Definition
Blueschist is a metamorphic rock which is generally blue in color and is formed under conditions of high pressure and low temperature
Icelandite belongs to volcanic igneous rocks which is rich in iron and belongs to andesite rock
History
Origin
USA
Iceland
Discoverer
Edgar Bailey
Ian S. E. Carmichael
Etymology
From French schiste, Greek skhistos i.e. split
From its origin place near Cenozoic volcano near the parsonage Þingmúli in East Iceland
Class
Metamorphic Rocks
Igneous Rocks
Sub-Class
Durable Rock, Medium Hardness Rock
Durable Rock, Hard Rock
Family
Group
-
Volcanic
Other Categories
Fine Grained Rock, Medium Grained Rock, Opaque Rock
Fine Grained Rock, Opaque Rock
Texture
Foliated
Aphanitic to Porphyritic
Color
Blue, Bluish - Grey, Purple, Shades of Blue
Bluish - Grey, Grey, Pink, Yellow
Maintenance
Less
More
Durability
Durable
Durable
Water Resistant
✔
✘
✔
✘
Scratch Resistant
✔
✘
✔
✘
Stain Resistant
✔
✘
✔
✘
Wind Resistant
✔
✘
✔
✘
Acid Resistant
✔
✘
✔
✘
Appearance
Dull and Banded
Dull and Soft
Architecture
Interior Uses
Floor Tiles, Flooring, Homes, Hotels, Kitchens
Decorative Aggregates, Floor Tiles, Homes, Interior Decoration, Kitchens
Exterior Uses
Garden Decoration, Office Buildings
Office Buildings, Roof Tiles
Other Architectural Uses
-
Curbing
Industry
Construction Industry
As Dimension Stone, Cobblestones, Rail Track Ballast, Roadstone
Cobblestones, Construction Aggregate, for Road Aggregate
Medical Industry
-
-
Antiquity Uses
Artifacts, Monuments, Sculpture
Artifacts, Jewellery, Sculpture, Small Figurines
Other Uses
Commercial Uses
Cemetery Markers, Commemorative Tablets, Creating Artwork, Curling, Tombstones
Cemetery Markers, Creating Artwork
Types
Metamorphic rock
Intermediate volcanic rock
Features
Has High structural resistance against erosion and climate, Very fine grained rock
Generally rough to touch, High silica content, Is one of the oldest rock
Archaeological Significance
Monuments
-
-
Famous Monuments
-
-
Sculpture
-
-
Famous Sculptures
-
-
Pictographs
-
-
Petroglyphs
-
-
Figurines
-
-
Fossils
Absent
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.
Icelandite is a fine-grained, hard rock which is a type of metasomatite, essentially altered basalt. It forms with or without crystallization, either below the surface as intrusive rocks or on the surface as extrusive rocks.
Composition
Mineral Content
Albite, Chlorite, Epidote, Garnet, Glaucophane, Lawsonite, Muscovite or Illite, Quartz
Amphibole, Apatite, Biotite, Feldspar, Garnet, Hornblade, Ilmenite, Magnetite, Plagioclase, Pyroxene, Quartz, Zircon
Compound Content
Aluminium Oxide, CaO, Iron(III) Oxide, FeO, Potassium Oxide, MgO, MnO, Sodium Oxide, Phosphorus Pentoxide, Silicon Dioxide, Titanium Dioxide
Silicon Dioxide
Transformation
Metamorphism
✔
✘
✔
✘
Types of Metamorphism
-
Burial Metamorphism, Cataclastic Metamorphism, Contact Metamorphism, Hydrothermal Metamorphism, Impact Metamorphism, Regional Metamorphism
Weathering
✔
✘
✔
✘
Types of Weathering
Mechanical Weathering
Biological Weathering
Erosion
✔
✘
✔
✘
Types of Erosion
Chemical Erosion, Coastal Erosion, Water Erosion, Wind Erosion
Chemical Erosion, Coastal Erosion, Sea Erosion, Water Erosion, Wind Erosion
Physical Properties
Hardness
3.5-47
1
7
👆🏻
Grain Size
Fine to Medium Grained
Very fine-grained
Fracture
Conchoidal
Uneven
Streak
White to Grey
White
Porosity
Highly Porous
Less Porous
Luster
Dull
Vitreous
Compressive Strength
220.00 N/mm2200.00 N/mm2
0.15
450
👆🏻
Cleavage
Slaty
-
Toughness
1.5
1.1
Specific Gravity
3-3.22.5-2.8
0
8.4
👆🏻
Transparency
Opaque
Opaque
Density
2.8-2.9 g/cm32.11-2.36 g/cm3
0
1400
👆🏻
Thermal Properties
Specific Heat Capacity
0.84 kJ/Kg K2.39 kJ/Kg K
0.14
3.2
👆🏻
Resistance
Impact Resistant, Pressure Resistant
Heat Resistant, Pressure Resistant, Scratch Resistant, Wear Resistant
Deposits in Eastern Continents
Asia
Japan, Turkey
India, Indonesia, Japan, Nepal, South Korea
Africa
Egypt, Ethiopia, South Africa
Egypt, Ethiopia, Morocco, Namibia, South Africa, Tanzania
Europe
France, Greece, Iceland
Austria, Finland, Germany, Italy, Romania, Turkey, United Kingdom
Others
-
-
Deposits in Western Continents
North America
USA
Mexico, USA
South America
-
Argentina, Bolivia, Chile, Colombia, Ecuador, Peru, Venezuela
Deposits in Oceania Continent
Australia
New Zealand
New South Wales, New Zealand, Western Australia