Definition
Amphibolite can be defined as a granular metamorphic rock which mainly consist of hornblende and plagioclase
A water-soluble mineral sediment resulting from concentration and crystallization by evaporation from an aqueous solution
Discoverer
Alexandre Brongniart
Usiglio
Etymology
From Amphibole + -ite
From a sediment left after the evaporation
Class
Metamorphic Rocks
Sedimentary Rocks
Sub-Class
Durable Rock, Hard Rock
Durable Rock, Soft Rock
Other Categories
Coarse Grained Rock, Medium Grained Rock, Opaque Rock
Coarse Grained Rock, Fine Grained Rock, Medium Grained Rock, Opaque Rock
Texture
Banded, Foliated, Massive
Earthy
Color
Black, Brown, Green, Grey
Green, Grey, Silver, White
Durability
Durable
Durable
Appearance
Foliated
Glassy, Vesicular and Foilated
Interior Uses
Countertops, Decorative Aggregates, Entryways, Floor Tiles, Flooring, Homes, Hotels, Kitchens
Decorative Aggregates, Entryways, Flooring, Homes, Interior Decoration
Exterior Uses
As Building Stone, As Facing Stone, Paving Stone, Office Buildings
As Building Stone, As Facing Stone, Garden Decoration, Paving Stone
Other Architectural Uses
Curbing
Curbing
Construction Industry
As Dimension Stone, Building houses or walls, Cobblestones, Construction Aggregate, for Road Aggregate, Landscaping, Production of Glass and Ceramics, Roadstone
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
Medical Industry
-
Taken as a Supplement for Calcium or Magnesium
Antiquity Uses
Artifacts, Sculpture, Small Figurines
Artifacts
Commercial Uses
Cemetery Markers, Commemorative Tablets, Creating Artwork
Used in the manufacture of Ceramic Powder, Used in the preparation of Sulfuric Acid and Silicon Diborite
Types
Hornblendite
Sedimentary rock
Features
Clasts are smooth to touch, Matrix variable, Surfaces are often shiny
Generally rough to touch, Splintery, Veined
Archaeological Significance
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.
Evaporite is water-soluble mineral sediment which forms from concentration and crystallization by evaporation from an aqueous solution.
Mineral Content
Amphibole, Andalusite, Biotite, Calcite, Epidote, Garnet, Hornblade, Kyanite, Magnetite, Olivine, Plagioclase, Pyroxene, Staurolite, Wollastonite
Calcite, Cancrinite, Gypsum, Kyanite, Magnetite
Compound Content
Aluminium Oxide, CaO, Iron(III) Oxide, FeO, Potassium Oxide, MgO, MnO, Sodium Oxide, Phosphorus Pentoxide, Silicon Dioxide, Titanium Dioxide
CaMg(CO3)2, CaO, Calcium Sulfate, KCl, MgO, NaCl
Types of Metamorphism
-
Burial Metamorphism, Cataclastic Metamorphism, Contact Metamorphism, Impact Metamorphism, Regional Metamorphism
Types of Weathering
Chemical Weathering, Mechanical Weathering
-
Types of Erosion
Chemical Erosion, Glacier Erosion, Sea Erosion, Wind Erosion
-
Grain Size
Medium to Coarse Grained
Medium to Fine Coarse Grained
Fracture
Irregular to Conchoidal
Conchoidal
Streak
White to Grey
White
Porosity
Less Porous
Less Porous
Luster
Vitreous to Dull
Subvitreous to Dull
Specific Gravity
2.5
2.86-2.99
Transparency
Opaque
Translucent
Density
2.85-3.07 g/cm3
2.8-2.9 g/cm3
Resistance
Heat Resistant, Pressure Resistant, Wear Resistant
Heat Resistant, Pressure Resistant
Deposits in Eastern Continents
Africa
Burundi, Djibouti, Eritrea, Ethiopia, Kenya, Madagascar, Rwanda, Somalia, South Africa, Sudan, Tanzania, Uganda
-
Europe
Germany, Greece, Iceland, Norway, Poland
United Kingdom
Deposits in Western Continents
North America
Canada, USA
USA
South America
Brazil
Colombia, Paraguay
Deposits in Oceania Continent
Australia
South Australia, Western Australia
Central Australia, Western Australia
Amphibolite vs Evaporite 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 Evaporite characteristics assist us to distinguish and recognize rocks. Also you can check about Properties of Amphibolite and Properties of Evaporite. Learn more about Amphibolite vs Evaporite 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 Evaporite include Decorative aggregates, Entryways, Flooring, Homes and Interior decoration. Due to some exceptional properties of Amphibolite and Evaporite, 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 Evaporite 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.
More about Amphibolite and Evaporite
Here you can know more about Amphibolite and Evaporite. The life cycle of a rock consists of formation of rock, composition of rock and transformation of rock. The composition of Amphibolite and Evaporite 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 Evaporite includes Calcite, Cancrinite, Gypsum, Kyanite, Magnetite. You can also check out the list of all Igneous Rocks. When we have to compare Amphibolite vs Evaporite, 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, Evaporite is available in green, grey, silver, white colors. Appearance of Amphibolite is Foliated and that of Evaporite is Glassy, Vesicular and Foilated. Properties of rock is another aspect for Amphibolite vs Evaporite. The hardness of Amphibolite is 6-7 and that of Evaporite is 2-3. The types of Amphibolite are Hornblendite whereas types of Evaporite are Sedimentary rock. Streak of rock is the color of powder produced when it is dragged across an unweathered surface. The streak of Amphibolite is white to grey while that of Evaporite is white. The specific heat capacity of Amphibolite is 0.84 kJ/Kg K and that of Evaporite 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.Amphibolite is heat resistant, pressure resistant, wear resistant whereas Evaporite is heat resistant, pressure resistant.