Definition
Blueschist is a metamorphic rock which is generally blue in color and is formed under conditions of high pressure and low temperature
It is a metamorphic magnesium rich rock because it is composed of the mineral talc
Discoverer
Edgar Bailey
Unknown
Etymology
From French schiste, Greek skhistos i.e. split
From 17th century, because of its greasy feel and use like a soap
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
Fine Grained Rock, Opaque Rock
Texture
Foliated
Polished
Color
Blue, Bluish - Grey, Purple, Shades of Blue
Black, Black to Grey, Green, Grey
Durability
Durable
Durable
Appearance
Dull and Banded
Dull, Banded and Foilated
Interior Uses
Floor Tiles, Flooring, Homes, Hotels, Kitchens
Bathrooms, Decorative Aggregates, Homes, Interior Decoration
Exterior Uses
Garden Decoration, Office Buildings
As Facing Stone, Garden Decoration
Other Architectural Uses
-
Curbing
Construction Industry
As Dimension Stone, Cobblestones, Rail Track Ballast, Roadstone
Manufacture of Magnesium and Dolomite Refractories
Medical Industry
-
Taken as a Supplement for Calcium or Magnesium
Antiquity Uses
Artifacts, Monuments, Sculpture
Artifacts, Jewellery, Monuments, Sculpture
Commercial Uses
Cemetery Markers, Commemorative Tablets, Creating Artwork, Curling, Tombstones
Cemetery Markers, Creating Artwork, Gemstone, Jewelry, Manufacture of Soap, Solvents, Dyes, Plastics and Fibres, Production of Lime, Source of Magnesia (MgO)
Types
Metamorphic rock
Metamorphic rock
Features
Has High structural resistance against erosion and climate, Very fine grained rock
Host Rock for Lead
Archaeological Significance
Famous Monuments
-
Christ the Redeemer in Rio de Janeiro, Stonehenge in English county of Wiltshire
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.
Soapstone is a talc-schist, which is a type of metamorphic rock and it is largely composed of the mineral talc and is thus rich inmagnesium.
Mineral Content
Albite, Chlorite, Epidote, Garnet, Glaucophane, Lawsonite, Muscovite or Illite, Quartz
Albite, Apatite, Biotite, Calcite, Carbonate, Clay Minerals, Hornblende, Ilmenite, Micas, Plagioclase, Pyroxene, Quartz
Compound Content
Aluminium Oxide, CaO, Iron(III) Oxide, FeO, Potassium Oxide, MgO, MnO, Sodium Oxide, Phosphorus Pentoxide, Silicon Dioxide, Titanium Dioxide
CaO, Mg, MgO
Types of Metamorphism
-
Burial Metamorphism, Cataclastic Metamorphism, Contact Metamorphism, Hydrothermal Metamorphism, Impact Metamorphism, Regional Metamorphism
Types of Weathering
Mechanical Weathering
-
Types of Erosion
Chemical Erosion, Coastal Erosion, Water Erosion, Wind Erosion
-
Grain Size
Fine to Medium Grained
Fine Grained
Fracture
Conchoidal
Conchoidal
Streak
White to Grey
Black
Porosity
Highly Porous
Less Porous
Specific Gravity
3-3.2
2.86
Transparency
Opaque
Opaque
Density
2.8-2.9 g/cm3
2.8-2.9 g/cm3
Resistance
Impact Resistant, Pressure Resistant
Heat Resistant, Pressure Resistant
Deposits in Eastern Continents
Asia
Japan, Turkey
China, India, Indonesia, Japan, North Korea, Russia, Saudi Arabia, Singapore, South Korea, Sri Lanka, Tajikistan, Thailand
Africa
Egypt, Ethiopia, South Africa
Egypt, Ethiopia, Ghana, South Africa, Western Africa
Europe
France, Greece, Iceland
Austria, England, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland, United Kingdom
Deposits in Western Continents
North America
USA
Canada, USA
Deposits in Oceania Continent
Australia
New Zealand
Central Australia, New Zealand, Queensland
Blueschist vs Soapstone 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 Soapstone characteristics assist us to distinguish and recognize rocks. Also you can check about Properties of Blueschist and Properties of Soapstone. Learn more about Blueschist vs Soapstone in the next section. The interior uses of Blueschist include Floor tiles, Flooring, Homes, Hotels and Kitchens whereas the interior uses of Soapstone include Bathrooms, Decorative aggregates, Homes and Interior decoration. Due to some exceptional properties of Blueschist and Soapstone, 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 Soapstone include Manufacture of magnesium and dolomite refractories.
More about Blueschist and Soapstone
Here you can know more about Blueschist and Soapstone. The life cycle of a rock consists of formation of rock, composition of rock and transformation of rock. The composition of Blueschist and Soapstone 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 Soapstone includes Albite, Apatite, Biotite, Calcite, Carbonate, Clay Minerals, Hornblende, Ilmenite, Micas, Plagioclase, Pyroxene, Quartz. You can also check out the list of all Igneous Rocks. When we have to compare Blueschist vs Soapstone, 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, Soapstone is available in black, black to grey, green, grey colors. Appearance of Blueschist is Dull and Banded and that of Soapstone is Dull, Banded and Foilated. Properties of rock is another aspect for Blueschist vs Soapstone. The hardness of Blueschist is 3.5-4 and that of Soapstone is 1. The types of Blueschist are Metamorphic rock whereas types of Soapstone are Metamorphic rock. 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 Soapstone is black. The specific heat capacity of Blueschist is 0.84 kJ/Kg K and that of Soapstone is 0.88 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 Soapstone is heat resistant, pressure resistant.