Definition
Blueschist is a metamorphic rock which is generally blue in color and is formed under conditions of high pressure and low temperature
Taconite is a low-grade iron ore which belongs to sedimentary rock and containing about 27% iron and 51% silica
Origin
USA
Western Australia, Minnesota
Discoverer
Edgar Bailey
Newton Horace Winchell
Etymology
From French schiste, Greek skhistos i.e. split
From the name of Taconic Mountains in New England
Class
Metamorphic Rocks
Sedimentary Rocks
Sub-Class
Durable Rock, Medium Hardness Rock
Durable Rock, Medium Hardness Rock
Other Categories
Fine Grained Rock, Medium Grained Rock, Opaque Rock
Coarse Grained Rock, Opaque Rock
Texture
Foliated
Banded, Trellis
Color
Blue, Bluish - Grey, Purple, Shades of Blue
Red, Reddish Brown
Durability
Durable
Durable
Appearance
Dull and Banded
Layered, Banded, Veined and Shiny
Interior Uses
Floor Tiles, Flooring, Homes, Hotels, Kitchens
Decorative Aggregates, Entryways, Flooring, Homes, Interior Decoration
Exterior Uses
Garden Decoration, Office Buildings
As Building Stone, Garden Decoration, Paving Stone
Other Architectural Uses
-
Curbing
Construction Industry
As Dimension Stone, Cobblestones, Rail Track Ballast, Roadstone
As Dimension Stone, Used for flooring, stair treads, borders and window sills.
Antiquity Uses
Artifacts, Monuments, Sculpture
Artifacts
Commercial Uses
Cemetery Markers, Commemorative Tablets, Creating Artwork, Curling, Tombstones
As a touchstone, Cemetery Markers, Creating Artwork
Types
Metamorphic rock
Iron formation
Features
Has High structural resistance against erosion and climate, Very fine grained rock
Is one of the oldest rock
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.
Taconite is a type of sedimentary rock formed when a river carries or transports pieces of broken rock as it flows. When the river reaches a lake or sea, its load of transported rocks settles or deposits at the bottom of sea or lake.
Mineral Content
Albite, Chlorite, Epidote, Garnet, Glaucophane, Lawsonite, Muscovite or Illite, Quartz
Hematite, Magnetite, Quartz
Compound Content
Aluminium Oxide, CaO, Iron(III) Oxide, FeO, Potassium Oxide, MgO, MnO, Sodium Oxide, Phosphorus Pentoxide, Silicon Dioxide, Titanium Dioxide
Fe, Iron(III) Oxide, Silicon Dioxide
Types of Metamorphism
-
-
Types of Weathering
Mechanical Weathering
Biological 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
Large and Coarse Grained
Fracture
Conchoidal
Uneven, Splintery or Conchoidal
Streak
White to Grey
White
Porosity
Highly Porous
Highly Porous
Specific Gravity
3-3.2
5-5.3
Transparency
Opaque
Translucent to Opaque
Density
2.8-2.9 g/cm3
-9999 g/cm3
Resistance
Impact Resistant, Pressure Resistant
Heat Resistant, Impact Resistant, Pressure Resistant, Wear Resistant
Deposits in Eastern Continents
Asia
Japan, Turkey
China, India, Iran, Iraq, Oman, Russia, Saudi Arabia, Taiwan, Thailand, Vietnam
Africa
Egypt, Ethiopia, South Africa
Kenya, Morocco, South Africa, Tanzania
Europe
France, Greece, Iceland
Austria, France, Greece, Italy, Malta, Poland, Portugal, Serbia, Spain, Sweden, United Kingdom
Others
-
Greenland, Mid-Atlantic Ridge
Deposits in Western Continents
North America
USA
Canada, Mexico, USA
South America
-
Bolivia, Brazil
Deposits in Oceania Continent
Australia
New Zealand
New South Wales, Queensland, South Australia, Western Australia
Blueschist vs Taconite 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 Taconite characteristics assist us to distinguish and recognize rocks. Also you can check about Properties of Blueschist and Properties of Taconite. Learn more about Blueschist vs Taconite in the next section. The interior uses of Blueschist include Floor tiles, Flooring, Homes, Hotels and Kitchens whereas the interior uses of Taconite include Decorative aggregates, Entryways, Flooring, Homes and Interior decoration. Due to some exceptional properties of Blueschist and Taconite, 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 Taconite include As dimension stone, Used for flooring, stair treads, borders and window sills..
More about Blueschist and Taconite
Here you can know more about Blueschist and Taconite. The life cycle of a rock consists of formation of rock, composition of rock and transformation of rock. The composition of Blueschist and Taconite 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 Taconite includes Hematite, Magnetite, Quartz. You can also check out the list of all Igneous Rocks. When we have to compare Blueschist vs Taconite, 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, Taconite is available in red, reddish brown colors. Appearance of Blueschist is Dull and Banded and that of Taconite is Layered, Banded, Veined and Shiny. Properties of rock is another aspect for Blueschist vs Taconite. The hardness of Blueschist is 3.5-4 and that of Taconite is 5.5-6. The types of Blueschist are Metamorphic rock whereas types of Taconite are Iron formation. 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 Taconite is white. The specific heat capacity of Blueschist is 0.84 kJ/Kg K and that of Taconite is 3.20 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 Taconite is heat resistant, impact resistant, pressure resistant, wear resistant.