Definition
Coquina is a sedimentary rock that is composed either wholly or almost entirely of the transported, abraded, and mechanically-sorted fragments of the shells of molluscs, trilobites, brachiopods, or other invertebrates
Diatomite is a fine-grained sedimentary rock which is formed from consolidated diatomaceous earth
Origin
European Foreland Basins
Germany
Discoverer
Unknown
Unknown
Etymology
From Concha (Latin)+ Coquina(Spanish) +conch(English)= Couquina (mid 19th century)
From diatom + -ite1
Class
Sedimentary Rocks
Sedimentary Rocks
Sub-Class
Durable Rock, Soft Rock
Durable Rock, Soft Rock
Other Categories
Coarse Grained Rock, Opaque Rock
Fine Grained Rock, Opaque Rock
Texture
Clastic
Clastic or Non-Clastic
Color
Beige, Buff, Orange
Grey, White, Yellow
Durability
Non-Durable
Non-Durable
Appearance
Layered, Banded, Veined and Shiny
Soft
Interior Uses
Decorative Aggregates, Homes, Hotels, Interior Decoration
Decorative Aggregates, Homes, Interior Decoration
Exterior Uses
Garden Decoration, Office Buildings
Garden Decoration, Paving Stone
Other Architectural Uses
Curbing
Curbing
Construction Industry
Building houses or walls, Construction Aggregate
As Dimension Stone, Cement Manufacture, Construction Aggregate, for Road Aggregate, Landscaping, Making natural cement, Source of calcium
Antiquity Uses
Artifacts, Monuments, Sculpture, Small Figurines
Artifacts
Commercial Uses
Creating Artwork
Alumina Refineries, Animal feed filler, As a Feed Additive for Livestock, Creating Artwork, Drawing on blackboards, Fire resistant, Gymnasts, athletes and mountain climbers use for grip, In aquifers, Soil Conditioner, To ignite fire, Used as a filter medium, Used as an insecticide, Whiting material in toothpaste, paint and paper
Types
Sedimentary rock
Diatomite
Features
Available in Lots of Colors and Patterns, Is one of the oldest rock
Clasts are smooth to touch, Is one of the oldest rock, Smooth to touch, Very fine grained rock
Archaeological Significance
Formation
Coquina is a sedimentary rock which is formed when billions of small clam-like seashell, called Coquina, or cockleshell are die and hence are deposited, buried and turns into a rock when pressure is applied.
Diatomite rock formed from the skeletal remains of single celled plants called diatoms. When diatoms die, their skeletal remains sink to the bottom of lakes and oceans etc. hence forming diatomite deposit.
Mineral Content
Apatite, Augite, Bronzite, Calcite, Chert, Chlorite, Clay Minerals, Epidote, Feldspar, Garnet, Micas, Muscovite or Illite
Calcite, Clay, Clay Minerals, Quartz, Sand
Compound Content
CaO, Carbon Dioxide, Iron(III) Oxide, MgO
Ca, NaCl, CaO
Types of Metamorphism
-
-
Types of Weathering
Biological Weathering, Chemical Weathering, Mechanical Weathering
Biological Weathering, Chemical Weathering, Mechanical Weathering
Types of Erosion
Coastal Erosion, Sea Erosion, Water Erosion, Wind Erosion
Chemical Erosion, Coastal Erosion, Wind Erosion
Grain Size
Coarse Grained
Very fine-grained
Porosity
Highly Porous
Highly Porous
Luster
Dull to Vitreous to Submetallic
Dull
Specific Gravity
1.10-2.24
2.3-2.4
Transparency
Opaque
Opaque
Density
2.8-2.9 g/cm3
2.49-2.51 g/cm3
Resistance
Heat Resistant, Impact Resistant, Pressure Resistant, Wear Resistant
Heat Resistant
Deposits in Eastern Continents
Asia
-
Brunei, India, Indonesia, Malaysia, Singapore, Thailand, Vietnam
Africa
-
Cameroon, Chad, Ghana, Kenya, Malawi, Sudan, Tanzania, Togo, Zambia, Zimbabwe
Europe
United Kingdom
England, France, Germany, Spain, United Kingdom
Deposits in Western Continents
North America
USA
Canada, USA
Deposits in Oceania Continent
Australia
-
Adelaide, New Zealand, Queensland, Victoria, Yorke Peninsula
Coquina vs Diatomite 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. Coquina vs Diatomite characteristics assist us to distinguish and recognize rocks. Also you can check about Properties of Coquina and Properties of Diatomite. Learn more about Coquina vs Diatomite in the next section. The interior uses of Coquina include Decorative aggregates, Homes, Hotels and Interior decoration whereas the interior uses of Diatomite include Decorative aggregates, Homes and Interior decoration. Due to some exceptional properties of Coquina and Diatomite, they have various applications in construction industry. The uses of Coquina in construction industry include Building houses or walls, Construction aggregate and that of Diatomite include As dimension stone, Cement manufacture, Construction aggregate, For road aggregate, Landscaping, Making natural cement, Source of calcium.
More about Coquina and Diatomite
Here you can know more about Coquina and Diatomite. The life cycle of a rock consists of formation of rock, composition of rock and transformation of rock. The composition of Coquina and Diatomite consists of mineral content and compound content. The mineral content of Coquina includes Apatite, Augite, Bronzite, Calcite, Chert, Chlorite, Clay Minerals, Epidote, Feldspar, Garnet, Micas, Muscovite or Illite and mineral content of Diatomite includes Calcite, Clay, Clay Minerals, Quartz, Sand. You can also check out the list of all Sedimentary Rocks. When we have to compare Coquina vs Diatomite, the texture, color and appearance plays an important role in determining the type of rock. Coquina is available in beige, buff, orange colors whereas, Diatomite is available in grey, white, yellow colors. Appearance of Coquina is Layered, Banded, Veined and Shiny and that of Diatomite is Soft. Properties of rock is another aspect for Coquina vs Diatomite. The hardness of Coquina is 1-2 and that of Diatomite is 1. The types of Coquina are Sedimentary rock whereas types of Diatomite are Diatomite. Streak of rock is the color of powder produced when it is dragged across an unweathered surface. The streak of Coquina and Diatomite is white. The specific heat capacity of Coquina is 0.84 kJ/Kg K and that of Diatomite is 0.90 kJ/Kg K. Depending on the properties like hardness, toughness, specific heat capacity, porosity etc., rocks are resistant to heat, wear, impact, etc.Coquina is heat resistant, impact resistant, pressure resistant, wear resistant whereas Diatomite is heat resistant.