Definition
Amphibolite can be defined as a granular metamorphic rock which mainly consist of hornblende and plagioclase
Tachylite is a vitreous form of basaltic volcanic glass. This glass is formed naturally by the rapid cooling of molten basalt
Discoverer
Alexandre Brongniart
Unknown
Etymology
From Amphibole + -ite
From German Tachylite, from tachy- + Greek lutos soluble, melting
Class
Metamorphic Rocks
Igneous Rocks
Sub-Class
Durable Rock, Hard Rock
Durable Rock, Medium Hardness Rock
Group
Not Applicable
Volcanic
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
Vitreous
Color
Black, Brown, Green, Grey
Black, Dark Brown
Durability
Durable
Durable
Appearance
Foliated
Glassy
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, 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
Cutting Tool, Knives, Landscaping, Scrapers
Medical Industry
Not Yet Used
Not Yet Used
Antiquity Uses
Artifacts, Sculpture, Small Figurines
Artifacts
Commercial Uses
Cemetery Markers, Commemorative Tablets, Creating Artwork
Cemetery Markers, Creating Artwork
Types
Hornblendite
Not Available
Features
Clasts are smooth to touch, Matrix variable, Surfaces are often shiny
Available in Lots of Colors and Patterns, Clasts are smooth to touch, NA
Archaeological Significance
Monuments
Used
Not Yet Used
Famous Monuments
Data Not Available
Not Applicable
Sculpture
Used
Not Yet Used
Famous Sculptures
Data Not Available
Not Applicable
Pictographs
Not Used
Used
Petroglyphs
Not Used
Used
Figurines
Used
Not Yet Used
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.
Tachylite is a fine-grained, hard rock which is a type of metasomatite, essentially altered basalt. It forms with or without crystallization, either below the surface as intrusive rocks or on the surface as extrusive rocks.
Mineral Content
Amphibole, Andalusite, Biotite, Calcite, Epidote, Garnet, Hornblade, Kyanite, Magnetite, Olivine, Plagioclase, Pyroxene, Staurolite, Wollastonite
Feldspar, Olivine
Compound Content
Aluminium Oxide, CaO, Iron(III) Oxide, FeO, Potassium Oxide, MgO, MnO, Sodium Oxide, Phosphorus Pentoxide, Silicon Dioxide, Titanium Dioxide
Fe, Mg
Types of Metamorphism
Not Applicable
Burial Metamorphism, Cataclastic Metamorphism, Contact Metamorphism, Hydrothermal Metamorphism, Impact Metamorphism, Regional Metamorphism
Types of Weathering
Chemical Weathering, Mechanical Weathering
Biological Weathering, Chemical Weathering, Mechanical Weathering
Types of Erosion
Chemical Erosion, Glacier Erosion, Sea Erosion, Wind Erosion
Chemical Erosion, Sea Erosion, Water Erosion, Wind Erosion
Grain Size
Medium to Coarse Grained
Medium to Fine Coarse Grained
Fracture
Irregular to Conchoidal
Conchoidal
Streak
White to Grey
Vermilion
Porosity
Less Porous
Less Porous
Luster
Vitreous to Dull
Resinous
Compressive Strength
Not Available
Cleavage
Irregular
Not Available
Toughness
2.3
Not Available
Transparency
Opaque
Opaque
Density
2.85-3.07 g/cm3
3.058 g/cm3
Specific Heat Capacity
Not Available
Resistance
Heat Resistant, Pressure Resistant, Wear Resistant
Heat Resistant, Impact Resistant, Wear Resistant
Deposits in Eastern Continents
Asia
Russia, Turkey
Cambodia, Russia, South Korea
Africa
Burundi, Djibouti, Eritrea, Ethiopia, Kenya, Madagascar, Rwanda, Somalia, South Africa, Sudan, Tanzania, Uganda
East Africa
Europe
Germany, Greece, Iceland, Norway, Poland
England, Germany, Hungary, Iceland, Scotland, Sweden
Others
Not Yet Found
Hawaii Islands
Deposits in Western Continents
North America
Canada, USA
USA
South America
Brazil
Not Yet Found
Deposits in Oceania Continent
Australia
South Australia, Western Australia
Victoria
Amphibolite vs Tachylite 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 Tachylite characteristics assist us to distinguish and recognize rocks. Also you can check about Properties of Amphibolite and Properties of Tachylite. Learn more about Amphibolite vs Tachylite 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 Tachylite include Decorative aggregates and Interior decoration. Due to some exceptional properties of Amphibolite and Tachylite, 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 Tachylite include Cutting tool, Knives, Landscaping, Scrapers.
More about Amphibolite and Tachylite
Here you can know more about Amphibolite and Tachylite. The life cycle of a rock consists of formation of rock, composition of rock and transformation of rock. The composition of Amphibolite and Tachylite 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 Tachylite includes Feldspar, Olivine. You can also check out the list of all Igneous Rocks. When we have to compare Amphibolite vs Tachylite, 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, Tachylite is available in black, dark brown colors. Appearance of Amphibolite is Foliated and that of Tachylite is Glassy. Properties of rock is another aspect for Amphibolite vs Tachylite. The hardness of Amphibolite is 6-7 and that of Tachylite is 5.5. The types of Amphibolite are Hornblendite whereas types of Tachylite are Not Available. 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 Tachylite is vermilion. The specific heat capacity of Amphibolite is Not Available and that of Tachylite is 0.56 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 Tachylite is heat resistant, impact resistant, wear resistant.