Blueschist

Serpentinite

Blueschist and Serpentinite

Blueschist

Serpentinite

Add ⊕

Definition

Blueschist is a metamorphic rock which is generally blue in color and is formed under conditions of high pressure and low temperature

A hydration and metamorphic transformation of ultramafic rock from the Earth's mantle is called as serpentinization, a group of minerals is formed by serpentinization compose rock 'serpentinite'.

History

Origin

USA

Discoverer

Edgar Bailey

Unknown

Etymology

From French schiste, Greek skhistos i.e. split

From English word serpentinization.

Class

Metamorphic Rocks

Sub-Class

Durable Rock, Medium Hardness Rock

Family

Group

Other Categories

Fine Grained Rock, Medium Grained Rock, Opaque Rock

Fine Grained Rock, Opaque Rock

Texture

Foliated

Earthy

Color

Blue, Bluish - Grey, Purple, Shades of Blue

Black, Brown, Green, Grey, White

Maintenance

Less

Durability

Durable

Water Resistant

✔ ✘

Scratch Resistant

✔ ✘

Stain Resistant

✔ ✘

Wind Resistant

✔ ✘

Acid Resistant

✔ ✘

Appearance

Dull and Banded

Rough and Dull

Uses

Architecture

Interior Uses

Floor Tiles, Flooring, Homes, Hotels, Kitchens

Decorative Aggregates, Interior Decoration

Exterior Uses

Garden Decoration, Office Buildings

As Building Stone, Paving Stone, Garden Decoration, Office Buildings

Other Architectural Uses

Curbing

Industry

Construction Industry

As Dimension Stone, Cobblestones, Rail Track Ballast, Roadstone

As Dimension Stone, Cement Manufacture, for Road Aggregate, Making natural cement

Medical Industry

Antiquity Uses

Artifacts, Monuments, Sculpture

Artifacts, Jewellery, Monuments, Sculpture

Other Uses

Commercial Uses

Cemetery Markers, Commemorative Tablets, Creating Artwork, Curling, Tombstones

Commemorative Tablets, Creating Artwork

Types

Metamorphic rock

Jadeitite

Features

Has High structural resistance against erosion and climate, Very fine grained rock

Host Rock for Lead

Archaeological Significance

Monuments

Famous Monuments

Sculpture

Famous Sculptures

Pictographs

Petroglyphs

Figurines

Fossils

Absent

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.

Due to change in environmental conditions, rocks are heated and pressurized deep inside the Earth's surface. Serpentinite is formed from the extreme heat caused by magma or by the intense collisions and friction of tectonic plates.

Composition

Mineral Content

Albite, Chlorite, Epidote, Garnet, Glaucophane, Lawsonite, Muscovite or Illite, Quartz

Carbonate, Magnetite, Pyrrhotite, Serpentine, Sulfides

Compound Content

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

Ca, CaO, Carbon Dioxide, KCl, MgO, Sulfur Dioxide, Sulphur

Transformation

Metamorphism

✔ ✘

Types of Metamorphism

Burial Metamorphism, Cataclastic Metamorphism, Contact Metamorphism, Hydrothermal Metamorphism, Impact Metamorphism

Weathering

✔ ✘

Types of Weathering

Mechanical Weathering

Erosion

✔ ✘

Types of Erosion

Chemical Erosion, Coastal Erosion, Water Erosion, Wind Erosion

Chemical Erosion, Coastal Erosion, Glacier Erosion, Sea Erosion, Wind Erosion

Properties

Physical Properties

Hardness

3.5-43-5

1 7

👆🏻

Grain Size

Fine to Medium Grained

Very fine-grained

Fracture

Conchoidal

Uneven

Streak

White to Grey

White, Greenish White or Grey

Porosity

Highly Porous

Less Porous

Luster

Dull

Waxy and Dull

Compressive Strength

220.00 N/mm²310.00 N/mm²

0.15 450

👆🏻

Cleavage

Slaty

Toughness

1.5

Specific Gravity

3-3.22.79-3

0 8.4

👆🏻

Transparency

Opaque

Density

2.8-2.9 g/cm³2.5-3 g/cm³

0 1400

👆🏻

Thermal Properties

Specific Heat Capacity

0.84 kJ/Kg K0.95 kJ/Kg K

0.14 3.2

👆🏻

Resistance

Impact Resistant, Pressure Resistant

Heat Resistant

Reserves

Deposits in Eastern Continents

Asia

Japan, Turkey

India, Saudi Arabia, Singapore, South Korea

Africa

Egypt, Ethiopia, South Africa

Ethiopia, Western Africa

Europe

France, Greece, Iceland

England, Georgia, Switzerland, United Kingdom

Others

Deposits in Western Continents

North America

USA

Canada

South America

Colombia

Deposits in Oceania Continent

Australia

New Zealand

Central Australia, New South Wales, New Zealand, Western Australia

All about Blueschist and Serpentinite Properties

Know all about Blueschist and Serpentinite properties here. All properties of rocks are important as they define the type of rock and its application. Blueschist and Serpentinite belong to Metamorphic Rocks.Texture of Blueschist is Foliated whereas that of Serpentinite is Earthy. Blueschist appears Dull and Banded and Serpentinite appears Rough and Dull. The luster of Blueschist is dull while that of Serpentinite is waxy and dull. Blueschist is available in blue, bluish - grey, purple, shades of blue colors whereas Serpentinite is available in black, brown, green, grey, white colors. The commercial uses of Blueschist and Serpentinite are cemetery markers, commemorative tablets, creating artwork, curling, tombstones.