Definition
Amphibolite can be defined as a granular metamorphic rock which mainly consist of hornblende and plagioclase
A hydration and metamorphic transformation of ultramafic rock from the Earth's mantle is called as serpentinization, a group of minerals is formed by serpentinization compose rock 'serpentinite'.
Discoverer
Alexandre Brongniart
Unknown
Etymology
From Amphibole + -ite
From English word serpentinization.
Class
Metamorphic Rocks
Metamorphic Rocks
Sub-Class
Durable Rock, Hard Rock
Durable Rock, Medium Hardness Rock
Other Categories
Coarse Grained Rock, Medium Grained Rock, Opaque Rock
Fine Grained Rock, Opaque Rock
Texture
Banded, Foliated, Massive
Earthy
Color
Black, Brown, Green, Grey
Black, Brown, Green, Grey, White
Durability
Durable
Durable
Appearance
Foliated
Rough and Dull
Interior Uses
Countertops, Decorative Aggregates, Entryways, Floor Tiles, Flooring, Homes, Hotels, Kitchens
Decorative Aggregates, Interior Decoration
Exterior Uses
As Building Stone, As Facing Stone, Paving Stone, Office Buildings
As Building Stone, Paving Stone, Garden Decoration, Office Buildings
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 Dimension Stone, Cement Manufacture, for Road Aggregate, Making natural cement
Antiquity Uses
Artifacts, Sculpture, Small Figurines
Artifacts, Jewellery, Monuments, Sculpture
Commercial Uses
Cemetery Markers, Commemorative Tablets, Creating Artwork
Commemorative Tablets, Creating Artwork
Types
Hornblendite
Jadeitite
Features
Clasts are smooth to touch, Matrix variable, Surfaces are often shiny
Host Rock for Lead
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.
Due to change in environmental conditions, rocks are heated and pressurized deep inside the Earth's surface. Serpentinite is formed from the extreme heat caused by magma or by the intense collisions and friction of tectonic plates.
Mineral Content
Amphibole, Andalusite, Biotite, Calcite, Epidote, Garnet, Hornblade, Kyanite, Magnetite, Olivine, Plagioclase, Pyroxene, Staurolite, Wollastonite
Carbonate, Magnetite, Pyrrhotite, Serpentine, Sulfides
Compound Content
Aluminium Oxide, CaO, Iron(III) Oxide, FeO, Potassium Oxide, MgO, MnO, Sodium Oxide, Phosphorus Pentoxide, Silicon Dioxide, Titanium Dioxide
Ca, CaO, Carbon Dioxide, KCl, MgO, Sulfur Dioxide, Sulphur
Types of Metamorphism
-
Burial Metamorphism, Cataclastic Metamorphism, Contact Metamorphism, Hydrothermal Metamorphism, Impact Metamorphism
Types of Weathering
Chemical Weathering, Mechanical Weathering
-
Types of Erosion
Chemical Erosion, Glacier Erosion, Sea Erosion, Wind Erosion
Chemical Erosion, Coastal Erosion, Glacier Erosion, Sea Erosion, Wind Erosion
Grain Size
Medium to Coarse Grained
Very fine-grained
Fracture
Irregular to Conchoidal
Uneven
Streak
White to Grey
White, Greenish White or Grey
Porosity
Less Porous
Less Porous
Luster
Vitreous to Dull
Waxy and Dull
Specific Gravity
2.5
2.79-3
Transparency
Opaque
Opaque
Density
2.85-3.07 g/cm3
2.5-3 g/cm3
Resistance
Heat Resistant, Pressure Resistant, Wear Resistant
Heat Resistant
Deposits in Eastern Continents
Asia
Russia, Turkey
India, Saudi Arabia, Singapore, South Korea
Africa
Burundi, Djibouti, Eritrea, Ethiopia, Kenya, Madagascar, Rwanda, Somalia, South Africa, Sudan, Tanzania, Uganda
Ethiopia, Western Africa
Europe
Germany, Greece, Iceland, Norway, Poland
England, Georgia, Switzerland, United Kingdom
Deposits in Western Continents
North America
Canada, USA
Canada
South America
Brazil
Colombia
Deposits in Oceania Continent
Australia
South Australia, Western Australia
Central Australia, New South Wales, New Zealand, Western Australia
Amphibolite vs Serpentinite 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 Serpentinite characteristics assist us to distinguish and recognize rocks. Also you can check about Properties of Amphibolite and Properties of Serpentinite. Learn more about Amphibolite vs Serpentinite 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 Serpentinite include Decorative aggregates and Interior decoration. Due to some exceptional properties of Amphibolite and Serpentinite, 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 Serpentinite include As dimension stone, Cement manufacture, For road aggregate, Making natural cement.
More about Amphibolite and Serpentinite
Here you can know more about Amphibolite and Serpentinite. The life cycle of a rock consists of formation of rock, composition of rock and transformation of rock. The composition of Amphibolite and Serpentinite 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 Serpentinite includes Carbonate, Magnetite, Pyrrhotite, Serpentine, Sulfides. You can also check out the list of all Igneous Rocks. When we have to compare Amphibolite vs Serpentinite, 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, Serpentinite is available in black, brown, green, grey, white colors. Appearance of Amphibolite is Foliated and that of Serpentinite is Rough and Dull. Properties of rock is another aspect for Amphibolite vs Serpentinite. The hardness of Amphibolite is 6-7 and that of Serpentinite is 3-5. The types of Amphibolite are Hornblendite whereas types of Serpentinite are Jadeitite. 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 Serpentinite is white, greenish white or grey. The specific heat capacity of Amphibolite is 0.84 kJ/Kg K and that of Serpentinite is 0.95 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 Serpentinite is heat resistant.