Definition
Chert is a hard, dark, opaque sedimentary rock which is composed of silica with an amorphous fine-grained texture
Pantellerite is a peralkaline rhyolite. It has a higher iron and lower aluminium composition than comendite
History
Origin
-
Strait of sicily
Discoverer
Unknown
Unknown
Etymology
From flint-like quartz, 1670s, of unknown origin- a local term, which has been taken into geological use
From Pantelleria, a volcanic island in the Strait of Sicily
Class
Sedimentary Rocks
Igneous Rocks
Sub-Class
Durable Rock, Hard Rock
Durable Rock, Hard Rock
Family
Group
-
Volcanic
Other Categories
Fine Grained Rock, Opaque Rock
Fine Grained Rock, Opaque Rock
Texture
Banded, Rough
Eutaxitic
Color
Black, Brown, Green, Grey, Red, White
Dark Greenish - Grey
Maintenance
Less
Less
Durability
Durable
Durable
Water Resistant
✔
✘
✔
✘
Scratch Resistant
✔
✘
✔
✘
Stain Resistant
✔
✘
✔
✘
Wind Resistant
✔
✘
✔
✘
Acid Resistant
✔
✘
✔
✘
Appearance
Glassy or Pearly
Layered and Foliated
Architecture
Interior Uses
Decorative Aggregates, Homes
-
Exterior Uses
As Building Stone, As Facing Stone, Garden Decoration, Office Buildings
-
Other Architectural Uses
Curbing
-
Industry
Construction Industry
Arrowheads, Construction Aggregate, Cutting Tool, Spear Points
-
Medical Industry
-
-
Antiquity Uses
Artifacts, Monuments
Artifacts, Sculpture
Other Uses
Commercial Uses
Creating Artwork, Gemstone, In fire-starting tools, Jewelry, To ignite fire, Used in flintlock firearms
Creating Artwork
Types
Flint, Jasper, Radiolarite, Common Chert, Chalcedony, Agate, Onyx, Opal, Magadi-type Chert, Porcelanite, Siliceous Sinter
Pantelleritic Ignimbrite
Features
Clasts are smooth to touch, Easily splits into thin plates, Has High structural resistance against erosion and climate
High Fe content
Archaeological Significance
Monuments
-
-
Famous Monuments
-
-
Sculpture
-
-
Famous Sculptures
-
-
Pictographs
-
-
Petroglyphs
-
-
Figurines
-
-
Fossils
Present
Absent
Formation
Chert forms when microcrystals of silicon dioxide grow within soft sediments that become limestone or chalk. The chert formation can be either of chemical or biological origin.
Pantellerite is a fine-grained, hard rock which is a type of metasomatite, essentially altered basalt. It forms with or without crystallization, either below the surface as intrusive rocks or on the surface as extrusive rocks.
Composition
Mineral Content
Quartz, Silicon
Amphibole, Feldspar, Ilmenite
Compound Content
Silicon Dioxide
Al, Fe
Transformation
Metamorphism
✔
✘
✔
✘
Types of Metamorphism
-
Burial Metamorphism, Cataclastic Metamorphism
Weathering
✔
✘
✔
✘
Types of Weathering
-
Biological Weathering, Chemical Weathering
Erosion
✔
✘
✔
✘
Types of Erosion
Chemical Erosion
Chemical Erosion, Coastal Erosion, Glacier Erosion, Sea Erosion, Water Erosion, Wind Erosion
Physical Properties
Hardness
6.5-76-7
1
7
👆🏻
Grain Size
Very fine-grained
Fine Grained
Fracture
Uneven, Splintery or Conchoidal
Sub-conchoidal
Streak
White
-
Porosity
Highly Porous
Less Porous
Luster
Waxy and Dull
Earthy
Compressive Strength
450.00 N/mm2210.00 N/mm2
0.15
450
👆🏻
Cleavage
-
Conchoidal
Toughness
1.5
2
Specific Gravity
2.5-2.8-9999
0
8.4
👆🏻
Transparency
Translucent to Opaque
Translucent to Opaque
Density
2.7 g/cm3-9999 g/cm3
0
1400
👆🏻
Thermal Properties
Specific Heat Capacity
0.74 kJ/Kg K0.84 kJ/Kg K
0.14
3.2
👆🏻
Resistance
Heat Resistant, Impact Resistant, Pressure Resistant, Wear Resistant
Heat Resistant
Deposits in Eastern Continents
Asia
China, India, Iran, Japan, Oman, Russia, Saudi Arabia, Taiwan, Thailand, Vietnam
China, India
Africa
Kenya, Morocco, South Africa, Tanzania
Angola, Egypt, Madagascar, Namibia, Nigeria
Europe
Austria, France, Greece, Italy, Malta, Poland, Portugal, Serbia, Spain, Sweden, United Kingdom
Germany, Iceland, Ireland, Italy, Spain, United Kingdom
Others
Greenland, Mid-Atlantic Ridge
-
Deposits in Western Continents
North America
Canada, Mexico, USA
Canada, USA
South America
Bolivia, Brazil
Argentina, Bolivia, Brazil, Colombia, Ecuador
Deposits in Oceania Continent
Australia
New South Wales, Queensland, South Australia, Western Australia
Central Australia, Queensland, Western Australia