Definition
Blueschist is a metamorphic rock which is generally blue in color and is formed under conditions of high pressure and low temperature
Phyllite is a fine-grained metamorphic rock with a well-developed laminar structure, and is intermediate between slate and schist rocks
Discoverer
Edgar Bailey
Unknown
Etymology
From French schiste, Greek skhistos i.e. split
From Greek phullon leaf + -ite1
Class
Metamorphic Rocks
Metamorphic Rocks
Sub-Class
Durable Rock, Medium Hardness Rock
Durable Rock, Soft Rock
Other Categories
Fine Grained Rock, Medium Grained Rock, Opaque Rock
Coarse Grained Rock, Fine Grained Rock, Medium Grained Rock, Opaque Rock
Texture
Foliated
Phyllitic Sheen, Slaty
Color
Blue, Bluish - Grey, Purple, Shades of Blue
Black to Grey, Light Greenish Grey
Durability
Durable
Durable
Appearance
Dull and Banded
Crinkled or Wavy
Interior Uses
Floor Tiles, Flooring, Homes, Hotels, Kitchens
Decorative Aggregates, Floor Tiles, Homes, Interior Decoration
Exterior Uses
Garden Decoration, Office Buildings
As Building Stone, As Facing Stone, Garden Decoration
Other Architectural Uses
-
Curbing
Construction Industry
As Dimension Stone, Cobblestones, Rail Track Ballast, Roadstone
As Dimension Stone, Building houses or walls, Cement Manufacture, Construction Aggregate, for Road Aggregate, Raw material for the manufacture of mortar, Roadstone
Antiquity Uses
Artifacts, Monuments, Sculpture
Artifacts, Sculpture
Commercial Uses
Cemetery Markers, Commemorative Tablets, Creating Artwork, Curling, Tombstones
Cemetery Markers, Commemorative Tablets, Creating Artwork, Writing Slates
Types
Metamorphic rock
Phyllite
Features
Has High structural resistance against erosion and climate, Very fine grained rock
Easily splits into thin plates, Is one of the oldest rock, Surfaces are often shiny
Archaeological Significance
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.
Phyllite is a metamorphic rock which is formed by regional metamorphism of argillaceous sediments since their cleavage arose due to deviatoric stress.
Mineral Content
Albite, Chlorite, Epidote, Garnet, Glaucophane, Lawsonite, Muscovite or Illite, Quartz
Albite, Alusite, Amphibole, Apatite, Biotite, Chlorite, Epidote, Feldspar, Garnet, Graphite, Hornblade, Kyanite, Micas, Muscovite or Illite, Porphyroblasts, Quartz, Sillimanite, Staurolite, Talc, Zircon
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
Types of Metamorphism
-
-
Types of Weathering
Mechanical Weathering
Biological Weathering, Chemical Weathering, Mechanical Weathering
Types of Erosion
Chemical Erosion, Coastal Erosion, Water Erosion, Wind Erosion
Chemical Erosion, Coastal Erosion, Glacier Erosion, Water Erosion, Wind Erosion
Grain Size
Fine to Medium Grained
Medium to Fine Coarse Grained
Fracture
Conchoidal
Conchoidal
Streak
White to Grey
White
Porosity
Highly Porous
Highly Porous
Cleavage
Slaty
Crenulation and Pervasive
Specific Gravity
3-3.2
2.72-2.73
Transparency
Opaque
Opaque
Density
2.8-2.9 g/cm3
2.18-3.3 g/cm3
Resistance
Impact Resistant, Pressure Resistant
Heat Resistant, Pressure Resistant, Water Resistant
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
Deposits in Western Continents
North America
USA
Canada, Costa Rica, Cuba, Mexico, Panama, USA
South America
-
Brazil, Colombia, Guyana
Deposits in Oceania Continent
Australia
New Zealand
New South Wales, New Zealand, Queensland
Blueschist vs Phyllite 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 Phyllite characteristics assist us to distinguish and recognize rocks. Also you can check about Properties of Blueschist and Properties of Phyllite. Learn more about Blueschist vs Phyllite in the next section. The interior uses of Blueschist include Floor tiles, Flooring, Homes, Hotels and Kitchens whereas the interior uses of Phyllite include Decorative aggregates, Floor tiles, Homes and Interior decoration. Due to some exceptional properties of Blueschist and Phyllite, 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 Phyllite include As dimension stone, Building houses or walls, Cement manufacture, Construction aggregate, For road aggregate, Raw material for the manufacture of mortar, Roadstone.
More about Blueschist and Phyllite
Here you can know more about Blueschist and Phyllite. The life cycle of a rock consists of formation of rock, composition of rock and transformation of rock. The composition of Blueschist and Phyllite 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 Phyllite includes Albite, Alusite, Amphibole, Apatite, Biotite, Chlorite, Epidote, Feldspar, Garnet, Graphite, Hornblade, Kyanite, Micas, Muscovite or Illite, Porphyroblasts, Quartz, Sillimanite, Staurolite, Talc, Zircon. You can also check out the list of all Igneous Rocks. When we have to compare Blueschist vs Phyllite, 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, Phyllite is available in black to grey, light greenish grey colors. Appearance of Blueschist is Dull and Banded and that of Phyllite is Crinkled or Wavy. Properties of rock is another aspect for Blueschist vs Phyllite. The hardness of Blueschist is 3.5-4 and that of Phyllite is 1-2. The types of Blueschist are Metamorphic rock whereas types of Phyllite are Phyllite. 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 Phyllite is white. The specific heat capacity of Blueschist is 0.84 kJ/Kg K and that of Phyllite is 0.79 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 Phyllite is heat resistant, pressure resistant, water resistant.