Definition
Claystone is a fine-grained, dark gray to pink sedimentary rock which mainly consists of compacted and hardened clay
Variolites are a group of dark green basic igneous rocks which exhibit pale colored spots, or spherules, especially on weathered surfaces, that give them a pockmarked appearance
Discoverer
Unknown
Unknown
Etymology
From English clay and stone as the rock contains more amount of clay
From Latin varius, speckled, variegated
Class
Sedimentary Rocks
Igneous Rocks
Sub-Class
Durable Rock, Medium Hardness Rock
Durable Rock, Hard Rock
Group
Not Applicable
Volcanic
Other Categories
Fine Grained Rock, Opaque Rock
Opaque Rock
Texture
Clastic
Glassy, Massive, Porphyritic, Scoriaceous, Vesicular
Color
Black, Blue, Brown, Green, Grey, Orange, Red, White, Yellow
Black, Brown, Light to Dark Grey
Durability
Durable
Durable
Scratch Resistant
Yes
Yes
Appearance
Rough and Dull
Dull and Soft
Interior Uses
Decorative Aggregates, Entryways, Floor Tiles, Homes, Interior Decoration
Floor Tiles, Flooring, Homes, Hotels, Kitchens
Exterior Uses
As Facing Stone, Roof Tiles
Garden Decoration, 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, Cobblestones, Rail Track Ballast, Roadstone
Medical Industry
Not Yet Used
Not Yet Used
Antiquity Uses
Artifacts, Sculpture, Small Figurines
Artifacts, Monuments, Sculpture
Commercial Uses
Pottery
Cemetery Markers, Creating Artwork
Types
Not Available
Not Available
Features
Available in Lots of Colors and Patterns, Smooth to touch, Very fine grained rock
Has High structural resistance against erosion and climate, Very fine grained rock
Archaeological Significance
Monuments
Not Yet Used
Used
Famous Monuments
Not Applicable
Data Not Available
Famous Sculptures
Data Not Available
Data Not Available
Formation
Claystone is generally quite soft, but can be hard and brittle. It forms due to weathering of mudstone.
Variolites are a group of dark green basic igneous rocks that exhibit pale colored spots on weathered surfaces that give them a pockmarked appearance.
Mineral Content
Biotite, Chlorite, Feldspar, Micas, Muscovite or Illite, Plagioclase, Pyrite, Quartz
Olivine, Plagioclase, Pyroxene
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
Not Applicable
Burial Metamorphism, Cataclastic Metamorphism, Contact Metamorphism, Hydrothermal Metamorphism, Impact Metamorphism, Regional Metamorphism
Types of Weathering
Biological Weathering, Chemical Weathering, Mechanical Weathering
Biological Weathering, Chemical Weathering, Mechanical Weathering
Types of Erosion
Coastal Erosion, Water Erosion
Not Applicable
Grain Size
Fine Grained
Not Applicable
Fracture
Not Available
Conchoidal
Streak
White
White to Grey
Porosity
Very Less Porous
Less Porous
Luster
Dull
Not Available
Compressive Strength
Not Available
Cleavage
Perfect
Not Available
Transparency
Opaque
Opaque
Density
2-2.9 g/cm3
2.9-3.1 g/cm3
Resistance
Heat Resistant, Impact Resistant
Heat Resistant, Pressure Resistant, Wear Resistant
Deposits in Eastern Continents
Asia
Bangladesh, China, India, Russia
India, Russia
Africa
Ethiopia, Kenya, Morocco, South Africa, Tanzania
South Africa
Europe
Austria, France, Germany, Greece, Italy, Romania, Scotland, Spain, Switzerland
Iceland
Others
Not Yet Found
Not Yet Found
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
Not Yet Found
Claystone vs Variolite 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 Variolite characteristics assist us to distinguish and recognize rocks. Also you can check about Properties of Claystone and Properties of Variolite. Learn more about Claystone vs Variolite in the next section. The interior uses of Claystone include Decorative aggregates, Entryways, Floor tiles, Homes and Interior decoration whereas the interior uses of Variolite include Floor tiles, Flooring, Homes, Hotels and Kitchens. Due to some exceptional properties of Claystone and Variolite, 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 Variolite include As dimension stone, Cobblestones, Rail track ballast, Roadstone.
More about Claystone and Variolite
Here you can know more about Claystone and Variolite. The life cycle of a rock consists of formation of rock, composition of rock and transformation of rock. The composition of Claystone and Variolite 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 Variolite includes Olivine, Plagioclase, Pyroxene. You can also check out the list of all Sedimentary Rocks. When we have to compare Claystone vs Variolite, 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, Variolite is available in black, brown, light to dark grey colors. Appearance of Claystone is Rough and Dull and that of Variolite is Dull and Soft. Properties of rock is another aspect for Claystone vs Variolite. The hardness of Claystone is 3.5-4 and that of Variolite is 6. The types of Claystone are Not Available whereas types of Variolite are Not Available. 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 Variolite is white to grey. The specific heat capacity of Claystone is 0.92 kJ/Kg K and that of Variolite 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 Variolite is heat resistant, pressure resistant, wear resistant.
