Definition
Blueschist is a metamorphic rock which is generally blue in color and is formed under conditions of high pressure and low temperature
Dolomite is a sedimentary rock containing more than 50 percent of the mineral dolomite by weight
Origin
USA
Southern Alps, France
Discoverer
Edgar Bailey
Dolomieu
Etymology
From French schiste, Greek skhistos i.e. split
From French, from the name of Dolomieu (1750–1801), the French geologist who discovered the rock
Class
Metamorphic Rocks
Sedimentary 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
Coarse Grained Rock, Fine Grained Rock, Medium Grained Rock, Opaque Rock
Color
Blue, Bluish - Grey, Purple, Shades of Blue
Black, Brown, Colourless, Green, Grey, Pink, White
Durability
Durable
Durable
Appearance
Dull and Banded
Glassy or Pearly
Interior Uses
Floor Tiles, Flooring, Homes, Hotels, Kitchens
Decorative Aggregates, Homes, Interior Decoration
Exterior Uses
Garden Decoration, Office Buildings
Garden Decoration, Office Buildings
Other Architectural Uses
Not Yet Used
Not Yet Used
Construction Industry
As Dimension Stone, Cobblestones, Rail Track Ballast, Roadstone
As a Flux in the Production of Steel and Pig Iron, As a Sintering Agent in Steel Industry to process Iron Ore, As Dimension Stone, Cement Manufacture, for Road Aggregate, Making natural cement, Manufacture of Magnesium and Dolomite Refractories, Production of Glass and Ceramics, Serves as an Oil and Gas Reservoir rock
Medical Industry
Not Yet Used
Taken as a Supplement for Calcium or Magnesium
Antiquity Uses
Artifacts, Monuments, Sculpture
Artifacts, Jewellery, Monuments, Sculpture, Small Figurines
Commercial Uses
Cemetery Markers, Commemorative Tablets, Creating Artwork, Curling, Tombstones
An Oil and Gas Reservoir, As a Feed Additive for Livestock, Gemstone, Metallurgical Flux, Production of Lime, Soil Conditioner, Source of Magnesia (MgO)
Types
Not Available
Boninite and Jasperoid
Features
Has High structural resistance against erosion and climate, Very fine grained rock
Host Rock for Lead, Traps for subsurface fluids like Oil and Natural Gas., Zinc and Copper Deposits
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.
Dolomite rocks are originally deposited as calcite or aragonite rich limestone, but during diagenesis process, the calcite or aragonite is transformed into dolomite.
Mineral Content
Albite, Chlorite, Epidote, Garnet, Glaucophane, Lawsonite, Muscovite or Illite, Quartz
Clay Minerals, Pyrite, Quartz, Sulfides
Compound Content
Aluminium Oxide, CaO, Iron(III) Oxide, FeO, Potassium Oxide, MgO, MnO, Sodium Oxide, Phosphorus Pentoxide, Silicon Dioxide, Titanium Dioxide
NaCl, CaO, Carbon Dioxide, Magnesium Carbonate, MgO
Types of Metamorphism
Not Applicable
Burial Metamorphism, Cataclastic Metamorphism, Contact Metamorphism
Types of Weathering
Mechanical Weathering
Not Applicable
Types of Erosion
Chemical Erosion, Coastal Erosion, Water Erosion, Wind Erosion
Not Applicable
Grain Size
Fine to Medium Grained
Medium to Fine Coarse Grained
Fracture
Conchoidal
Conchoidal
Streak
White to Grey
White
Porosity
Highly Porous
Less Porous
Luster
Dull
Vitreous and Pearly
Compressive Strength
Not Available
Specific Gravity
3-3.2
2.8-3
Transparency
Opaque
Transparent to Translucent
Density
2.8-2.9 g/cm3
2.8-2.9 g/cm3
Specific Heat Capacity
Not Available
Resistance
Impact Resistant, Pressure Resistant
Heat Resistant, Pressure Resistant, Wear Resistant
Deposits in Eastern Continents
Asia
Japan, Turkey
China, India
Africa
Egypt, Ethiopia, South Africa
Morocco, Namibia
Europe
France, Greece, Iceland
Austria, Italy, Romania, Spain, Switzerland
Others
Not Yet Found
Not Yet Found
Deposits in Western Continents
North America
USA
Mexico, USA
South America
Not Yet Found
Brazil, Colombia
Deposits in Oceania Continent
Australia
New Zealand
New South Wales, Queensland, Yorke Peninsula
Blueschist vs Dolomite Characteristics
Though some rocks look identical, they have certain characteristics which distinguish them from others. Characteristics of rocks include texture, appearance, color, fracture, streak, hardness etc. Blueschist vs Dolomite characteristics assist us to distinguish and recognize rocks. Also you can check about Properties of Blueschist and Properties of Dolomite. Learn more about Blueschist vs Dolomite in the next section. The interior uses of Blueschist include Floor tiles, Flooring, Homes, Hotels and Kitchens whereas the interior uses of Dolomite include Decorative aggregates, Homes and Interior decoration. Due to some exceptional properties of Blueschist and Dolomite, they have various applications in construction industry. The uses of Blueschist in construction industry include As dimension stone, Cobblestones, Rail track ballast, Roadstone and that of Dolomite include As a flux in the production of steel and pig iron, As a sintering agent in steel industry to process iron ore, As dimension stone, Cement manufacture, For road aggregate, Making natural cement, Manufacture of magnesium and dolomite refractories, Production of glass and ceramics, Serves as an oil and gas reservoir rock.
More about Blueschist and Dolomite
Here you can know more about Blueschist and Dolomite. The life cycle of a rock consists of formation of rock, composition of rock and transformation of rock. The composition of Blueschist and Dolomite consists of mineral content and compound content. The mineral content of Blueschist includes Albite, Chlorite, Epidote, Garnet, Glaucophane, Lawsonite, Muscovite or Illite, Quartz and mineral content of Dolomite includes Clay Minerals, Pyrite, Quartz, Sulfides. You can also check out the list of all Igneous Rocks. When we have to compare Blueschist vs Dolomite, the texture, color and appearance plays an important role in determining the type of rock. Blueschist is available in blue, bluish - grey, purple, shades of blue colors whereas, Dolomite is available in black, brown, colourless, green, grey, pink, white colors. Appearance of Blueschist is Dull and Banded and that of Dolomite is Glassy or Pearly. Properties of rock is another aspect for Blueschist vs Dolomite. Hardness of Blueschist and Dolomite is 3.5-4. The types of Blueschist are Not Available whereas types of Dolomite are Boninite and Jasperoid. Streak of rock is the color of powder produced when it is dragged across an unweathered surface. The streak of Blueschist is white to grey while that of Dolomite is white. The specific heat capacity of Blueschist is Not Available and that of Dolomite is 0.92 kJ/Kg K. Depending on the properties like hardness, toughness, specific heat capacity, porosity etc., rocks are resistant to heat, wear, impact, etc.Blueschist is impact resistant, pressure resistant whereas Dolomite is heat resistant, pressure resistant, wear resistant.