Definition
Claystone is a fine-grained, dark gray to pink sedimentary rock which mainly consists of compacted and hardened clay
Amphibolite can be defined as a granular metamorphic rock which mainly consist of hornblende and plagioclase
Discoverer
Unknown
Alexandre Brongniart
Etymology
From English clay and stone as the rock contains more amount of clay
From Amphibole + -ite
Class
Sedimentary Rocks
Metamorphic Rocks
Sub-Class
Durable Rock, Medium Hardness Rock
Durable Rock, Hard Rock
Other Categories
Fine Grained Rock, Opaque Rock
Coarse Grained Rock, Medium Grained Rock, Opaque Rock
Texture
Clastic
Banded, Foliated, Massive
Color
Black, Blue, Brown, Green, Grey, Orange, Red, White, Yellow
Black, Brown, Green, Grey
Durability
Durable
Durable
Scratch Resistant
Yes
Yes
Appearance
Rough and Dull
Foliated
Interior Uses
Decorative Aggregates, Entryways, Floor Tiles, Homes, Interior Decoration
Countertops, Decorative Aggregates, Entryways, Floor Tiles, Flooring, Homes, Hotels, Kitchens
Exterior Uses
As Facing Stone, Roof Tiles
As Building Stone, As Facing Stone, Paving Stone, Office Buildings
Other Architectural Uses
Curbing
Curbing
Construction Industry
As a Sintering Agent in Steel Industry to process Iron Ore, Cement Manufacture, Construction Aggregate, for Road Aggregate, Making natural cement, Raw material for the manufacture of mortar
As Dimension Stone, Building houses or walls, Cobblestones, Construction Aggregate, for Road Aggregate, Landscaping, Production of Glass and Ceramics, Roadstone
Antiquity Uses
Artifacts, Sculpture, Small Figurines
Artifacts, Sculpture, Small Figurines
Commercial Uses
Pottery
Cemetery Markers, Commemorative Tablets, Creating Artwork
Types
Claystone
Hornblendite
Features
Available in Lots of Colors and Patterns, Smooth to touch, Very fine grained rock
Clasts are smooth to touch, Matrix variable, Surfaces are often shiny
Archaeological Significance
Formation
Claystone is generally quite soft, but can be hard and brittle. It forms due to weathering of mudstone.
Amphibolite is a coarse-grained metamorphic rock which forms by metamorphism of mafic igneous rocks like basalt and gabbro or from the metamorphism of clay-rich sedimentary rocks like marl or graywacke.
Mineral Content
Biotite, Chlorite, Feldspar, Micas, Muscovite or Illite, Plagioclase, Pyrite, Quartz
Amphibole, Andalusite, Biotite, Calcite, Epidote, Garnet, Hornblade, Kyanite, Magnetite, Olivine, Plagioclase, Pyroxene, Staurolite, Wollastonite
Compound Content
Aluminium Oxide, Ca, NaCl, CaO, Iron(III) Oxide, MgO, Silicon Dioxide
Aluminium Oxide, CaO, Iron(III) Oxide, FeO, Potassium Oxide, MgO, MnO, Sodium Oxide, Phosphorus Pentoxide, Silicon Dioxide, Titanium Dioxide
Types of Metamorphism
-
-
Types of Weathering
Biological Weathering, Chemical Weathering, Mechanical Weathering
Chemical Weathering, Mechanical Weathering
Types of Erosion
Coastal Erosion, Water Erosion
Chemical Erosion, Glacier Erosion, Sea Erosion, Wind Erosion
Grain Size
Fine Grained
Medium to Coarse Grained
Fracture
-
Irregular to Conchoidal
Streak
White
White to Grey
Porosity
Very Less Porous
Less Porous
Luster
Dull
Vitreous to Dull
Transparency
Opaque
Opaque
Density
2-2.9 g/cm3
2.85-3.07 g/cm3
Resistance
Heat Resistant, Impact Resistant
Heat Resistant, Pressure Resistant, Wear Resistant
Deposits in Eastern Continents
Asia
Bangladesh, China, India, Russia
Russia, Turkey
Africa
Ethiopia, Kenya, Morocco, South Africa, Tanzania
Burundi, Djibouti, Eritrea, Ethiopia, Kenya, Madagascar, Rwanda, Somalia, South Africa, Sudan, Tanzania, Uganda
Europe
Austria, France, Germany, Greece, Italy, Romania, Scotland, Spain, Switzerland
Germany, Greece, Iceland, Norway, Poland
Deposits in Western Continents
North America
Canada, Panama, USA
Canada, USA
South America
Bolivia, Chile, Colombia, Ecuador, Peru, Venezuela
Brazil
Deposits in Oceania Continent
Australia
New South Wales, New Zealand, Queensland, Victoria, Western Australia
South Australia, Western Australia
Claystone vs Amphibolite 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. Claystone vs Amphibolite characteristics assist us to distinguish and recognize rocks. Also you can check about Properties of Claystone and Properties of Amphibolite. Learn more about Claystone vs Amphibolite in the next section. The interior uses of Claystone include Decorative aggregates, Entryways, Floor tiles, Homes and Interior decoration whereas the interior uses of Amphibolite include Countertops, Decorative aggregates, Entryways, Floor tiles, Flooring, Homes, Hotels and Kitchens. Due to some exceptional properties of Claystone and Amphibolite, they have various applications in construction industry. The uses of Claystone in construction industry include As a sintering agent in steel industry to process iron ore, Cement manufacture, Construction aggregate, For road aggregate, Making natural cement, Raw material for the manufacture of mortar and that of Amphibolite include As dimension stone, Building houses or walls, Cobblestones, Construction aggregate, For road aggregate, Landscaping, Production of glass and ceramics, Roadstone.
More about Claystone and Amphibolite
Here you can know more about Claystone and Amphibolite. The life cycle of a rock consists of formation of rock, composition of rock and transformation of rock. The composition of Claystone and Amphibolite consists of mineral content and compound content. The mineral content of Claystone includes Biotite, Chlorite, Feldspar, Micas, Muscovite or Illite, Plagioclase, Pyrite, Quartz and mineral content of Amphibolite includes Amphibole, Andalusite, Biotite, Calcite, Epidote, Garnet, Hornblade, Kyanite, Magnetite, Olivine, Plagioclase, Pyroxene, Staurolite, Wollastonite. You can also check out the list of all Sedimentary Rocks. When we have to compare Claystone vs Amphibolite, the texture, color and appearance plays an important role in determining the type of rock. Claystone is available in black, blue, brown, green, grey, orange, red, white, yellow colors whereas, Amphibolite is available in black, brown, green, grey colors. Appearance of Claystone is Rough and Dull and that of Amphibolite is Foliated. Properties of rock is another aspect for Claystone vs Amphibolite. The hardness of Claystone is 3.5-4 and that of Amphibolite is 6-7. The types of Claystone are Claystone whereas types of Amphibolite are Hornblendite. Streak of rock is the color of powder produced when it is dragged across an unweathered surface. The streak of Claystone is white while that of Amphibolite is white to grey. The specific heat capacity of Claystone is 0.92 kJ/Kg K and that of Amphibolite is 0.84 kJ/Kg K. Depending on the properties like hardness, toughness, specific heat capacity, porosity etc., rocks are resistant to heat, wear, impact, etc.Claystone is heat resistant, impact resistant whereas Amphibolite is heat resistant, pressure resistant, wear resistant.