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'.
Discoverer
Edgar Bailey
Unknown
Etymology
From French schiste, Greek skhistos i.e. split
From English word serpentinization.
Class
Metamorphic Rocks
Metamorphic Rocks
Sub-Class
Durable Rock, Medium Hardness Rock
Durable Rock, Medium Hardness Rock
Group
Not Applicable
Not Applicable
Other Categories
Fine Grained Rock, Medium Grained Rock, Opaque Rock
Fine Grained Rock, Opaque Rock
Color
Blue, Bluish - Grey, Purple, Shades of Blue
Black, Brown, Colourless, Green, Grey, White
Durability
Durable
Durable
Appearance
Dull and Banded
Rough and Dull
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
Not Yet Used
Curbing
Construction Industry
As Dimension Stone, Cobblestones, Rail Track Ballast, Roadstone
As Dimension Stone, Cement Manufacture, for Road Aggregate, Making natural cement
Medical Industry
Not Yet Used
Not Yet Used
Antiquity Uses
Artifacts, Monuments, Sculpture
Artifacts, Jewellery, Monuments, Sculpture
Commercial Uses
Cemetery Markers, Commemorative Tablets, Creating Artwork, Curling, Tombstones
Commemorative Tablets, Creating Artwork
Types
Not Available
Jadeitite
Features
Has High structural resistance against erosion and climate, Very fine grained rock
Host Rock for Lead
Archaeological Significance
Famous Monuments
Data Not Available
Data Not Available
Famous Sculptures
Data Not Available
Data Not Available
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.
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
Types of Metamorphism
Not Applicable
Burial Metamorphism, Cataclastic Metamorphism, Contact Metamorphism, Hydrothermal Metamorphism, Impact Metamorphism
Types of Weathering
Mechanical Weathering
Not Applicable
Types of Erosion
Chemical Erosion, Coastal Erosion, Water Erosion, Wind Erosion
Chemical Erosion, Coastal Erosion, Glacier Erosion, Sea Erosion, Wind Erosion
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
Not Available
Specific Gravity
3-3.2
2.79-3
Transparency
Opaque
Opaque
Density
2.8-2.9 g/cm3
2.5-3 g/cm3
Specific Heat Capacity
Not Available
Resistance
Impact Resistant, Pressure Resistant
Heat Resistant
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
Not Yet Found
Not Yet Found
Deposits in Western Continents
South America
Not Yet Found
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, colourless, green, grey, white colors. The commercial uses of Blueschist and Serpentinite are cemetery markers, commemorative tablets, creating artwork, curling, tombstones.