Definition
Very fine grained fault rock which is composed of glassy matrix that often contains inclusions of wall-rock fragments.
Gritstone or grit is a hard, coarse-grained, siliceous sandstone
Origin
USA
Pennines, England
Discoverer
Unknown
J.J. Ferber
Etymology
From pseudo- + tachylite, a glassy rock generated by frictional heat within faults.
From Grit + Stone
Class
Metamorphic Rocks
Sedimentary Rocks
Sub-Class
Durable Rock, Hard Rock
Durable Rock, Hard Rock
Group
Not Applicable
Not Applicable
Other Categories
Fine Grained Rock, Opaque Rock
Coarse Grained Rock, Opaque Rock
Color
Black, Brown, Colourless, Green, Grey, Pink, White
Beige, Black, Brown, Colourless, Cream, Dark Brown, Green, Grey, Light Green, Light to Dark Grey, Pink, Red, White, Yellow
Durability
Durable
Durable
Scratch Resistant
Yes
Yes
Appearance
Dull and Soft
Layered and Foliated
Interior Uses
Decorative Aggregates, Entryways, Interior Decoration
Countertops, Decorative Aggregates, Homes, Interior Decoration
Exterior Uses
As Building Stone, As Facing Stone, Garden Decoration
As Building Stone, Garden Decoration, Office Buildings, Paving Stone
Other Architectural Uses
Curbing
Curbing
Construction Industry
As Dimension Stone, Cement Manufacture, for Road Aggregate, Making natural cement
Construction Aggregate, Roadstone
Medical Industry
Not Yet Used
Not Yet Used
Antiquity Uses
Artifacts, Monuments
Artifacts, Monuments, Sculpture
Commercial Uses
Creating Artwork, Gemstone
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
Not Available
Not Available
Features
Host Rock for Lead
Available in Lots of Colors and Patterns, Generally rough to touch, Very fine grained rock
Archaeological Significance
Famous Monuments
Data Not Available
Data Not Available
Sculpture
Not Yet Used
Used
Famous Sculptures
Not Applicable
Data Not Available
Pictographs
Not Used
Not Used
Petroglyphs
Not Used
Not Used
Figurines
Not Yet Used
Used
Formation
Due to change in environmental conditions, rocks are heated and pressurized deep inside the Earth's surface. Pseudotachylite 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.
Mineral Content
Iron Oxides, Pyroxene, Quartz, Stishovite, Sulfides
Calcite, Clay Minerals, Feldspar, Micas, Quartz
Compound Content
Carbon Dioxide, Silicon Dioxide, Sulfur Dioxide, Sulphur
Aluminium Oxide, CaO, Iron(III) Oxide, Potassium Oxide, MgO, Sodium Oxide, Silicon Dioxide
Types of Metamorphism
Burial Metamorphism, Cataclastic Metamorphism, Contact Metamorphism
Not Applicable
Types of Weathering
Not Applicable
Biological Weathering, Chemical Weathering, Mechanical Weathering
Types of Erosion
Not Applicable
Chemical Erosion, Coastal Erosion
Grain Size
Very fine-grained
Coarse Grained
Fracture
Uneven
Conchoidal
Streak
Light to dark brown
White
Porosity
Less Porous
Highly Porous
Cleavage
Irregular
Perfect
Toughness
Not Available
Not Available
Specific Gravity
2.46-2.86
2.250
Transparency
Transparent to Translucent
Opaque
Density
2.7-2.9 g/cm3
2.2 g/cm3
Resistance
Heat Resistant
Heat Resistant, Impact Resistant, Pressure Resistant
Deposits in Eastern Continents
Asia
South Korea
China, India, Kazakhstan, Mongolia, Russia, Uzbekistan
Africa
Western Africa
Namibia, Nigeria, South Africa
Europe
Great Britain, Switzerland
Austria, Denmark, Germany, Great Britain, Netherlands, Poland, Sweden, Switzerland, United Kingdom
Others
Not Yet Found
Greenland
Deposits in Western Continents
North America
Not Yet Found
Canada, USA
South America
Not Yet Found
Brazil
Deposits in Oceania Continent
Australia
Central Australia, Western Australia
New South Wales, New Zealand, Western Australia
Pseudotachylite 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. Pseudotachylite vs Gritstone characteristics assist us to distinguish and recognize rocks. Also you can check about Properties of Pseudotachylite and Properties of Gritstone. Learn more about Pseudotachylite vs Gritstone in the next section. The interior uses of Pseudotachylite include Decorative aggregates, Entryways and Interior decoration whereas the interior uses of Gritstone include Countertops, Decorative aggregates, Homes and Interior decoration. Due to some exceptional properties of Pseudotachylite and Gritstone, they have various applications in construction industry. The uses of Pseudotachylite in construction industry include As dimension stone, Cement manufacture, For road aggregate, Making natural cement and that of Gritstone include Construction aggregate, Roadstone.
More about Pseudotachylite and Gritstone
Here you can know more about Pseudotachylite and Gritstone. The life cycle of a rock consists of formation of rock, composition of rock and transformation of rock. The composition of Pseudotachylite and Gritstone consists of mineral content and compound content. The mineral content of Pseudotachylite includes Iron Oxides, Pyroxene, Quartz, Stishovite, Sulfides 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 Pseudotachylite vs Gritstone, the texture, color and appearance plays an important role in determining the type of rock. Pseudotachylite is available in black, brown, colourless, green, grey, pink, white 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 Pseudotachylite is Dull and Soft and that of Gritstone is Layered and Foliated. Properties of rock is another aspect for Pseudotachylite vs Gritstone. The hardness of Pseudotachylite is 7 and that of Gritstone is 6-7. The types of Pseudotachylite are Not Available 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 Pseudotachylite is light to dark brown while that of Gritstone is white. The specific heat capacity of Pseudotachylite is 0.92 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.Pseudotachylite is heat resistant whereas Gritstone is heat resistant, impact resistant, pressure resistant.