Definition
Blueschist is a metamorphic rock which is generally blue in color and is formed under conditions of high pressure and low temperature
Oolite is a sedimentary rock formed from ooids, spherical grains which are composed of concentric layers of calcite
Discoverer
Edgar Bailey
William Smith
Etymology
From French schiste, Greek skhistos i.e. split
From oo- + -lite, after German Oolit. A rock consisting of fine grains of carbonate of lime
Class
Metamorphic Rocks
Sedimentary Rocks
Sub-Class
Durable Rock, Medium Hardness Rock
Durable Rock, Medium Hardness Rock
Other Categories
Fine Grained Rock, Medium Grained Rock, Opaque Rock
Fine Grained Rock, Opaque Rock
Texture
Foliated
Clastic or Non-Clastic
Color
Blue, Bluish - Grey, Purple, Shades of Blue
Black, Blue, Brown, Cream, Green, Grey, Pink, Red, Silver, White, Yellow
Durability
Durable
Durable
Appearance
Dull and Banded
Rounded and Rough
Interior Uses
Floor Tiles, Flooring, Homes, Hotels, Kitchens
Decorative Aggregates, Flooring, Interior Decoration
Exterior Uses
Garden Decoration, Office Buildings
As Building Stone, As Facing Stone, Garden Decoration, Paving Stone
Other Architectural Uses
-
-
Construction Industry
As Dimension Stone, Cobblestones, Rail Track Ballast, Roadstone
Cement Manufacture, Cobblestones, Landscaping
Antiquity Uses
Artifacts, Monuments, Sculpture
Artifacts
Commercial Uses
Cemetery Markers, Commemorative Tablets, Creating Artwork, Curling, Tombstones
Creating Artwork, Jewelry, Used in aquariums
Types
Metamorphic rock
Pisolitic Oolite and Oncolitic Oolite
Features
Has High structural resistance against erosion and climate, Very fine grained rock
Available in lots of colors, Generally rough to touch, Very fine grained rock
Archaeological Significance
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.
Oolites form when layers of calcite are deposited around a sand grain or fossil piece and are rolled around in calm water, which makes them round.
Mineral Content
Albite, Chlorite, Epidote, Garnet, Glaucophane, Lawsonite, Muscovite or Illite, Quartz
Calcite, Chert, Clay, Dolomite, Quartz, Sand, Silt
Compound Content
Aluminium Oxide, CaO, Iron(III) Oxide, FeO, Potassium Oxide, MgO, MnO, Sodium Oxide, Phosphorus Pentoxide, Silicon Dioxide, Titanium Dioxide
Aluminium Oxide, Ca, NaCl, CaO, Iron(III) Oxide, FeO, MgO
Types of Metamorphism
-
-
Types of Weathering
Mechanical Weathering
Biological Weathering, Chemical Weathering, Mechanical Weathering
Types of Erosion
Chemical Erosion, Coastal Erosion, Water Erosion, Wind Erosion
Chemical Erosion, Coastal Erosion
Grain Size
Fine to Medium Grained
Fine Grained
Fracture
Conchoidal
Conchoidal
Streak
White to Grey
White
Porosity
Highly Porous
Less Porous
Luster
Dull
Pearly to Shiny
Specific Gravity
3-3.2
-9999
Transparency
Opaque
Opaque
Density
2.8-2.9 g/cm3
-9999 g/cm3
Resistance
Impact Resistant, Pressure Resistant
Heat Resistant, Wear Resistant
Deposits in Eastern Continents
Asia
Japan, Turkey
Brunei, India, Indonesia, Malaysia, Singapore, Thailand, Vietnam
Africa
Egypt, Ethiopia, South Africa
Cameroon, Chad, Ghana, Kenya, Malawi, Sudan, Tanzania, Togo, Zambia, Zimbabwe
Europe
France, Greece, Iceland
United Kingdom
Deposits in Western Continents
Deposits in Oceania Continent
Australia
New Zealand
Adelaide, New Zealand, Queensland, Victoria, Yorke Peninsula
All about Blueschist and Oolite Properties
Know all about Blueschist and Oolite properties here. All properties of rocks are important as they define the type of rock and its application. Blueschist belongs to Metamorphic Rocks while Oolite belongs to Sedimentary Rocks.Texture of Blueschist is Foliated whereas that of Oolite is Clastic or Non-Clastic. Blueschist appears Dull and Banded and Oolite appears Rounded and Rough. The luster of Blueschist is dull while that of Oolite is pearly to shiny. Blueschist is available in blue, bluish - grey, purple, shades of blue colors whereas Oolite is available in black, blue, brown, cream, green, grey, pink, red, silver, white, yellow colors. The commercial uses of Blueschist are cemetery markers, commemorative tablets, creating artwork, curling, tombstones and that of Oolite are creating artwork, jewelry, used in aquariums.