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Blueschist vs Greenschist


Greenschist vs 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   
Greenschist is a metamorphic rock that is formed under lowest temperatures and pressures and is usually produced by regional metamorphism   

History
  
  

Origin
USA   
Unknown   

Discoverer
Edgar Bailey   
Unknown   

Etymology
From French schiste, Greek skhistos i.e. split   
From minerals such as chlorite, serpentine, and epidote, and platy minerals such as muscovite and platy serpentine which are green in color   

Class
Metamorphic Rocks   
Metamorphic Rocks   

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

Family
  
  

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   

Texture

Texture
Foliated   
Foliated, Platy   

Color
Blue, Bluish - Grey, Purple, Shades of Blue   
Dark Greenish - Grey, Green   

Maintenance
Less   
Less   

Durability
Durable   
Durable   

Water Resistant
No   
Yes   

Scratch Resistant
No   
Yes   

Stain Resistant
No   
No   

Wind Resistant
No   
No   

Acid Resistant
No   
No   

Appearance
Dull and Banded   
Layered and Shiny   

Uses

Architecture
  
  

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

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

Other Architectural Uses
Not Yet Used   
Curbing   

Industry
  
  

Construction Industry
As Dimension Stone, Cobblestones, Rail Track Ballast, Roadstone   
As Dimension Stone, Building houses or walls, Cement Manufacture, Cutting Tool, for Road Aggregate, Roadstone   

Medical Industry
Not Yet Used   
Not Yet Used   

Antiquity Uses
Artifacts, Monuments, Sculpture   
Artifacts   

Other Uses
  
  

Commercial Uses
Cemetery Markers, Commemorative Tablets, Creating Artwork, Curling, Tombstones   
Blackboards, Manufacture of tools, Writing Slates   

Types

Types
Not Available   
Not Available   

Features
Has High structural resistance against erosion and climate, Very fine grained rock   
Easily splits into thin plates, Smooth to touch   

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.   
Greenschist is medium grade metamorphic rock, formed by the metamorphosis of mudstone or shale, or some types of igneous rock, when it is subjected to higher temperatures and pressures.   

Composition
  
  

Mineral Content
Albite, Chlorite, Epidote, Garnet, Glaucophane, Lawsonite, Muscovite or Illite, Quartz   
Alusite, Amphibole, Biotite, Chlorite, Epidote, Feldspar, Garnet, Graphite, Hornblade, Kyanite, Micas, Muscovite or Illite, Porphyroblasts, Quartz, Serpentine, Sillimanite, Staurolite, Talc   

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

Transformation
  
  

Metamorphism
No   
No   

Types of Metamorphism
Not Applicable   
Not Applicable   

Weathering
Yes   
Yes   

Types of Weathering
Mechanical Weathering   
Biological Weathering, Chemical Weathering   

Erosion
Yes   
Yes   

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

Properties

Physical Properties
  
  

Hardness
3.5-4   
3.5-4   

Grain Size
Fine to Medium Grained   
Medium to Fine Coarse Grained   

Fracture
Conchoidal   
Conchoidal   

Streak
White to Grey   
White   

Porosity
Highly Porous   
Highly Porous   

Luster
Dull   
Shiny   

Cleavage
Slaty   
Slaty   

Toughness
1.5   
1.5   

Specific Gravity
3-3.2   
2.5-2.9   

Transparency
Opaque   
Opaque   

Density
2.8-2.9 g/cm3   
2.8-2.9 g/cm3   

Thermal Properties
  
  

Resistance
Impact Resistant, Pressure Resistant   
Impact Resistant, Pressure Resistant, Water Resistant   

Reserves

Deposits in Eastern Continents
  
  

Asia
Japan, Turkey   
Afghanistan, Bangladesh, Bhutan, China, India, Japan, Kazakhstan, Malaysia, Pakistan, Russia, Thailand, Turkey, Vietnam   

Africa
Egypt, Ethiopia, South Africa   
Egypt, Ethiopia, Morocco, Nigeria, South Africa   

Europe
France, Greece, Iceland   
Austria, England, France, Georgia, Germany, Italy, Liechtenstein, Monaco, Norway, Slovenia, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland   

Others
Not Yet Found   
Not Yet Found   

Deposits in Western Continents
  
  

North America
USA   
Canada, Costa Rica, Cuba, Mexico, Panama, USA   

South America
Not Yet Found   
Brazil, Colombia, Guyana   

Deposits in Oceania Continent
  
  

Australia
New Zealand   
New South Wales, New Zealand, Queensland   

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Blueschist vs Greenschist Information

Earth’s outer layer is covered by rocks and these rocks have different physical and chemical properties. As two rocks are not same, it’s fun to compare them. You can also know more about Blueschist and Greenschist Reserves. Blueschist is a metamorphic rock which is generally blue in color and is formed under conditions of high pressure and low temperature. Greenschist is a metamorphic rock that is formed under lowest temperatures and pressures and is usually produced by regional metamorphism. These rocks are composed of many distinct minerals. The process of formation of rocks is different for various rocks. Rocks are quarried from many years for various purposes. You can check out Blueschist vs Greenschist information and Blueschist vs Greenschist characteristics in the upcoming sections.

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Blueschist vs Greenschist 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 Greenschist characteristics assist us to distinguish and recognize rocks. Also you can check about Properties of Blueschist and Properties of Greenschist. Learn more about Blueschist vs Greenschist in the next section. The interior uses of Blueschist include Floor tiles, Flooring, Homes, Hotels and Kitchens whereas the interior uses of Greenschist include Bathrooms, Countertops, Decorative aggregates, Entryways, Homes and Interior decoration. Due to some exceptional properties of Blueschist and Greenschist, 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 Greenschist include As dimension stone, Building houses or walls, Cement manufacture, Cutting tool, For road aggregate, Roadstone.

More about Blueschist and Greenschist

Here you can know more about Blueschist and Greenschist. The life cycle of a rock consists of formation of rock, composition of rock and transformation of rock. The composition of Blueschist and Greenschist 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 Greenschist includes Alusite, Amphibole, Biotite, Chlorite, Epidote, Feldspar, Garnet, Graphite, Hornblade, Kyanite, Micas, Muscovite or Illite, Porphyroblasts, Quartz, Serpentine, Sillimanite, Staurolite, Talc. You can also check out the list of all Igneous Rocks. When we have to compare Blueschist vs Greenschist, 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, Greenschist is available in dark greenish - grey, green colors. Appearance of Blueschist is Dull and Banded and that of Greenschist is Layered and Shiny. Properties of rock is another aspect for Blueschist vs Greenschist. Hardness of Blueschist and Greenschist is 3.5-4. The types of Blueschist are Not Available whereas types of Greenschist are Not Available. 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 Greenschist is white. The specific heat capacity of Blueschist is Not Available and that of Greenschist is Not Available. 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 Greenschist is impact resistant, pressure resistant, water resistant.

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