Definition
Diabase is a fine-grained igneous rock which is composed mostly of pyroxene and feldspar
Novaculite is a dense, hard, fine-grained, siliceous metamorpic rock which is a type of chert that breaks with conchoidal fracture
Discoverer
Christian Leopold von Buch
Unknown
Etymology
From Greek di + base
From Latin word novacula, for razor stone
Class
Igneous Rocks
Sedimentary Rocks
Sub-Class
Durable Rock, Hard Rock
Durable Rock, Hard Rock
Group
Volcanic
Not Applicable
Other Categories
Fine Grained Rock, Medium Grained Rock, Opaque Rock
Fine Grained Rock, Opaque Rock
Texture
Aphanitic, Granular
Banded, Glassy, Rough, Vitreous
Color
Dark Grey to Black
Black, Brown, Green, Grey, Red, White
Durability
Durable
Durable
Scratch Resistant
Yes
Yes
Appearance
Vesicular
Glassy or Pearly
Interior Uses
Countertops, Decorative Aggregates, Homes, Interior Decoration, Kitchens
Countertops, Decorative Aggregates, Flooring, Interior Decoration
Exterior Uses
As Building Stone, As Facing Stone, Paving Stone, Garden Decoration, Office Buildings
As Building Stone, Garden Decoration
Other Architectural Uses
Curbing
Curbing
Construction Industry
As Dimension Stone, Building houses or walls, Cement Manufacture, Construction Aggregate, for Road Aggregate
Arrowheads, Building houses or walls, Cement Manufacture, Construction Aggregate, Cutting Tool, for Road Aggregate, Knives, Landscaping, Making natural cement, Production of Glass and Ceramics, Rail Track Ballast, Roadstone, Spear Points, Used to sharpen metal tools and weapons
Medical Industry
Not Yet Used
Not Yet Used
Antiquity Uses
Artifacts, Monuments, Sculpture, Small Figurines
Artifacts, Monuments
Commercial Uses
An Oil and Gas Reservoir, Cemetery Markers, Commemorative Tablets, Laboratory bench tops, Jewelry, Sea Defence, Tombstones
Cemetery Markers, Gemstone, In aquifers, In fire-starting tools, Jewelry, Manufacture of tools, Pebbles are used in ball mills to grind in ceramics industry, To determine the gold content of jewelry
Types
Not Available
Not Available
Features
Smooth to touch
Clasts are smooth to touch, Easily splits into thin plates, Has High structural resistance against erosion and climate
Archaeological Significance
Famous Monuments
Stonehenge in English county of Wiltshire
Data Not Available
Sculpture
Used
Not Yet Used
Famous Sculptures
Data Not Available
Not Applicable
Pictographs
Not Used
Not Used
Petroglyphs
Not Used
Not 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.
Novaculite forms when microcrystals of silicon dioxide grow within soft sediments that become limestone or chalk. The formation of Novaculite can be either of chemical or biological origin.
Mineral Content
Augite, Chlorite, Olivine, Plagioclase, Pyroxene, Pyrrhotite, Serpentine
Quartz, Silicon
Compound Content
Aluminium Oxide, CaO, Chromium(III) Oxide, Iron(III) Oxide, Potassium Oxide, MgO, Sodium Oxide, Silicon Dioxide, Sulfur Trioxide
Ca, Silicon Dioxide
Types of Metamorphism
Burial Metamorphism, Cataclastic Metamorphism, Contact Metamorphism, Regional Metamorphism
Not Applicable
Types of Weathering
Biological Weathering, Chemical Weathering
Not Applicable
Types of Erosion
Chemical Erosion, Coastal Erosion, Water Erosion
Chemical Erosion, Coastal Erosion, Glacier Erosion
Grain Size
Fine to Medium Grained
Fine Grained
Fracture
Conchoidal
Conchoidal
Porosity
Highly Porous
Less Porous
Luster
Not Available
Waxy and Dull
Cleavage
Not Available
Non-Existent
Specific Gravity
2.86-2.87
2.5-2.7
Transparency
Opaque
Translucent to Opaque
Density
2.7-3.3 g/cm3
2.7 g/cm3
Specific Heat Capacity
Not Available
Resistance
Heat Resistant, Impact Resistant, Pressure Resistant, Wear Resistant
Heat Resistant, Impact Resistant, Pressure Resistant, Wear Resistant
Deposits in Eastern Continents
Asia
India
China, India, Iran, Japan, Oman, Russia, Saudi Arabia, Taiwan, Thailand, Vietnam
Africa
South Africa, Tanzania
Kenya, Morocco, South Africa, Tanzania
Europe
Germany, Greece, Italy, Scotland, Turkey
Austria, France, Greece, Italy, Malta, Poland, Portugal, Serbia, Spain, Sweden, United Kingdom
Others
Antarctica, Greenland
Greenland, Mid-Atlantic Ridge
Deposits in Western Continents
North America
Canada, USA
Canada, Mexico, USA
South America
Argentina, Brazil, Colombia, Venezuela
Bolivia, Brazil
Deposits in Oceania Continent
Australia
Central Australia, New Zealand, Queensland, Western Australia
New South Wales, Queensland, South Australia, Western Australia
Diabase vs Novaculite 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. Diabase vs Novaculite characteristics assist us to distinguish and recognize rocks. Also you can check about Properties of Diabase and Properties of Novaculite. Learn more about Diabase vs Novaculite in the next section. The interior uses of Diabase include Countertops, Decorative aggregates, Homes, Interior decoration and Kitchens whereas the interior uses of Novaculite include Countertops, Decorative aggregates, Flooring and Interior decoration. Due to some exceptional properties of Diabase and Novaculite, they have various applications in construction industry. The uses of Diabase in construction industry include As dimension stone, Building houses or walls, Cement manufacture, Construction aggregate, For road aggregate and that of Novaculite include Arrowheads, Building houses or walls, Cement manufacture, Construction aggregate, Cutting tool, For road aggregate, Knives, Landscaping, Making natural cement, Production of glass and ceramics, Rail track ballast, Roadstone, Spear points, Used to sharpen metal tools and weapons.
More about Diabase and Novaculite
Here you can know more about Diabase and Novaculite. The life cycle of a rock consists of formation of rock, composition of rock and transformation of rock. The composition of Diabase and Novaculite consists of mineral content and compound content. The mineral content of Diabase includes Augite, Chlorite, Olivine, Plagioclase, Pyroxene, Pyrrhotite, Serpentine and mineral content of Novaculite includes Quartz, Silicon. You can also check out the list of all . When we have to compare Diabase vs Novaculite, the texture, color and appearance plays an important role in determining the type of rock. Diabase is available in dark grey to black colors whereas, Novaculite is available in black, brown, green, grey, red, white colors. Appearance of Diabase is Vesicular and that of Novaculite is Glassy or Pearly. Properties of rock is another aspect for Diabase vs Novaculite. Hardness of Diabase and Novaculite is 7. The types of Diabase are Not Available whereas types of Novaculite are Not Available. Streak of rock is the color of powder produced when it is dragged across an unweathered surface. The streak of Diabase is black while that of Novaculite is colorless. The specific heat capacity of Diabase is Not Available and that of Novaculite is 0.74 kJ/Kg K. Depending on the properties like hardness, toughness, specific heat capacity, porosity etc., rocks are resistant to heat, wear, impact, etc.Diabase is heat resistant, impact resistant, pressure resistant, wear resistant whereas Novaculite is heat resistant, impact resistant, pressure resistant, wear resistant.