Definition
Diabase is a fine-grained igneous rock which is composed mostly of pyroxene and feldspar
Oolite is a sedimentary rock formed from ooids, spherical grains which are composed of concentric layers of calcite
History
Origin
Germany
-
Discoverer
Christian Leopold von Buch
William Smith
Etymology
From Greek di + base
From oo- + -lite, after German Oolit. A rock consisting of fine grains of carbonate of lime
Class
Igneous Rocks
Sedimentary Rocks
Sub-Class
Durable Rock, Hard Rock
Durable Rock, Medium Hardness Rock
Family
Group
Volcanic
Volcanic
Other Categories
Fine Grained Rock, Medium Grained Rock, Opaque Rock
Fine Grained Rock, Opaque Rock
Texture
Aphanitic, Granular
Clastic or Non-Clastic
Color
Dark Grey to Black
Black, Blue, Brown, Cream, Green, Grey, Pink, Red, Silver, White, Yellow
Maintenance
Less
Less
Durability
Durable
Durable
Water Resistant
✔
✘
✔
✘
Scratch Resistant
✔
✘
✔
✘
Stain Resistant
✔
✘
✔
✘
Wind Resistant
✔
✘
✔
✘
Acid Resistant
✔
✘
✔
✘
Appearance
Vesicular
Rounded and Rough
Architecture
Interior Uses
Countertops, Decorative Aggregates, Homes, Interior Decoration, Kitchens
Decorative Aggregates, Flooring, Interior Decoration
Exterior Uses
As Building Stone, As Facing Stone, Paving Stone, Garden Decoration, Office Buildings
As Building Stone, As Facing Stone, Garden Decoration, Paving Stone
Other Architectural Uses
Curbing
-
Industry
Construction Industry
As Dimension Stone, Building houses or walls, Cement Manufacture, Construction Aggregate, for Road Aggregate
Cement Manufacture, Cobblestones, Landscaping
Medical Industry
-
-
Antiquity Uses
Artifacts, Monuments, Sculpture, Small Figurines
Artifacts
Other Uses
Commercial Uses
An Oil and Gas Reservoir, Cemetery Markers, Commemorative Tablets, Laboratory bench tops, Jewelry, Sea Defence, Tombstones
Creating Artwork, Jewelry, Used in aquariums
Types
Dolerite
Pisolitic Oolite and Oncolitic Oolite
Features
Smooth to touch
Available in lots of colors, Generally rough to touch, Very fine grained rock
Archaeological Significance
Monuments
-
-
Famous Monuments
Stonehenge in English county of Wiltshire
-
Sculpture
-
-
Famous Sculptures
-
-
Pictographs
-
-
Petroglyphs
-
-
Figurines
-
-
Fossils
Absent
Present
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.
Oolites form when layers of calcite are deposited around a sand grain or fossil piece and are rolled around in calm water, which makes them round.
Composition
Mineral Content
Augite, Chlorite, Olivine, Plagioclase, Pyroxene, Pyrrhotite, Serpentine
Calcite, Chert, Clay, Dolomite, Quartz, Sand, Silt
Compound Content
Aluminium Oxide, CaO, Chromium(III) Oxide, Iron(III) Oxide, Potassium Oxide, MgO, Sodium Oxide, Silicon Dioxide, Sulfur Trioxide
Aluminium Oxide, Ca, NaCl, CaO, Iron(III) Oxide, FeO, MgO
Transformation
Metamorphism
✔
✘
✔
✘
Types of Metamorphism
Burial Metamorphism, Cataclastic Metamorphism, Contact Metamorphism, Regional Metamorphism
-
Weathering
✔
✘
✔
✘
Types of Weathering
Biological Weathering, Chemical Weathering
Biological Weathering, Chemical Weathering, Mechanical Weathering
Erosion
✔
✘
✔
✘
Types of Erosion
Chemical Erosion, Coastal Erosion, Water Erosion
Chemical Erosion, Coastal Erosion
Physical Properties
Hardness
73-4
1
7
👆🏻
Grain Size
Fine to Medium Grained
Fine Grained
Fracture
Conchoidal
Conchoidal
Streak
Black
White
Porosity
Highly Porous
Less Porous
Luster
-
Pearly to Shiny
Compressive Strength
225.00 N/mm240.00 N/mm2
0.15
450
👆🏻
Cleavage
-
-
Toughness
1.6
1
Specific Gravity
2.86-2.87-9999
0
8.4
👆🏻
Transparency
Opaque
Opaque
Density
2.7-3.3 g/cm3-9999 g/cm3
0
1400
👆🏻
Thermal Properties
Specific Heat Capacity
0.84 kJ/Kg K0.65 kJ/Kg K
0.14
3.2
👆🏻
Resistance
Heat Resistant, Impact Resistant, Pressure Resistant, Wear Resistant
Heat Resistant, Wear Resistant
Deposits in Eastern Continents
Asia
India
Brunei, India, Indonesia, Malaysia, Singapore, Thailand, Vietnam
Africa
South Africa, Tanzania
Cameroon, Chad, Ghana, Kenya, Malawi, Sudan, Tanzania, Togo, Zambia, Zimbabwe
Europe
Germany, Greece, Italy, Scotland, Turkey
United Kingdom
Others
Antarctica, Greenland
-
Deposits in Western Continents
North America
Canada, USA
USA
South America
Argentina, Brazil, Colombia, Venezuela
Colombia
Deposits in Oceania Continent
Australia
Central Australia, New Zealand, Queensland, Western Australia
Adelaide, New Zealand, Queensland, Victoria, Yorke Peninsula