Definition
Diabase is a fine-grained igneous rock which is composed mostly of pyroxene and feldspar
Quartzite is a non-foliated metamorphic rock that forms by the metamorphism of pure quartz Sandstone
History
Origin
Germany
-
Discoverer
Christian Leopold von Buch
Unknown
Etymology
From Greek di + base
From quartz + -ite
Class
Igneous Rocks
Metamorphic Rocks
Sub-Class
Durable Rock, Hard Rock
Durable Rock, Hard Rock
Family
Group
Volcanic
-
Other Categories
Fine Grained Rock, Medium Grained Rock, Opaque Rock
Medium Grained Rock, Opaque Rock
Texture
Aphanitic, Granular
Foliated, Granular
Color
Dark Grey to Black
Black, Blue, Brown, Green, Light Grey, Purple, White, Yellow
Maintenance
Less
Less
Durability
Durable
Durable
Water Resistant
✔
✘
✔
✘
Scratch Resistant
✔
✘
✔
✘
Stain Resistant
✔
✘
✔
✘
Wind Resistant
✔
✘
✔
✘
Acid Resistant
✔
✘
✔
✘
Appearance
Vesicular
Lustrous
Architecture
Interior Uses
Countertops, Decorative Aggregates, Homes, Interior Decoration, Kitchens
Countertops, Decorative Aggregates, Flooring, Homes
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
Curbing
Industry
Construction Industry
As Dimension Stone, Building houses or walls, Cement Manufacture, Construction Aggregate, for Road Aggregate
Arrowheads, As Dimension Stone, Cement Manufacture, Construction Aggregate, Cutting Tool, for Road Aggregate, Making natural cement, Production of Glass and Ceramics, Rail Track Ballast, Roadstone
Medical Industry
-
-
Antiquity Uses
Artifacts, Monuments, Sculpture, Small Figurines
Artifacts, Jewellery, Monuments, Sculpture
Other Uses
Commercial Uses
An Oil and Gas Reservoir, Cemetery Markers, Commemorative Tablets, Laboratory bench tops, Jewelry, Sea Defence, Tombstones
An Oil and Gas Reservoir, As armour rock for sea walls, Cemetery Markers, Commemorative Tablets, In aquifers, Laboratory bench tops, Petroleum reservoirs, Soil Conditioner, Source of Magnesia (MgO), Tombstones, Used in aquariums
Types
Dolerite
Orthoquartzite and Metaquartzite
Features
Smooth to touch
Generally rough to touch, Is one of the oldest rock
Archaeological Significance
Monuments
-
-
Famous Monuments
Stonehenge in English county of Wiltshire
-
Sculpture
-
-
Famous Sculptures
-
-
Pictographs
-
-
Petroglyphs
-
-
Figurines
-
-
Fossils
Absent
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.
Quartzite forms from sandstone and the mineral quartz being put under extreme heat and pressure.
Composition
Mineral Content
Augite, Chlorite, Olivine, Plagioclase, Pyroxene, Pyrrhotite, Serpentine
Chlorite, Epidote, Hematite, Kyanite, Magnetite, Muscovite or Illite, Quartz
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, MgO, Sodium Oxide, Silicon Dioxide
Transformation
Metamorphism
✔
✘
✔
✘
Types of Metamorphism
Burial Metamorphism, Cataclastic Metamorphism, Contact Metamorphism, Regional Metamorphism
Burial Metamorphism, Cataclastic Metamorphism, Hydrothermal 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, Water Erosion, Wind Erosion
Physical Properties
Hardness
76-7
1
7
👆🏻
Grain Size
Fine to Medium Grained
Medium Grained
Fracture
Conchoidal
Uneven, Splintery or Conchoidal
Streak
Black
White
Porosity
Highly Porous
Less Porous
Luster
-
Vitreous
Compressive Strength
225.00 N/mm2115.00 N/mm2
0.15
450
👆🏻
Cleavage
-
Indiscernible
Toughness
1.6
1.9
Specific Gravity
2.86-2.872.6-2.8
0
8.4
👆🏻
Transparency
Opaque
Transparent to Translucent
Density
2.7-3.3 g/cm32.32-2.42 g/cm3
0
1400
👆🏻
Thermal Properties
Specific Heat Capacity
0.84 kJ/Kg K0.75 kJ/Kg K
0.14
3.2
👆🏻
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, Israel, Russia, South Korea, Thailand, Turkey
Africa
South Africa, Tanzania
Ethiopia, Morocco, South Africa, Zimbabwe
Europe
Germany, Greece, Italy, Scotland, Turkey
England, Italy, Norway, Scotland, Sweden, United Kingdom
Others
Antarctica, Greenland
Greenland
Deposits in Western Continents
North America
Canada, USA
Bahamas, Canada, USA
South America
Argentina, Brazil, Colombia, Venezuela
Brazil, Colombia, Venezuela
Deposits in Oceania Continent
Australia
Central Australia, New Zealand, Queensland, Western Australia
New Zealand, Queensland, Western Australia