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Kimberlite
Kimberlite

Variolite
Variolite



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Kimberlite vs Variolite

1 Definition
1.1 Definition
Kimberlite is a rare, blue-tinged, coarse-grained intrusive igneous rock, which sometimes contains diamonds and is mostly found in South Africa and Siberia.
Variolites are a group of dark green basic igneous rocks which exhibit pale colored spots, or spherules, especially on weathered surfaces, that give them a pockmarked appearance
1.2 History
1.2.1 Origin
Kimberley, South Africa
France
1.2.2 Discoverer
Unknown
Unknown
1.3 Etymology
From Kimberley +‎ -ite, from the name of the South African town of Kimberley where the rock was first found.
From Latin varius, speckled, variegated
1.4 Class
Igneous Rocks
Igneous Rocks
1.4.1 Sub-Class
Durable Rock, Hard Rock
Durable Rock, Hard Rock
1.5 Family
1.5.1 Group
Volcanic
Volcanic
1.6 Other Categories
Coarse Grained Rock, Fine Grained Rock, Opaque Rock
Opaque Rock
2 Texture
2.1 Texture
Porphyritic
Glassy, Massive, Porphyritic, Scoriaceous, Vesicular
2.2 Color
Black, Bluish - Grey, Brown, Dark Greenish - Grey, Green, Grey
Black, Brown, Light to Dark Grey
2.3 Maintenance
Less
Less
2.4 Durability
Durable
Durable
2.4.1 Water Resistant
81% Igneous Rocks Rocks have it !
81% Igneous Rocks Rocks have it !
2.4.2 Scratch Resistant
86% Igneous Rocks Rocks have it !
86% Igneous Rocks Rocks have it !
2.4.3 Stain Resistant
66% Igneous Rocks Rocks have it !
66% Igneous Rocks Rocks have it !
2.4.4 Wind Resistant
49% Igneous Rocks Rocks have it !
49% Igneous Rocks Rocks have it !
2.4.5 Acid Resistant
48% Igneous Rocks Rocks have it !
48% Igneous Rocks Rocks have it !
2.5 Appearance
Dull and Banded
Dull and Soft
3 Uses
3.1 Architecture
3.1.1 Interior Uses
Countertops, Decorative Aggregates, Homes, Interior Decoration
Floor Tiles, Flooring, Homes, Hotels, Kitchens
3.1.2 Exterior Uses
As Building Stone, Paving Stone, Garden Decoration
Garden Decoration, Office Buildings
3.1.3 Other Architectural Uses
Curbing
Curbing
3.2 Industry
3.2.1 Construction Industry
As a Flux in the Production of Steel and Pig Iron, As a Sintering Agent in Steel Industry to process Iron Ore, As Dimension Stone, Cement Manufacture, for Road Aggregate, Making natural cement, Manufacture of Magnesium and Dolomite Refractories
As Dimension Stone, Cobblestones, Rail Track Ballast, Roadstone
3.2.2 Medical Industry
Taken as a Supplement for Calcium or Magnesium
Not Yet Used
3.3 Antiquity Uses
Artifacts, Monuments, Sculpture, Small Figurines
Artifacts, Monuments, Sculpture
3.4 Other Uses
3.4.1 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)
Cemetery Markers, Creating Artwork
4 Types
4.1 Types
Basaltic Kimberlites and Micaceous Kimberlites
Not Available
4.2 Features
Always found as volcanic pipes over deep continental crust, Host rock for Diamond, Is one of the oldest rock, Surfaces are often shiny
Has High structural resistance against erosion and climate, Very fine grained rock
4.3 Archaeological Significance
4.3.1 Monuments
Used
Used
4.3.2 Famous Monuments
Data Not Available
Data Not Available
4.3.3 Sculpture
Used
Used
4.3.4 Famous Sculptures
Data Not Available
Data Not Available
4.3.5 Pictographs
Not Used
Used
4.3.6 Petroglyphs
Not Used
Used
4.3.7 Figurines
Used
Used
4.4 Fossils
Absent
Absent
5 Formation
5.1 Formation
Kimberlite is an igneous rock and is the main source of diamonds. Its formation takes place deep beneath the Earth’s surface between 150 to 450 kilometres, and are erupted rapidly and violently.
Variolites are a group of dark green basic igneous rocks that exhibit pale colored spots on weathered surfaces that give them a pockmarked appearance.
5.2 Composition
5.2.1 Mineral Content
Garnet, Olivine, Phlogopite, Pyroxene
Olivine, Plagioclase, Pyroxene
5.2.2 Compound Content
Aluminium Oxide, NaCl, CaO, Iron(III) Oxide, FeO, Potassium Oxide, MgO, MnO, Sodium Oxide, Silicon Dioxide, Titanium Dioxide
Aluminium Oxide, CaO, Iron(III) Oxide, FeO, Potassium Oxide, MgO, MnO, Sodium Oxide, Phosphorus Pentoxide, Silicon Dioxide, Titanium Dioxide
5.3 Transformation
5.3.1 Metamorphism
97% Igneous Rocks Rocks have it !
97% Igneous Rocks Rocks have it !
5.3.2 Types of Metamorphism
Burial Metamorphism, Cataclastic Metamorphism, Contact Metamorphism, Hydrothermal Metamorphism, Impact Metamorphism, Regional Metamorphism
Burial Metamorphism, Cataclastic Metamorphism, Contact Metamorphism, Hydrothermal Metamorphism, Impact Metamorphism, Regional Metamorphism
5.3.3 Weathering
99% Igneous Rocks Rocks have it !
99% Igneous Rocks Rocks have it !
5.3.4 Types of Weathering
Biological Weathering, Chemical Weathering, Mechanical Weathering
Biological Weathering, Chemical Weathering, Mechanical Weathering
5.3.5 Erosion
92% Igneous Rocks Rocks have it !
92% Igneous Rocks Rocks have it !
5.3.6 Types of Erosion
Chemical Erosion, Coastal Erosion, Glacier Erosion, Sea Erosion, Water Erosion, Wind Erosion
Not Applicable
6 Properties
6.1 Physical Properties
6.1.1 Hardness
6-7
6
6.1.2 Grain Size
Fine to Coarse Grained
Not Applicable
6.1.3 Fracture
Conchoidal
Conchoidal
6.1.4 Streak
White
White to Grey
6.1.5 Porosity
Very Less Porous
Less Porous
6.1.6 Luster
Subvitreous to Dull
Not Available
6.1.7 Compressive Strength
Flint
Not Available
Rank: N/A (Overall)
37.50 N/mm2
Rank: 27 (Overall)
Obsidian
ADD ⊕
6.1.8 Cleavage
Conchoidal
Not Available
6.1.9 Toughness
Not Available
2.3
6.1.10 Specific Gravity
2.86-2.87
2.8-3
6.1.11 Transparency
Translucent to Opaque
Opaque
6.1.12 Density
2.95-2.96 g/cm3
2.9-3.1 g/cm3
6.2 Thermal Properties
6.2.1 Specific Heat Capacity
Banded iron for..
0.92 kJ/Kg K
Rank: 10 (Overall)
0.84 kJ/Kg K
Rank: 15 (Overall)
Granulite
ADD ⊕
6.2.2 Resistance
Heat Resistant, Impact Resistant
Heat Resistant, Pressure Resistant, Wear Resistant
7 Reserves
7.1 Deposits in Eastern Continents
7.1.1 Asia
Russia
India, Russia
7.1.2 Africa
Angola, Botswana, Cameroon, Ethiopia, South Africa
South Africa
7.1.3 Europe
England, Hungary, Iceland, United Kingdom
Iceland
7.1.4 Others
Antarctica
Not Yet Found
7.2 Deposits in Western Continents
7.2.1 North America
Canada, USA
Canada, USA
7.2.2 South America
Argentina, Colombia, Ecuador
Brazil
7.3 Deposits in Oceania Continent
7.3.1 Australia
New South Wales, New Zealand, South Australia, Western Australia
Not Yet Found

Kimberlite vs Variolite 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 Kimberlite and Variolite Reserves. Kimberlite is a rare, blue-tinged, coarse-grained intrusive igneous rock, which sometimes contains diamonds and is mostly found in South Africa and Siberia.. Variolites are a group of dark green basic igneous rocks which exhibit pale colored spots, or spherules, especially on weathered surfaces, that give them a pockmarked appearance. 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 Kimberlite vs Variolite information and Kimberlite vs Variolite characteristics in the upcoming sections.

Kimberlite vs Variolite 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. Kimberlite vs Variolite characteristics assist us to distinguish and recognize rocks. Also you can check about Properties of Kimberlite and Properties of Variolite. Learn more about Kimberlite vs Variolite in the next section. The interior uses of Kimberlite include Countertops, Decorative aggregates, Homes and Interior decoration whereas the interior uses of Variolite include Floor tiles, Flooring, Homes, Hotels and Kitchens. Due to some exceptional properties of Kimberlite and Variolite, they have various applications in construction industry. The uses of Kimberlite in construction industry include As a flux in the production of steel and pig iron, As a sintering agent in steel industry to process iron ore, As dimension stone, Cement manufacture, For road aggregate, Making natural cement, Manufacture of magnesium and dolomite refractories and that of Variolite include As dimension stone, Cobblestones, Rail track ballast, Roadstone.

More about Kimberlite and Variolite

Here you can know more about Kimberlite and Variolite. The life cycle of a rock consists of formation of rock, composition of rock and transformation of rock. The composition of Kimberlite and Variolite consists of mineral content and compound content. The mineral content of Kimberlite includes Garnet, Olivine, Phlogopite, Pyroxene and mineral content of Variolite includes Olivine, Plagioclase, Pyroxene. You can also check out the list of all Igneous Rocks. When we have to compare Kimberlite vs Variolite, the texture, color and appearance plays an important role in determining the type of rock. Kimberlite is available in black, bluish - grey, brown, dark greenish - grey, green, grey colors whereas, Variolite is available in black, brown, light to dark grey colors. Appearance of Kimberlite is Dull and Banded and that of Variolite is Dull and Soft. Properties of rock is another aspect for Kimberlite vs Variolite. The hardness of Kimberlite is 6-7 and that of Variolite is 6. The types of Kimberlite are Basaltic Kimberlites and Micaceous Kimberlites whereas types of Variolite are Not Available. Streak of rock is the color of powder produced when it is dragged across an unweathered surface. The streak of Kimberlite is white while that of Variolite is white to grey. The specific heat capacity of Kimberlite is 0.92 kJ/Kg K and that of Variolite is 0.84 kJ/Kg K. Depending on the properties like hardness, toughness, specific heat capacity, porosity etc., rocks are resistant to heat, wear, impact, etc.Kimberlite is heat resistant, impact resistant whereas Variolite is heat resistant, pressure resistant, wear resistant.