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Adakite and Pseudotachylite


Pseudotachylite and Adakite


Definition

Definition
Adakite is an intermediate to felsic volcanic rock that has geochemical characteristics of magma which is said to be formed by partial melting of altered basalt that is subducted below volcanic arcs  
Very fine grained fault rock which is composed of glassy matrix that often contains inclusions of wall-rock fragments.  

History
  
  

Origin
Adak, Aleutian Islands  
USA  

Discoverer
Defant and Drummond  
Unknown  

Etymology
From Adak, Aleutian Islands  
From pseudo- +‎ tachylite, a glassy rock generated by frictional heat within faults.  

Class
Igneous Rocks  
Metamorphic Rocks  

Sub-Class
Durable Rock, Medium Hardness Rock  
Durable Rock, Hard Rock  

Family
  
  

Group
Volcanic  
-  

Other Categories
Fine Grained Rock, Medium Grained Rock, Opaque Rock  
Fine Grained Rock, Opaque Rock  

Texture

Texture
Porphyritic  
Quench  

Color
Black, Brown, Light to Dark Grey  
Black, Brown, Green, Grey, Pink, White  

Maintenance
Less  
Less  

Durability
Durable  
Durable  

Water Resistant
No  
Yes  

Scratch Resistant
No  
Yes  

Stain Resistant
No  
No  

Wind Resistant
Yes  
Yes  

Acid Resistant
Yes  
Yes  

Appearance
Dull and Soft  
Dull and Soft  

Uses

Architecture
  
  

Interior Uses
Decorative Aggregates, Floor Tiles, Homes, Hotels, Kitchens  
Decorative Aggregates, Entryways, Interior Decoration  

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

Other Architectural Uses
Whetstones  
Curbing  

Industry
  
  

Construction Industry
As Dimension Stone, Cobblestones, Rail Track Ballast, Roadstone  
As Dimension Stone, Cement Manufacture, for Road Aggregate, Making natural cement  

Medical Industry
-  
-  

Antiquity Uses
Monuments, Sculpture, Small Figurines  
Artifacts, Monuments  

Other Uses
  
  

Commercial Uses
Commemorative Tablets, Pottery, Used in aquariums  
Creating Artwork, Gemstone  

Types

Types
Intermediate volcanic rock  
Cataclastic rock  

Features
Has High structural resistance against erosion and climate, Host rock for Diamond, Very fine grained rock  
Host Rock for Lead  

Archaeological Significance
  
  

Monuments
-  
-  

Famous Monuments
-  
-  

Sculpture
-  
-  

Famous Sculptures
-  
-  

Pictographs
-  
-  

Petroglyphs
-  
-  

Figurines
-  
-  

Fossils
Absent  
Absent  

Formation

Formation
Adakite rocks are formed when the hydrous fluids are released from minerals that break down in metamorphosed basalt, and rise into the mantle they initiate partial melting.  
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.  

Composition
  
  

Mineral Content
Olivine, Plagioclase, Pyroxene  
Iron Oxides, Pyroxene, Quartz, Stishovite, Sulfides  

Compound Content
Aluminium Oxide, MgO, Silicon Dioxide  
Carbon Dioxide, Silicon Dioxide, Sulfur Dioxide, Sulphur  

Transformation
  
  

Metamorphism
Yes  
Yes  

Types of Metamorphism
Cataclastic Metamorphism, Contact Metamorphism, Impact Metamorphism, Regional Metamorphism  
Burial Metamorphism, Cataclastic Metamorphism, Contact Metamorphism  

Weathering
Yes  
No  

Types of Weathering
Chemical Weathering, Mechanical Weathering  
-  

Erosion
Yes  
No  

Types of Erosion
Coastal Erosion, Sea Erosion, Water Erosion  
-  

Properties

Physical Properties
  
  

Hardness
3-4  
7  

Grain Size
Fine to Medium Grained  
Very fine-grained  

Fracture
Conchoidal  
Uneven  

Streak
Bluish Black  
Light to dark brown  

Porosity
Less Porous  
Less Porous  

Luster
Grainy, Pearly and Vitreous  
Vitreous  

Compressive Strength
200.00 N/mm2  
13
60.00 N/mm2  
37

Cleavage
-  
-  

Toughness
-  
-  

Specific Gravity
-9999  
2.46-2.86  

Transparency
Opaque  
Transparent to Translucent  

Density
-9999 g/cm3  
2.7-2.9 g/cm3  

Thermal Properties
  
  

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

Resistance
Heat Resistant, Pressure Resistant, Wear Resistant  
Heat Resistant  

Reserves

Deposits in Eastern Continents
  
  

Asia
India, Russia  
South Korea  

Africa
Ethiopia, Somalia, South Africa  
Western Africa  

Europe
Iceland  
Great Britain, Switzerland  

Others
-  
-  

Deposits in Western Continents
  
  

North America
Canada, USA  
-  

South America
Brazil  
-  

Deposits in Oceania Continent
  
  

Australia
-  
Central Australia, Western Australia  

Summary >>
<< Reserves

All about Adakite and Pseudotachylite Properties

Know all about Adakite and Pseudotachylite properties here. All properties of rocks are important as they define the type of rock and its application. Adakite belongs to Igneous Rocks while Pseudotachylite belongs to Metamorphic Rocks.Texture of Adakite is Porphyritic whereas that of Pseudotachylite is Quench. Adakite appears Dull and Soft and Pseudotachylite appears Dull and Soft. The luster of Adakite is grainy, pearly and vitreous while that of Pseudotachylite is vitreous. Adakite is available in black, brown, light to dark grey colors whereas Pseudotachylite is available in black, brown, green, grey, pink, white colors. The commercial uses of Adakite are commemorative tablets, pottery, used in aquariums and that of Pseudotachylite are creating artwork, gemstone.

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