Diabase

Pseudotachylite

Diabase and Pseudotachylite

Diabase

Pseudotachylite

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Definition

Diabase is a fine-grained igneous rock which is composed mostly of pyroxene and feldspar

Very fine grained fault rock which is composed of glassy matrix that often contains inclusions of wall-rock fragments.

History

Origin

Germany

USA

Discoverer

Christian Leopold von Buch

Unknown

Etymology

From Greek di + base

From pseudo- +‎ tachylite, a glassy rock generated by frictional heat within faults.

Class

Igneous Rocks

Metamorphic Rocks

Sub-Class

Durable Rock, Hard Rock

Family

Group

Volcanic

Other Categories

Fine Grained Rock, Medium Grained Rock, Opaque Rock

Fine Grained Rock, Opaque Rock

Texture

Aphanitic, Granular

Quench

Color

Dark Grey to Black

Black, Brown, Green, Grey, Pink, White

Maintenance

Less

Durability

Durable

Water Resistant

✔ ✘

Scratch Resistant

✔ ✘

Stain Resistant

✔ ✘

Wind Resistant

✔ ✘

Acid Resistant

✔ ✘

Appearance

Vesicular

Dull and Soft

Uses

Architecture

Interior Uses

Countertops, Decorative Aggregates, Homes, Interior Decoration, Kitchens

Decorative Aggregates, Entryways, Interior Decoration

Exterior Uses

As Building Stone, As Facing Stone, Paving Stone, Garden Decoration, Office Buildings

As Building Stone, As Facing Stone, Garden Decoration

Other Architectural Uses

Curbing

Industry

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

Antiquity Uses

Artifacts, Monuments, Sculpture, Small Figurines

Artifacts, Monuments

Other Uses

Commercial Uses

An Oil and Gas Reservoir, Cemetery Markers, Commemorative Tablets, Laboratory bench tops, Jewelry, Sea Defence, Tombstones

Creating Artwork, Gemstone

Types

Dolerite

Cataclastic rock

Features

Smooth to touch

Host Rock for Lead

Archaeological Significance

Monuments

Famous Monuments

Stonehenge in English county of Wiltshire

Sculpture

Famous Sculptures

Pictographs

Petroglyphs

Figurines

Fossils

Absent

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.

Due to change in environmental conditions, rocks are heated and pressurized deep inside the Earth's surface. Pseudotachylite is formed from the extreme heat caused by magma or by the intense collisions and friction of tectonic plates.

Composition

Mineral Content

Augite, Chlorite, Olivine, Plagioclase, Pyroxene, Pyrrhotite, Serpentine

Iron Oxides, Pyroxene, Quartz, Stishovite, Sulfides

Compound Content

Aluminium Oxide, CaO, Chromium(III) Oxide, Iron(III) Oxide, Potassium Oxide, MgO, Sodium Oxide, Silicon Dioxide, Sulfur Trioxide

Carbon Dioxide, Silicon Dioxide, Sulfur Dioxide, Sulphur

Transformation

Metamorphism

✔ ✘

Types of Metamorphism

Burial Metamorphism, Cataclastic Metamorphism, Contact Metamorphism, Regional Metamorphism

Burial Metamorphism, Cataclastic Metamorphism, Contact Metamorphism

Weathering

✔ ✘

Types of Weathering

Biological Weathering, Chemical Weathering

Erosion

✔ ✘

Types of Erosion

Chemical Erosion, Coastal Erosion, Water Erosion

Properties

Physical Properties

Hardness

1 7

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Grain Size

Fine to Medium Grained

Very fine-grained

Fracture

Conchoidal

Uneven

Streak

Black

Light to dark brown

Porosity

Highly Porous

Less Porous

Luster

Vitreous

Compressive Strength

225.00 N/mm²60.00 N/mm²

0.15 450

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Cleavage

Toughness

1.6

Specific Gravity

2.86-2.872.46-2.86

0 8.4

👆🏻

Transparency

Opaque

Transparent to Translucent

Density

2.7-3.3 g/cm³2.7-2.9 g/cm³

0 1400

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Thermal Properties

Specific Heat Capacity

0.84 kJ/Kg K0.92 kJ/Kg K

0.14 3.2

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Resistance

Heat Resistant, Impact Resistant, Pressure Resistant, Wear Resistant

Heat Resistant

Reserves

Deposits in Eastern Continents

Asia

India

South Korea

Africa

South Africa, Tanzania

Western Africa

Europe

Germany, Greece, Italy, Scotland, Turkey

Great Britain, Switzerland

Others

Antarctica, Greenland

Deposits in Western Continents

North America

Canada, USA

South America

Argentina, Brazil, Colombia, Venezuela

Deposits in Oceania Continent

Australia

Central Australia, New Zealand, Queensland, Western Australia

Central Australia, Western Australia

All about Diabase and Pseudotachylite Properties

Know all about Diabase and Pseudotachylite properties here. All properties of rocks are important as they define the type of rock and its application. Diabase belongs to Igneous Rocks while Pseudotachylite belongs to Metamorphic Rocks.Texture of Diabase is Aphanitic, Granular whereas that of Pseudotachylite is Quench. Diabase appears Vesicular and Pseudotachylite appears Dull and Soft. The luster of Diabase is while that of Pseudotachylite is vitreous. Diabase is available in dark grey to black colors whereas Pseudotachylite is available in black, brown, green, grey, pink, white colors. The commercial uses of Diabase are an oil and gas reservoir, cemetery markers, commemorative tablets, laboratory bench tops, jewelry, sea defence, tombstones and that of Pseudotachylite are creating artwork, gemstone.