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Blueschist and Diabase


Diabase and Blueschist


Definition

Definition
Blueschist is a metamorphic rock which is generally blue in color and is formed under conditions of high pressure and low temperature   
Diabase is a fine-grained igneous rock which is composed mostly of pyroxene and feldspar   

History
  
  

Origin
USA   
Germany   

Discoverer
Edgar Bailey   
Christian Leopold von Buch   

Etymology
From French schiste, Greek skhistos i.e. split   
From Greek di + base   

Class
Metamorphic Rocks   
Igneous Rocks   

Sub-Class
Durable Rock, Medium Hardness Rock   
Durable Rock, Hard Rock   

Family
  
  

Group
Not Applicable   
Volcanic   

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

Texture

Texture
Foliated   
Aphanitic, Granular   

Color
Blue, Bluish - Grey, Purple, Shades of Blue   
Dark Grey to Black   

Maintenance
Less   
Less   

Durability
Durable   
Durable   

Water Resistant
No   
Yes   

Scratch Resistant
No   
Yes   

Stain Resistant
No   
Yes   

Wind Resistant
No   
Yes   

Acid Resistant
No   
Yes   

Appearance
Dull and Banded   
Vesicular   

Uses

Architecture
  
  

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

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

Other Architectural Uses
Not Yet Used   
Curbing   

Industry
  
  

Construction Industry
As Dimension Stone, Cobblestones, Rail Track Ballast, Roadstone   
As Dimension Stone, Building houses or walls, Cement Manufacture, Construction Aggregate, for Road Aggregate   

Medical Industry
Not Yet Used   
Not Yet Used   

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

Other Uses
  
  

Commercial Uses
Cemetery Markers, Commemorative Tablets, Creating Artwork, Curling, Tombstones   
An Oil and Gas Reservoir, Cemetery Markers, Commemorative Tablets, Laboratory bench tops, Jewelry, Sea Defence, Tombstones   

Types

Types
Not Available   
Not Available   

Features
Has High structural resistance against erosion and climate, Very fine grained rock   
Smooth to touch   

Archaeological Significance
  
  

Monuments
Used   
Used   

Famous Monuments
Data Not Available   
Stonehenge in English county of Wiltshire   

Sculpture
Used   
Used   

Famous Sculptures
Data Not Available   
Data Not Available   

Pictographs
Used   
Not Used   

Petroglyphs
Used   
Not Used   

Figurines
Used   
Used   

Fossils
Absent   
Absent   

Formation

Formation
Blueschist forms due to the metamorphism of basalt and other rocks with similar composition at high pressures and low temperatures and approximately corresponding to a depth of 15 to 30 kilometers and 200 to 500 °C.   
Diabase forms when molten igneous rock is squeezed up into a vertical crack in other rocks, the crack is usually forced apart and the molten rock cools in the space to form a tabular igneous intrusion cutting across the surrounding rocks and is known as a dike.   

Composition
  
  

Mineral Content
Albite, Chlorite, Epidote, Garnet, Glaucophane, Lawsonite, Muscovite or Illite, Quartz   
Augite, Chlorite, Olivine, Plagioclase, Pyroxene, Pyrrhotite, Serpentine   

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

Transformation
  
  

Metamorphism
No   
Yes   

Types of Metamorphism
Not Applicable   
Burial Metamorphism, Cataclastic Metamorphism, Contact Metamorphism, Regional Metamorphism   

Weathering
Yes   
Yes   

Types of Weathering
Mechanical Weathering   
Biological Weathering, Chemical Weathering   

Erosion
Yes   
Yes   

Types of Erosion
Chemical Erosion, Coastal Erosion, Water Erosion, Wind Erosion   
Chemical Erosion, Coastal Erosion, Water Erosion   

Properties

Physical Properties
  
  

Hardness
3.5-4   
7   

Grain Size
Fine to Medium Grained   
Fine to Medium Grained   

Fracture
Conchoidal   
Conchoidal   

Streak
White to Grey   
Black   

Porosity
Highly Porous   
Highly Porous   

Luster
Dull   
Not Available   

Compressive Strength
Not Available   
225.00 N/mm2   
7

Cleavage
Slaty   
Not Available   

Toughness
1.5   
1.6   

Specific Gravity
3-3.2   
2.86-2.87   

Transparency
Opaque   
Opaque   

Density
2.8-2.9 g/cm3   
2.7-3.3 g/cm3   

Thermal Properties
  
  

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

Reserves

Deposits in Eastern Continents
  
  

Asia
Japan, Turkey   
India   

Africa
Egypt, Ethiopia, South Africa   
South Africa, Tanzania   

Europe
France, Greece, Iceland   
Germany, Greece, Italy, Scotland, Turkey   

Others
Not Yet Found   
Antarctica, Greenland   

Deposits in Western Continents
  
  

North America
USA   
Canada, USA   

South America
Not Yet Found   
Argentina, Brazil, Colombia, Venezuela   

Deposits in Oceania Continent
  
  

Australia
New Zealand   
Central Australia, New Zealand, Queensland, Western Australia   

Summary >>
<< Reserves

All about Blueschist and Diabase Properties

Know all about Blueschist and Diabase properties here. All properties of rocks are important as they define the type of rock and its application. Blueschist belongs to Metamorphic Rocks while Diabase belongs to Igneous Rocks.Texture of Blueschist is Foliated whereas that of Diabase is Aphanitic, Granular. Blueschist appears Dull and Banded and Diabase appears Vesicular. The luster of Blueschist is dull while that of Diabase is not available. Blueschist is available in blue, bluish - grey, purple, shades of blue colors whereas Diabase is available in dark grey to black colors. The commercial uses of Blueschist are cemetery markers, commemorative tablets, creating artwork, curling, tombstones and that of Diabase are an oil and gas reservoir, cemetery markers, commemorative tablets, laboratory bench tops, jewelry, sea defence, tombstones.

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