
Not Used   

Petroglyphs
Used   
Not Used   

Figurines
Not Yet Used   
Used   

Fossils
Absent   
Present   

Formation

Formation
Due to change in environmental conditions, rocks are heated and pressurized deep inside the Earth's surface. Hornfels is formed from the extreme heat caused by magma or by the intense collisions and friction of tectonic plates.   
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.   

Composition
  
  

Mineral Content
Andalusite   
Calcite, Clay Minerals, Feldspar, Micas, Quartz   

Compound Content
Fe, Mg   
Aluminium Oxide, CaO, Iron(III) Oxide, Potassium Oxide, MgO, Sodium Oxide, Silicon Dioxide   

Transformation
  
  

Metamorphism
No   
No   

Types of Metamorphism
Not Applicable   
Not Applicable   

Weathering
Yes   
Yes   

Types of Weathering
Biological Weathering   
Biological Weathering, Chemical Weathering, Mechanical Weathering   

Erosion
Yes   
Yes   

Types of Erosion
Chemical Erosion, Glacier Erosion, Sea Erosion, Water Erosion, Wind Erosion   
Chemical Erosion, Coastal Erosion   

Properties

Physical Properties
  
  

Hardness
2-3   
6-7   

Grain Size
Fine Grained   
Coarse Grained   

Fracture
Conchoidal   
Conchoidal   

Streak
Unknown   
White   

Porosity
Highly Porous   
Highly Porous   

Luster
Shiny   
Dull   

Compressive Strength
5.80 N/mm2   
31
70.00 N/mm2   
24

Cleavage
Perfect   
Perfect   

Toughness
Not Yet Found   
Not Available   

Specific Gravity
3.4-3.9   
2.250   

Transparency
Opaque   
Opaque   

Density
0.25-0.30 g/cm3   
2.2 g/cm3   

Thermal Properties
  
  

Specific Heat Capacity
0.84 kJ/Kg K   
15
0.92 kJ/Kg K   
10

Resistance
Heat Resistant, Impact Resistant, Pressure Resistant   
Heat Resistant, Impact Resistant, Pressure Resistant   

Reserves

Deposits in Eastern Continents
  
  

Asia
Bangladesh, Bhutan, China, India, North Korea, Qatar, Russia, Saudi Arabia, South Korea, Thailand   
China, India, Kazakhstan, Mongolia, Russia, Uzbekistan   

Africa
Cameroon, East Africa, Tanzania, Western Africa   
Namibia, Nigeria, South Africa   

Europe
United Kingdom   
Austria, Denmark, Germany, Great Britain, Netherlands, Poland, Sweden, Switzerland, United Kingdom   

Others
Not Yet Found   
Greenland   

Deposits in Western Continents
  
  

North America
Canada, USA   
Canada, USA   

South America
Bolivia, Brazil, Colombia, Ecuador   
Brazil   

Deposits in Oceania Continent
  
  

Australia
New South Wales, New Zealand, Queensland, Western Australia   
New South Wales, New Zealand, Western Australia   

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Hornfels vs Gritstone Information

Earth’s outer layer is covered by rocks and these rocks have different physical and chemical properties. As two rocks are not same, it’s fun to compare them. You can also know more about Hornfels and Gritstone Reserves. Hornfels is a metamorphic rock formed by the contact between mudstone or other clay rich rock, and a hot igneous body, and represents a heat altered equivalent of the original rock. Gritstone or grit is a hard, coarse-grained, siliceous sandstone. These rocks are composed of many distinct minerals. The process of formation of rocks is different for various rocks. Rocks are quarried from many years for various purposes. You can check out Hornfels vs Gritstone information and Hornfels vs Gritstone characteristics in the upcoming sections.

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Hornfels vs Gritstone 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. Hornfels vs Gritstone characteristics assist us to distinguish and recognize rocks. Also you can check about Properties of Hornfels and Properties of Gritstone. Learn more about Hornfels vs Gritstone in the next section. The interior uses of Hornfels include Decorative aggregates, Flooring, Homes and Interior decoration whereas the interior uses of Gritstone include Countertops, Decorative aggregates, Homes and Interior decoration. Due to some exceptional properties of Hornfels and Gritstone, they have various applications in construction industry. The uses of Hornfels in construction industry include For road aggregate, Roadstone and that of Gritstone include Construction aggregate, Roadstone.

More about Hornfels and Gritstone

Here you can know more about Hornfels and Gritstone. The life cycle of a rock consists of formation of rock, composition of rock and transformation of rock. The composition of Hornfels and Gritstone consists of mineral content and compound content. The mineral content of Hornfels includes Andalusite and mineral content of Gritstone includes Calcite, Clay Minerals, Feldspar, Micas, Quartz. You can also check out the list of all Metamorphic Rocks. When we have to compare Hornfels vs Gritstone, the texture, color and appearance plays an important role in determining the type of rock. Hornfels is available in brown, dark greenish - grey, green, reddish brown colors whereas, Gritstone is available in beige, black, brown, colourless, cream, dark brown, green, grey, light green, light to dark grey, pink, red, white, yellow colors. Appearance of Hornfels is Dull and that of Gritstone is Layered and Foliated. Properties of rock is another aspect for Hornfels vs Gritstone. The hardness of Hornfels is 2-3 and that of Gritstone is 6-7. The types of Hornfels are Biotite hornfels whereas types of Gritstone are Not Available. Streak of rock is the color of powder produced when it is dragged across an unweathered surface. The streak of Hornfels is unknown while that of Gritstone is white. The specific heat capacity of Hornfels is 0.84 kJ/Kg K and that of Gritstone 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.Hornfels is heat resistant, impact resistant, pressure resistant whereas Gritstone is heat resistant, impact resistant, pressure resistant.

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