Definition
Blueschist is a metamorphic rock which is generally blue in color and is formed under conditions of high pressure and low temperature
Ignimbrite is a volcanic rock consisting mainly of pumice fragments, formed by the consolidation of material deposited by pyroclastic flows
Discoverer
Edgar Bailey
Patrick Marshall
Etymology
From French schiste, Greek skhistos i.e. split
From Latin ignis fire + imber, imbr- shower of rain, storm cloud + -ite
Class
Metamorphic Rocks
Igneous Rocks
Sub-Class
Durable Rock, Medium Hardness Rock
Durable Rock, Medium Hardness Rock
Group
Not Applicable
Volcanic
Other Categories
Fine Grained Rock, Medium Grained Rock, Opaque Rock
Fine Grained Rock, Opaque Rock
Texture
Foliated
Aphanitic
Color
Blue, Bluish - Grey, Purple, Shades of Blue
Beige, Black, Brown, Grey, Pink, White
Durability
Durable
Durable
Appearance
Dull and Banded
Dull, Vesicular and Foilated
Interior Uses
Floor Tiles, Flooring, Homes, Hotels, Kitchens
Decorative Aggregates, Floor Tiles, Homes, Interior Decoration
Exterior Uses
Garden Decoration, Office Buildings
As Building Stone, Garden Decoration, Office Buildings, Paving Stone
Other Architectural Uses
Not Yet Used
Curbing
Construction Industry
As Dimension Stone, Cobblestones, Rail Track Ballast, Roadstone
Building houses or walls, Construction Aggregate
Medical Industry
Not Yet Used
Not Yet Used
Antiquity Uses
Artifacts, Monuments, Sculpture
Artifacts, Monuments, Sculpture, Small Figurines
Commercial Uses
Cemetery Markers, Commemorative Tablets, Creating Artwork, Curling, Tombstones
Cemetery Markers, Commemorative Tablets, Creating Artwork
Types
Not Available
Not Available
Features
Has High structural resistance against erosion and climate, Very fine grained rock
Always found as volcanic pipes over deep continental crust
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.
Ignimbrites are formed from very poorly sorted mixture of volcanic ash or tuff and pumice lapilli, commonly with scattered lithic fragments.
Mineral Content
Albite, Chlorite, Epidote, Garnet, Glaucophane, Lawsonite, Muscovite or Illite, Quartz
Apatite, Biotite, Calcite, Chlorite, Feldspar, Hematite, Hornblade, Ilmenite, Magnetite, Olivine, Pyroxene, Quartz
Compound Content
Aluminium Oxide, CaO, Iron(III) Oxide, FeO, Potassium Oxide, MgO, MnO, Sodium Oxide, Phosphorus Pentoxide, Silicon Dioxide, Titanium Dioxide
Ca, NaCl
Types of Metamorphism
Not Applicable
Burial Metamorphism, Contact Metamorphism, Hydrothermal Metamorphism, Impact Metamorphism, Regional Metamorphism
Types of Weathering
Mechanical Weathering
Biological Weathering, Chemical Weathering
Types of Erosion
Chemical Erosion, Coastal Erosion, Water Erosion, Wind Erosion
Chemical Erosion, Coastal Erosion
Grain Size
Fine to Medium Grained
Fine Grained
Fracture
Conchoidal
Uneven
Streak
White to Grey
White
Porosity
Highly Porous
Highly Porous
Luster
Dull
Vitreous to Dull
Compressive Strength
Not Available
Cleavage
Slaty
Not Available
Toughness
1.5
Not Available
Specific Gravity
3-3.2
2.73
Transparency
Opaque
Opaque
Density
2.8-2.9 g/cm3
1-1.8 g/cm3
Specific Heat Capacity
Not Available
Resistance
Impact Resistant, Pressure Resistant
Heat Resistant, Impact Resistant, Pressure Resistant, Wear Resistant
Deposits in Eastern Continents
Asia
Japan, Turkey
Afghanistan, Armenia, Azerbaijan, Burma, Cambodia, China, India, Indonesia, Iran, Japan, Malaysia, Mongolia, Nepal, North Korea, Pakistan, Saudi Arabia, Syria, Taiwan, Thailand, Turkey, Vietnam, Yemen
Africa
Egypt, Ethiopia, South Africa
Cameroon, Cape Verde, Chad, Djibouti, Eritrea, Ethiopia, Kenya, Libya, Madagascar, Nigeria, Rwanda, South Africa, Sudan, Tanzania, Uganda
Europe
France, Greece, Iceland
France, Georgia, Germany, Greece, Iceland, Italy, Netherlands, Poland, Portugal, Spain, United Kingdom
Others
Not Yet Found
Antarctica, Hawaii Islands
Deposits in Western Continents
North America
USA
Canada, Costa Rica, Panama, USA
South America
Not Yet Found
Argentina, Bolivia, Brazil, Chile, Colombia, Ecuador
Deposits in Oceania Continent
Australia
New Zealand
Central Australia, Western Australia
Blueschist vs Ignimbrite 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 Ignimbrite characteristics assist us to distinguish and recognize rocks. Also you can check about Properties of Blueschist and Properties of Ignimbrite. Learn more about Blueschist vs Ignimbrite in the next section. The interior uses of Blueschist include Floor tiles, Flooring, Homes, Hotels and Kitchens whereas the interior uses of Ignimbrite include Decorative aggregates, Floor tiles, Homes and Interior decoration. Due to some exceptional properties of Blueschist and Ignimbrite, 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 Ignimbrite include Building houses or walls, Construction aggregate.
More about Blueschist and Ignimbrite
Here you can know more about Blueschist and Ignimbrite. The life cycle of a rock consists of formation of rock, composition of rock and transformation of rock. The composition of Blueschist and Ignimbrite 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 Ignimbrite includes Apatite, Biotite, Calcite, Chlorite, Feldspar, Hematite, Hornblade, Ilmenite, Magnetite, Olivine, Pyroxene, Quartz. You can also check out the list of all Igneous Rocks. When we have to compare Blueschist vs Ignimbrite, 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, Ignimbrite is available in beige, black, brown, grey, pink, white colors. Appearance of Blueschist is Dull and Banded and that of Ignimbrite is Dull, Vesicular and Foilated. Properties of rock is another aspect for Blueschist vs Ignimbrite. The hardness of Blueschist is 3.5-4 and that of Ignimbrite is 4-6. The types of Blueschist are Not Available whereas types of Ignimbrite 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 Ignimbrite is white. The specific heat capacity of Blueschist is Not Available and that of Ignimbrite is 0.20 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 Ignimbrite is heat resistant, impact resistant, pressure resistant, wear resistant.