Diabase

Variolite

Diabase and Variolite

Diabase

Variolite

Add ⊕

Definition

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

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

History

Origin

Germany

France

Discoverer

Christian Leopold von Buch

Unknown

Etymology

From Greek di + base

From Latin varius, speckled, variegated

Class

Igneous Rocks

Sub-Class

Durable Rock, Hard Rock

Family

Group

Volcanic

Other Categories

Fine Grained Rock, Medium Grained Rock, Opaque Rock

Opaque Rock

Texture

Aphanitic, Granular

Glassy, Massive, Porphyritic, Scoriaceous, Vesicular

Color

Dark Grey to Black

Black, Brown, Light to Dark Grey

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

Floor Tiles, Flooring, Homes, Hotels, Kitchens

Exterior Uses

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

Garden Decoration, Office Buildings

Other Architectural Uses

Curbing

Industry

Construction Industry

As Dimension Stone, Building houses or walls, Cement Manufacture, Construction Aggregate, for Road Aggregate

As Dimension Stone, Cobblestones, Rail Track Ballast, Roadstone

Medical Industry

Antiquity Uses

Artifacts, Monuments, Sculpture, Small Figurines

Artifacts, Monuments, Sculpture

Other Uses

Commercial Uses

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

Cemetery Markers, Creating Artwork

Types

Dolerite

Metamorphic rock

Features

Smooth to touch

Has High structural resistance against erosion and climate, Very fine grained rock

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.

Variolites are a group of dark green basic igneous rocks that exhibit pale colored spots on weathered surfaces that give them a pockmarked appearance.

Composition

Mineral Content

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

Olivine, Plagioclase, Pyroxene

Compound Content

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

Aluminium Oxide, CaO, Iron(III) Oxide, FeO, Potassium Oxide, MgO, MnO, Sodium Oxide, Phosphorus Pentoxide, Silicon Dioxide, Titanium Dioxide

Transformation

Metamorphism

✔ ✘

Types of Metamorphism

Burial Metamorphism, Cataclastic Metamorphism, Contact Metamorphism, Regional Metamorphism

Burial Metamorphism, Cataclastic Metamorphism, Contact Metamorphism, Hydrothermal Metamorphism, Impact 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

Properties

Physical Properties

Hardness

1 7

👆🏻

Grain Size

Fine to Medium Grained

Fracture

Conchoidal

Streak

Black

White to Grey

Porosity

Highly Porous

Less Porous

Luster

Compressive Strength

225.00 N/mm²37.50 N/mm²

0.15 450

👆🏻

Cleavage

Toughness

1.6

2.3

Specific Gravity

2.86-2.872.8-3

0 8.4

👆🏻

Transparency

Opaque

Density

2.7-3.3 g/cm³2.9-3.1 g/cm³

0 1400

👆🏻

Thermal Properties

Specific Heat Capacity

0.84 kJ/Kg K0.84 kJ/Kg K

0.14 3.2

👆🏻

Resistance

Heat Resistant, Impact Resistant, Pressure Resistant, Wear Resistant

Heat Resistant, Pressure Resistant, Wear Resistant

Reserves

Deposits in Eastern Continents

Asia

India

India, Russia

Africa

South Africa, Tanzania

South Africa

Europe

Germany, Greece, Italy, Scotland, Turkey

Iceland

Others

Antarctica, Greenland

Deposits in Western Continents

North America

Canada, USA

South America

Argentina, Brazil, Colombia, Venezuela

Brazil

Deposits in Oceania Continent

Australia

Central Australia, New Zealand, Queensland, Western Australia

All about Diabase and Variolite Properties

Know all about Diabase and Variolite properties here. All properties of rocks are important as they define the type of rock and its application. Diabase and Variolite belong to Igneous Rocks.Texture of Diabase is Aphanitic, Granular whereas that of Variolite is Glassy, Massive, Porphyritic, Scoriaceous, Vesicular. Diabase appears Vesicular and Variolite appears Dull and Soft. The luster of Diabase and Variolite is . Diabase is available in dark grey to black colors whereas Variolite is available in black, brown, light to dark grey 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 Variolite are cemetery markers, creating artwork.