Home
Compare Rocks


Amphibolite vs Argillite


Argillite vs Amphibolite


Definition

Definition
Amphibolite can be defined as a granular metamorphic rock which mainly consist of hornblende and plagioclase  
Argillites are highly compact sedimentary or slightly metamorphosed rocks that consist largely or wholly of particles of clay or silt but lack the fissility of shale or the cleavage characteristic of slate  

History
  
  

Origin
-  
-  

Discoverer
Alexandre Brongniart  
Unknown  

Etymology
From Amphibole + -ite  
From Latin Argilla (clay) and -ite in English which became agrilla+ -ite = Argillite  

Class
Metamorphic Rocks  
Sedimentary Rocks  

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

Family
  
  

Group
-  
-  

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

Texture

Texture
Banded, Foliated, Massive  
Clastic, Polished  

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

Maintenance
Less  
Less  

Durability
Durable  
Durable  

Water Resistant
Yes  
No  

Scratch Resistant
Yes  
Yes  

Stain Resistant
Yes  
Yes  

Wind Resistant
No  
Yes  

Acid Resistant
Yes  
Yes  

Appearance
Foliated  
Rough and Dull  

Uses

Architecture
  
  

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

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

Other Architectural Uses
Curbing  
Curbing, Whetstones  

Industry
  
  

Construction Industry
As Dimension Stone, Building houses or walls, Cobblestones, Construction Aggregate, for Road Aggregate, Landscaping, Production of Glass and Ceramics, Roadstone  
Used for flooring, stair treads, borders and window sills.  

Medical Industry
-  
-  

Antiquity Uses
Artifacts, Sculpture, Small Figurines  
Artifacts, Monuments, Sculpture  

Other Uses
  
  

Commercial Uses
Cemetery Markers, Commemorative Tablets, Creating Artwork  
Fire resistant, Used to manufracture paperweights and bookends  

Types

Types
Hornblendite  
Metamorphic rock  

Features
Clasts are smooth to touch, Matrix variable, Surfaces are often shiny  
Is one of the oldest rock  

Archaeological Significance
  
  

Monuments
-  
-  

Famous Monuments
-  
-  

Sculpture
-  
-  

Famous Sculptures
-  
-  

Pictographs
-  
-  

Petroglyphs
-  
-  

Figurines
-  
-  

Fossils
Absent  
Present  

Formation

Formation
Amphibolite is a coarse-grained metamorphic rock which forms by metamorphism of mafic igneous rocks like basalt and gabbro or from the metamorphism of clay-rich sedimentary rocks like marl or graywacke.  
An argillite is a fine-grained sedimentary rock mainly composed of clay particles which forms from lithified muds which contain variable amounts of silt-sized particles.  

Composition
  
  

Mineral Content
Amphibole, Andalusite, Biotite, Calcite, Epidote, Garnet, Hornblade, Kyanite, Magnetite, Olivine, Plagioclase, Pyroxene, Staurolite, Wollastonite  
Biotite, Chlorite, Feldspar, Micas, Muscovite or Illite, Plagioclase, Pyrite, Quartz  

Compound Content
Aluminium Oxide, CaO, Iron(III) Oxide, FeO, Potassium Oxide, MgO, MnO, Sodium Oxide, Phosphorus Pentoxide, Silicon Dioxide, Titanium Dioxide  
Iron(III) Oxide, Potassium Oxide, MgO, Silicon Dioxide  

Transformation
  
  

Metamorphism
No  
No  

Types of Metamorphism
-  
-  

Weathering
Yes  
Yes  

Types of Weathering
Chemical Weathering, Mechanical Weathering  
Biological Weathering  

Erosion
Yes  
Yes  

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

Properties

Physical Properties
  
  

Hardness
6-7  
2-3  

Grain Size
Medium to Coarse Grained  
Fine Grained  

Fracture
Irregular to Conchoidal  
Conchoidal to Uneven  

Streak
White to Grey  
White to Grey  

Porosity
Less Porous  
Highly Porous  

Luster
Vitreous to Dull  
Waxy and Dull  

Compressive Strength
90.00 N/mm2  
32
-  

Cleavage
-  
Slaty  

Toughness
2.3  
2.6  

Specific Gravity
2.5  
2.56-2.68  

Transparency
Opaque  
Opaque  

Density
2.85-3.07 g/cm3  
2.54-2.66 g/cm3  

Thermal Properties
  
  

Specific Heat Capacity
0.84 kJ/Kg K  
15
0.87 kJ/Kg K  
14

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

Reserves

Deposits in Eastern Continents
  
  

Asia
Russia, Turkey  
Bangladesh, China, India, Russia  

Africa
Burundi, Djibouti, Eritrea, Ethiopia, Kenya, Madagascar, Rwanda, Somalia, South Africa, Sudan, Tanzania, Uganda  
Ethiopia, Kenya, Morocco, South Africa, Tanzania  

Europe
Germany, Greece, Iceland, Norway, Poland  
Austria, France, Germany, Greece, Italy, Romania, Scotland, Spain, Switzerland  

Others
-  
-  

Deposits in Western Continents
  
  

North America
Canada, USA  
USA  

South America
Brazil  
Bolivia, Chile, Colombia, Ecuador, Peru, Venezuela  

Deposits in Oceania Continent
  
  

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

Definition >>
<< All

Amphibolite vs Argillite 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 Amphibolite and Argillite Reserves. Amphibolite can be defined as a granular metamorphic rock which mainly consist of hornblende and plagioclase. Argillites are highly compact sedimentary or slightly metamorphosed rocks that consist largely or wholly of particles of clay or silt but lack the fissility of shale or the cleavage characteristic of slate. 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 Amphibolite vs Argillite information and Amphibolite vs Argillite characteristics in the upcoming sections.

Compare Igneous Rocks

Amphibolite vs Argillite 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. Amphibolite vs Argillite characteristics assist us to distinguish and recognize rocks. Also you can check about Properties of Amphibolite and Properties of Argillite. Learn more about Amphibolite vs Argillite in the next section. The interior uses of Amphibolite include Countertops, Decorative aggregates, Entryways, Floor tiles, Flooring, Homes, Hotels and Kitchens whereas the interior uses of Argillite include Decorative aggregates, Homes and Interior decoration. Due to some exceptional properties of Amphibolite and Argillite, they have various applications in construction industry. The uses of Amphibolite in construction industry include As dimension stone, Building houses or walls, Cobblestones, Construction aggregate, For road aggregate, Landscaping, Production of glass and ceramics, Roadstone and that of Argillite include Used for flooring, stair treads, borders and window sills..

More about Amphibolite and Argillite

Here you can know more about Amphibolite and Argillite. The life cycle of a rock consists of formation of rock, composition of rock and transformation of rock. The composition of Amphibolite and Argillite consists of mineral content and compound content. The mineral content of Amphibolite includes Amphibole, Andalusite, Biotite, Calcite, Epidote, Garnet, Hornblade, Kyanite, Magnetite, Olivine, Plagioclase, Pyroxene, Staurolite, Wollastonite and mineral content of Argillite includes Biotite, Chlorite, Feldspar, Micas, Muscovite or Illite, Plagioclase, Pyrite, Quartz. You can also check out the list of all Igneous Rocks. When we have to compare Amphibolite vs Argillite, the texture, color and appearance plays an important role in determining the type of rock. Amphibolite is available in black, brown, green, grey colors whereas, Argillite is available in dark grey to black, pink, red, white colors. Appearance of Amphibolite is Foliated and that of Argillite is Rough and Dull. Properties of rock is another aspect for Amphibolite vs Argillite. The hardness of Amphibolite is 6-7 and that of Argillite is 2-3. The types of Amphibolite are Hornblendite whereas types of Argillite are Metamorphic rock. Streak of rock is the color of powder produced when it is dragged across an unweathered surface. The streak of Amphibolite and Argillite is white to grey. The specific heat capacity of Amphibolite is 0.84 kJ/Kg K and that of Argillite is 0.87 kJ/Kg K. Depending on the properties like hardness, toughness, specific heat capacity, porosity etc., rocks are resistant to heat, wear, impact, etc.Amphibolite is heat resistant, pressure resistant, wear resistant whereas Argillite is heat resistant, impact resistant.

Igneous Rocks

Igneous Rocks

» More Igneous Rocks

Compare Igneous Rocks

» More Compare Igneous Rocks