Definition
Amphibolite can be defined as a granular metamorphic rock which mainly consist of hornblende and plagioclase
A carbonate rock which is matrix supported and contains over 10% allochems in a carbonate mud matrix.
History
Origin
-
-
Discoverer
Alexandre Brongniart
Unknown
Etymology
From Amphibole + -ite
From the English mud and stone, from low German mudde and stainaz
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
Banded, Foliated, Massive
Clastic
Color
Black, Brown, Green, Grey
Black, Blue, Brown, Green, Grey, Orange, Red, White, Yellow
Maintenance
Less
Less
Durability
Durable
Durable
Water Resistant
✔
✘
✔
✘
Scratch Resistant
✔
✘
✔
✘
Stain Resistant
✔
✘
✔
✘
Wind Resistant
✔
✘
✔
✘
Acid Resistant
✔
✘
✔
✘
Appearance
Foliated
Rough and Dull
Architecture
Interior Uses
Countertops, Decorative Aggregates, Entryways, Floor Tiles, Flooring, Homes, Hotels, Kitchens
Decorative Aggregates, Flooring, Interior Decoration
Exterior Uses
As Building Stone, As Facing Stone, Paving Stone, Office Buildings
As Facing Stone, Garden Decoration, Roof Tiles
Other Architectural Uses
Curbing
Curbing
Industry
Construction Industry
As Dimension Stone, Building houses or walls, Cobblestones, Construction Aggregate, for Road Aggregate, Landscaping, Production of Glass and Ceramics, Roadstone
Cement Manufacture, Construction Aggregate, for Road Aggregate, Making natural cement, Raw material for the manufacture of mortar
Medical Industry
-
-
Antiquity Uses
Artifacts, Sculpture, Small Figurines
Artifacts, Sculpture
Other Uses
Commercial Uses
Cemetery Markers, Commemorative Tablets, Creating Artwork
Cemetery Markers, Pottery
Types
Hornblendite
Marl, Shale and Argillite
Features
Clasts are smooth to touch, Matrix variable, Surfaces are often shiny
Available in Lots of Colors and Patterns, Smooth to touch, Very fine grained rock
Archaeological Significance
Monuments
-
-
Famous Monuments
-
-
Sculpture
-
-
Famous Sculptures
-
-
Pictographs
-
-
Petroglyphs
-
-
Figurines
-
-
Fossils
Absent
Present
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.
Wackestone is a type of sedimentary rock formed when a river carries or transports pieces of broken rock as it flows. These particles settle down and are then compacted due to high temperature and pressure hence forming Wackestone.
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
Aluminium Oxide, NaCl, CaO, Iron(III) Oxide, Silicon Dioxide
Transformation
Metamorphism
✔
✘
✔
✘
Types of Metamorphism
-
-
Weathering
✔
✘
✔
✘
Types of Weathering
Chemical Weathering, Mechanical Weathering
Biological Weathering, Chemical Weathering, Mechanical Weathering
Erosion
✔
✘
✔
✘
Types of Erosion
Chemical Erosion, Glacier Erosion, Sea Erosion, Wind Erosion
Chemical Erosion, Sea Erosion, Wind Erosion
Physical Properties
Hardness
6-72-3
1
7
👆🏻
Grain Size
Medium to Coarse Grained
Very fine-grained
Fracture
Irregular to Conchoidal
Conchoidal
Streak
White to Grey
White
Porosity
Less Porous
Highly Porous
Luster
Vitreous to Dull
Dull
Compressive Strength
90.00 N/mm2225.00 N/mm2
0.15
450
👆🏻
Cleavage
-
Perfect
Toughness
2.3
2.6
Specific Gravity
2.52.2-2.8
0
8.4
👆🏻
Transparency
Opaque
Opaque
Density
2.85-3.07 g/cm32.4-2.8 g/cm3
0
1400
👆🏻
Thermal Properties
Specific Heat Capacity
0.84 kJ/Kg K0.39 kJ/Kg K
0.14
3.2
👆🏻
Resistance
Heat Resistant, Pressure Resistant, Wear Resistant
Heat Resistant, Impact Resistant
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