1 Definition
1.1 Definition
Diabase is a fine-grained igneous rock which is composed mostly of pyroxene and feldspar
Schist is a medium grade metamorphic rock with medium to large, flat, sheet like grains in a preferred orientation
1.2 History
1.2.1 Origin
1.2.2 Discoverer
Christian Leopold von Buch
Unknown
1.3 Etymology
From Greek di + base
From French schiste, Greek skhistos i.e. split
1.4 Class
Igneous Rocks
Metamorphic Rocks
1.4.1 Sub-Class
Durable Rock, Hard Rock
Durable Rock, Medium Hardness Rock
1.5 Family
1.5.1 Group
1.6 Other Categories
Fine Grained Rock, Medium Grained Rock, Opaque Rock
Coarse Grained Rock, Fine Grained Rock, Medium Grained Rock, Opaque Rock
2 Texture
2.1 Texture
Aphanitic, Granular
Foliated, Platy
2.2 Color
Dark Grey to Black
Black, Blue, Brown, Dark Brown, Green, Grey, Silver
2.3 Maintenance
2.4 Durability
2.4.1 Water Resistant
2.4.2 Scratch Resistant
2.4.3 Stain Resistant
2.4.4 Wind Resistant
2.4.5 Acid Resistant
2.5 Appearance
Vesicular
Layered and Shiny
3 Uses
3.1 Architecture
3.1.1 Interior Uses
Countertops, Decorative Aggregates, Homes, Interior Decoration, Kitchens
Decorative Aggregates, Floor Tiles, Interior Decoration
3.1.2 Exterior Uses
As Building Stone, As Facing Stone, Paving Stone, Garden Decoration, Office Buildings
Garden Decoration, Paving Stone
3.1.3 Other Architectural Uses
3.2 Industry
3.2.1 Construction Industry
As Dimension Stone, Building houses or walls, Cement Manufacture, Construction Aggregate, for Road Aggregate
As Dimension Stone, Building houses or walls, Cement Manufacture, for Road Aggregate, Roadstone
3.2.2 Medical Industry
Not Yet Used
Not Yet Used
3.3 Antiquity Uses
Artifacts, Monuments, Sculpture, Small Figurines
Artifacts
3.4 Other Uses
3.4.1 Commercial Uses
An Oil and Gas Reservoir, Cemetery Markers, Commemorative Tablets, Laboratory bench tops, Jewelry, Sea Defence, Tombstones
Used in aquariums, Writing Slates
4 Types
4.1 Types
Not Available
Mica Schists, Calc-Silicate Schists, Graphite Schists, Blueschists, Whiteschists, Greenschists, Hornblende Schist, Talc Schist, Chlorite Schist, Garnet Schist, Glaucophane schist.
4.2 Features
Smooth to touch
Easily splits into thin plates, Smooth to touch
4.3 Archaeological Significance
4.3.1 Monuments
4.3.2 Famous Monuments
Stonehenge in English county of Wiltshire
Not Applicable
4.3.3 Sculpture
4.3.4 Famous Sculptures
Data Not Available
Not Applicable
4.3.5 Pictographs
4.3.6 Petroglyphs
4.3.7 Figurines
4.4 Fossils
5 Formation
5.1 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.
Schist formed by dynamic metamorphism at high temperatures and pressures that aligns the grains of mica, hornblende and other elongated minerals into thin layers.
5.2 Composition
5.2.1 Mineral Content
Augite, Chlorite, Olivine, Plagioclase, Pyroxene, Pyrrhotite, Serpentine
Alusite, Amphibole, Biotite, Chlorite, Epidote, Feldspar, Garnet, Graphite, Hornblade, Kyanite, Micas, Muscovite or Illite, Porphyroblasts, Quartz, Sillimanite, Staurolite, Talc
5.2.2 Compound Content
Aluminium Oxide, CaO, Chromium(III) Oxide, Iron(III) Oxide, Potassium Oxide, MgO, Sodium Oxide, Silicon Dioxide, Sulfur Trioxide
CaO, Carbon Dioxide, MgO
5.3 Transformation
5.3.1 Metamorphism
5.3.2 Types of Metamorphism
Burial Metamorphism, Cataclastic Metamorphism, Contact Metamorphism, Regional Metamorphism
Not Applicable
5.3.3 Weathering
5.3.4 Types of Weathering
Biological Weathering, Chemical Weathering
Biological Weathering, Chemical Weathering, Mechanical Weathering
5.3.5 Erosion
5.3.6 Types of Erosion
Chemical Erosion, Coastal Erosion, Water Erosion
Chemical Erosion, Coastal Erosion, Glacier Erosion
6 Properties
6.1 Physical Properties
6.1.1 Hardness
6.1.2 Grain Size
Fine to Medium Grained
Medium to Fine Coarse Grained
6.1.3 Fracture
6.1.4 Streak
6.1.5 Porosity
Highly Porous
Highly Porous
6.1.6 Luster
6.1.7 Compressive Strength
6.1.8 Cleavage
6.1.9 Toughness
6.1.10 Specific Gravity
6.1.11 Transparency
6.1.12 Density
2.7-3.3 g/cm32.8-2.9 g/cm3
0
1400
6.2 Thermal Properties
6.2.1 Specific Heat Capacity
6.2.2 Resistance
Heat Resistant, Impact Resistant, Pressure Resistant, Wear Resistant
Impact Resistant, Pressure Resistant, Water Resistant
7 Reserves
7.1 Deposits in Eastern Continents
7.1.1 Asia
India
Afghanistan, Bangladesh, Bhutan, China, India, Japan, Kazakhstan, Malaysia, Pakistan, Russia, Thailand, Turkey, Vietnam
7.1.2 Africa
South Africa, Tanzania
Egypt, Ethiopia, Morocco, Nigeria, South Africa
7.1.3 Europe
Germany, Greece, Italy, Scotland, Turkey
Austria, England, France, Georgia, Germany, Italy, Liechtenstein, Monaco, Norway, Slovenia, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland
7.1.4 Others
Antarctica, Greenland
Not Yet Found
7.2 Deposits in Western Continents
7.2.1 North America
Canada, USA
Canada, Costa Rica, Cuba, Mexico, Panama, USA
7.2.2 South America
Argentina, Brazil, Colombia, Venezuela
Brazil, Colombia, Guyana
7.3 Deposits in Oceania Continent
7.3.1 Australia
Central Australia, New Zealand, Queensland, Western Australia
New South Wales, New Zealand, Queensland