Definition
Diabase is a fine-grained igneous rock which is composed mostly of pyroxene and feldspar
Migmatite is typically a granitic rock within a metamorphic host rock which is composed of two intermingled but distinguishable components
Origin
Germany
Southern Alps, France
Discoverer
Christian Leopold von Buch
Jakob Sederholm
Etymology
From Greek di + base
From the Greek word migma which means a mixture
Class
Igneous Rocks
Metamorphic Rocks
Sub-Class
Durable Rock, Hard Rock
Durable Rock, Medium Hardness Rock
Group
Volcanic
Not Applicable
Other Categories
Fine Grained Rock, Medium Grained Rock, Opaque Rock
Coarse Grained Rock, Fine Grained Rock, Medium Grained Rock, Opaque Rock
Texture
Aphanitic, Granular
Foliated
Color
Dark Grey to Black
Black, Bluish - Grey, Brown, Brown- Black, Dark Greenish - Grey, Dark Grey to Black
Durability
Durable
Durable
Scratch Resistant
Yes
Yes
Appearance
Vesicular
Dull, Banded and Foilated
Interior Uses
Countertops, Decorative Aggregates, Homes, Interior Decoration, Kitchens
Countertops, Flooring, Kitchens
Exterior Uses
As Building Stone, As Facing Stone, Paving Stone, Garden Decoration, Office Buildings
As Building Stone, As Facing Stone
Other Architectural Uses
Curbing
Curbing
Construction Industry
As Dimension Stone, Building houses or walls, Cement Manufacture, Construction Aggregate, for Road Aggregate
As Dimension Stone, Cement Manufacture, for Road Aggregate, Making natural cement
Medical Industry
Not Yet Used
Not Yet Used
Antiquity Uses
Artifacts, Monuments, Sculpture, Small Figurines
Artifacts
Commercial Uses
An Oil and Gas Reservoir, Cemetery Markers, Commemorative Tablets, Laboratory bench tops, Jewelry, Sea Defence, Tombstones
Cemetery Markers, Jewelry, Tombstones, Used to manufracture paperweights and bookends
Types
Not Available
Diatexites and Metatexites
Features
Smooth to touch
Generally rough to touch, Is one of the oldest rock
Archaeological Significance
Monuments
Used
Not Yet Used
Famous Monuments
Stonehenge in English county of Wiltshire
Not Applicable
Sculpture
Used
Not Yet Used
Famous Sculptures
Data Not Available
Not Applicable
Pictographs
Not Used
Used
Petroglyphs
Not Used
Used
Figurines
Used
Not Yet Used
Formation
Diabase forms when molten igneous rock is squeezed up into a vertical crack in other rocks, the crack is usually forced apart and the molten rock cools in the space to form a tabular igneous intrusion cutting across the surrounding rocks and is known as a dike.
Migmatites form by high temperature regional and thermal metamorphism of protolith rocks where rocks melt partially due to high temperature.
Mineral Content
Augite, Chlorite, Olivine, Plagioclase, Pyroxene, Pyrrhotite, Serpentine
Biotite, Chlorite, Feldspar, Garnet, Graphite, Hornblade, Micas, Muscovite or Illite, Quartz, Quartzite, Silica, Zircon
Compound Content
Aluminium Oxide, CaO, Chromium(III) Oxide, Iron(III) Oxide, Potassium Oxide, MgO, Sodium Oxide, Silicon Dioxide, Sulfur Trioxide
Aluminium Oxide, NaCl, CaO, Carbon Dioxide, Iron(III) Oxide, FeO, Potassium Oxide, Magnesium Carbonate, MgO, MnO, Phosphorus Pentoxide, Silicon Dioxide, Titanium Dioxide
Types of Metamorphism
Burial Metamorphism, Cataclastic Metamorphism, Contact Metamorphism, Regional Metamorphism
Burial Metamorphism, Cataclastic Metamorphism, Regional Metamorphism
Types of Weathering
Biological Weathering, Chemical Weathering
Biological Weathering, Chemical Weathering, Mechanical Weathering
Types of Erosion
Chemical Erosion, Coastal Erosion, Water Erosion
Chemical Erosion, Glacier Erosion, Water Erosion, Wind Erosion
Grain Size
Fine to Medium Grained
Medium to Fine Coarse Grained
Fracture
Conchoidal
Irregular
Porosity
Highly Porous
Very Less Porous
Luster
Not Available
Dull to Pearly to Subvitreous
Compressive Strength
Not Available
Cleavage
Not Available
Poor
Specific Gravity
2.86-2.87
2.65-2.75
Transparency
Opaque
Opaque
Density
2.7-3.3 g/cm3
Not Available
Resistance
Heat Resistant, Impact Resistant, Pressure Resistant, Wear Resistant
Heat Resistant, Pressure Resistant
Deposits in Eastern Continents
Asia
India
China, India, Iran, Iraq, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Mongolia, Russia
Africa
South Africa, Tanzania
Cameroon, Ethiopia, Ghana, Kenya, Madagascar, Morocco, Mozambique, Namibia, Nigeria, Tanzania, Togo
Europe
Germany, Greece, Italy, Scotland, Turkey
Albania, Austria, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Finland, France, Georgia, Germany, Hungary, Italy, Kosovo, Monaco, Norway, Poland, Romania, Serbia, Slovakia, Slovenia, Sweden, Switzerland, Ukraine, United Kingdom
Others
Antarctica, Greenland
Not Yet Found
Deposits in Western Continents
North America
Canada, USA
Canada, Costa Rica, Cuba, Mexico, Panama, USA
South America
Argentina, Brazil, Colombia, Venezuela
Argentina, Bolivia, Brazil, Chile, Colombia, Ecuador, Peru, Venezuela
Deposits in Oceania Continent
Australia
Central Australia, New Zealand, Queensland, Western Australia
New South Wales, New Zealand, Queensland, Victoria