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Blueschist and Pumice


Pumice 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   
Pumice is a volcanic rock that consists of highly vesicular rough textured volcanic glass, which may or may not contain crystals   

History
  
  

Origin
USA   
Spain   

Discoverer
Edgar Bailey   
Unknown   

Etymology
From French schiste, Greek skhistos i.e. split   
From Old French pomis, from a Latin dialect variant of pumex   

Class
Metamorphic Rocks   
Igneous Rocks   

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

Family
  
  

Group
Not Applicable   
Volcanic   

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

Texture

Texture
Foliated   
Vesicular   

Color
Blue, Bluish - Grey, Purple, Shades of Blue   
Beige, Colourless, Grey, Light Green, Light Grey, Pink, White, Yellow- grey   

Maintenance
Less   
Less   

Durability
Durable   
Durable   

Water Resistant
No   
Yes   

Scratch Resistant
No   
Yes   

Stain Resistant
No   
Yes   

Wind Resistant
No   
No   

Acid Resistant
No   
Yes   

Appearance
Dull and Banded   
Vesicular   

Uses

Architecture
  
  

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

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

Other Architectural Uses
Not Yet Used   
Curbing, Powder   

Industry
  
  

Construction Industry
As Dimension Stone, Cobblestones, Rail Track Ballast, Roadstone   
As Dimension Stone, Cement Manufacture, for Road Aggregate, In landscaping and horticulture, Making natural cement, Production of lightweight concrete blocks   

Medical Industry
Not Yet Used   
As an abrasive in skin exfoliating products, In Chemical and Pharmaceutical Industry, Medicines and Cosmetics   

Antiquity Uses
Artifacts, Monuments, Sculpture   
Artifacts   

Other Uses
  
  

Commercial Uses
Cemetery Markers, Commemorative Tablets, Creating Artwork, Curling, Tombstones   
As a traction material on snow-covered roads, As an abrasive in pencil erasers, Fine abrasive used for polishing, Manufacture of Soap, Solvents, Dyes, Plastics and Fibres, Used in aquariums   

Types

Types
Not Available   
Scoria   

Features
Has High structural resistance against erosion and climate, Very fine grained rock   
Host Rock for Lead   

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
Used   
Used   

Petroglyphs
Used   
Used   

Figurines
Used   
Not Yet 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.   
Pumice rock forms when the magma cools so quickly that atoms in the melt are not able to arrange themselves into a crystalline structure.   

Composition
  
  

Mineral Content
Albite, Chlorite, Epidote, Garnet, Glaucophane, Lawsonite, Muscovite or Illite, Quartz   
Aluminum Oxides, Calcite, Carbonate, Iron Oxides, Silica   

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

Transformation
  
  

Metamorphism
No   
Yes   

Types of Metamorphism
Not Applicable   
Burial Metamorphism, Impact Metamorphism   

Weathering
Yes   
Yes   

Types of Weathering
Mechanical Weathering   
Biological Weathering, Chemical Weathering, Mechanical Weathering   

Erosion
Yes   
Yes   

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

Properties

Physical Properties
  
  

Hardness
3.5-4   
6   

Grain Size
Fine to Medium Grained   
Fine Grained   

Fracture
Conchoidal   
Planar   

Streak
White to Grey   
White, Greenish White or Grey   

Porosity
Highly Porous   
Highly Porous   

Luster
Dull   
Earthy   

Compressive Strength
Not Available   
51.20 N/mm2   
26

Cleavage
Slaty   
Perfect   

Toughness
1.5   
3   

Specific Gravity
3-3.2   
2.86   

Transparency
Opaque   
Opaque   

Density
2.8-2.9 g/cm3   
0.25-0.3 g/cm3   

Thermal Properties
  
  

Specific Heat Capacity
Not Available   
0.87 kJ/Kg K   
14

Resistance
Impact Resistant, Pressure Resistant   
Impact Resistant, Pressure Resistant   

Reserves

Deposits in Eastern Continents
  
  

Asia
Japan, Turkey   
Afghanistan, Indonesia, Japan, Russia   

Africa
Egypt, Ethiopia, South Africa   
Ethiopia, Kenya, Tanzania   

Europe
France, Greece, Iceland   
Greece, Hungary, Iceland, Italy, Turkey   

Others
Not Yet Found   
Not Yet Found   

Deposits in Western Continents
  
  

North America
USA   
Bahamas, Barbados, Canada, Costa Rica, Cuba, Jamaica, Mexico, USA   

South America
Not Yet Found   
Argentina, Chile, Ecuador, Peru   

Deposits in Oceania Continent
  
  

Australia
New Zealand   
New Zealand, Western Australia   

Summary >>
<< Reserves

All about Blueschist and Pumice Properties

Know all about Blueschist and Pumice properties here. All properties of rocks are important as they define the type of rock and its application. Blueschist belongs to Metamorphic Rocks while Pumice belongs to Igneous Rocks.Texture of Blueschist is Foliated whereas that of Pumice is Vesicular. Blueschist appears Dull and Banded and Pumice appears Vesicular. The luster of Blueschist is dull while that of Pumice is earthy. Blueschist is available in blue, bluish - grey, purple, shades of blue colors whereas Pumice is available in beige, colourless, grey, light green, light grey, pink, white, yellow- grey colors. The commercial uses of Blueschist are cemetery markers, commemorative tablets, creating artwork, curling, tombstones and that of Pumice are as a traction material on snow-covered roads, as an abrasive in pencil erasers, fine abrasive used for polishing, manufacture of soap, solvents, dyes, plastics and fibres, used in aquariums.

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