Definition
Blueschist is a metamorphic rock which is generally blue in color and is formed under conditions of high pressure and low temperature
Pumice is a volcanic rock that consists of highly vesicular rough textured volcanic glass, which may or may not contain crystals
Discoverer
Edgar Bailey
Unknown
Etymology
From French schiste, Greek skhistos i.e. split
From Old French pomis, from a Latin dialect variant of pumex
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
Vesicular
Color
Blue, Bluish - Grey, Purple, Shades of Blue
Beige, Colourless, Grey, Light Green, Light Grey, Pink, White, Yellow- grey
Durability
Durable
Durable
Appearance
Dull and Banded
Vesicular
Interior Uses
Floor Tiles, Flooring, Homes, Hotels, Kitchens
Decorative Aggregates, Flooring, Homes, Interior Decoration
Exterior Uses
Garden Decoration, Office Buildings
As Building Stone, As Facing Stone, Garden Decoration, Paving Stone
Other Architectural Uses
Not Yet Used
Curbing, Powder
Construction Industry
As Dimension Stone, Cobblestones, Rail Track Ballast, Roadstone
As Dimension Stone, Cement Manufacture, for Road Aggregate, In landscaping and horticulture, Making natural cement, Production of lightweight concrete blocks
Medical Industry
Not Yet Used
As an abrasive in skin exfoliating products, In Chemical and Pharmaceutical Industry, Medicines and Cosmetics
Antiquity Uses
Artifacts, Monuments, Sculpture
Artifacts
Commercial Uses
Cemetery Markers, Commemorative Tablets, Creating Artwork, Curling, Tombstones
As a traction material on snow-covered roads, As an abrasive in pencil erasers, Fine abrasive used for polishing, Manufacture of Soap, Solvents, Dyes, Plastics and Fibres, Used in aquariums
Types
Not Available
Scoria
Features
Has High structural resistance against erosion and climate, Very fine grained rock
Host Rock for Lead
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
Figurines
Used
Not Yet Used
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.
Pumice rock forms when the magma cools so quickly that atoms in the melt are not able to arrange themselves into a crystalline structure.
Mineral Content
Albite, Chlorite, Epidote, Garnet, Glaucophane, Lawsonite, Muscovite or Illite, Quartz
Aluminum Oxides, Calcite, Carbonate, Iron Oxides, Silica
Compound Content
Aluminium Oxide, CaO, Iron(III) Oxide, FeO, Potassium Oxide, MgO, MnO, Sodium Oxide, Phosphorus Pentoxide, Silicon Dioxide, Titanium Dioxide
Al, Aluminium Oxide, CaO, Carbon Dioxide, MgO, Silicon Dioxide
Types of Metamorphism
Not Applicable
Burial Metamorphism, Impact 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, Sea Erosion, Water Erosion, Wind Erosion
Grain Size
Fine to Medium Grained
Fine Grained
Fracture
Conchoidal
Planar
Streak
White to Grey
White, Greenish White or Grey
Porosity
Highly Porous
Highly Porous
Compressive Strength
Not Available
Specific Gravity
3-3.2
2.86
Transparency
Opaque
Opaque
Density
2.8-2.9 g/cm3
0.25-0.3 g/cm3
Specific Heat Capacity
Not Available
Resistance
Impact Resistant, Pressure Resistant
Impact Resistant, Pressure Resistant
Deposits in Eastern Continents
Asia
Japan, Turkey
Afghanistan, Indonesia, Japan, Russia
Africa
Egypt, Ethiopia, South Africa
Ethiopia, Kenya, Tanzania
Europe
France, Greece, Iceland
Greece, Hungary, Iceland, Italy, Turkey
Others
Not Yet Found
Not Yet Found
Deposits in Western Continents
North America
USA
Bahamas, Barbados, Canada, Costa Rica, Cuba, Jamaica, Mexico, USA
South America
Not Yet Found
Argentina, Chile, Ecuador, Peru
Deposits in Oceania Continent
Australia
New Zealand
New Zealand, Western Australia
Blueschist vs Pumice 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 Pumice characteristics assist us to distinguish and recognize rocks. Also you can check about Properties of Blueschist and Properties of Pumice. Learn more about Blueschist vs Pumice in the next section. The interior uses of Blueschist include Floor tiles, Flooring, Homes, Hotels and Kitchens whereas the interior uses of Pumice include Decorative aggregates, Flooring, Homes and Interior decoration. Due to some exceptional properties of Blueschist and Pumice, 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 Pumice include As dimension stone, Cement manufacture, For road aggregate, In landscaping and horticulture, Making natural cement, Production of lightweight concrete blocks.
More about Blueschist and Pumice
Here you can know more about Blueschist and Pumice. The life cycle of a rock consists of formation of rock, composition of rock and transformation of rock. The composition of Blueschist and Pumice 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 Pumice includes Aluminum Oxides, Calcite, Carbonate, Iron Oxides, Silica. You can also check out the list of all Igneous Rocks. When we have to compare Blueschist vs Pumice, 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, Pumice is available in beige, colourless, grey, light green, light grey, pink, white, yellow- grey colors. Appearance of Blueschist is Dull and Banded and that of Pumice is Vesicular. Properties of rock is another aspect for Blueschist vs Pumice. The hardness of Blueschist is 3.5-4 and that of Pumice is 6. The types of Blueschist are Not Available whereas types of Pumice are Scoria. 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 Pumice is white, greenish white or grey. The specific heat capacity of Blueschist is Not Available and that of Pumice is 0.87 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 Pumice is impact resistant, pressure resistant.