Definition
Diabase is a fine-grained igneous rock which is composed mostly of pyroxene and feldspar
Whiteschist is an uncommon rock type belonging to a class of metamorphic rock, this is formed at high-ultra-high pressures
History
Origin
Germany
Tasmania
Discoverer
Christian Leopold von Buch
Unknown
Etymology
From Greek di + base
From French schiste, Greek skhistos i.e. split
Class
Igneous Rocks
Metamorphic Rocks
Sub-Class
Durable Rock, Hard Rock
Durable Rock, Soft Rock
Family
Group
Volcanic
-
Other Categories
Fine Grained Rock, Medium Grained Rock, Opaque Rock
Fine Grained Rock, Medium Grained Rock, Opaque Rock
Texture
Aphanitic, Granular
Foliated
Color
Dark Grey to Black
Green, Grey, White
Maintenance
Less
Less
Durability
Durable
Durable
Water Resistant
✔
✘
✔
✘
Scratch Resistant
✔
✘
✔
✘
Stain Resistant
✔
✘
✔
✘
Wind Resistant
✔
✘
✔
✘
Acid Resistant
✔
✘
✔
✘
Appearance
Vesicular
Banded and Foilated
Architecture
Interior Uses
Countertops, Decorative Aggregates, Homes, Interior Decoration, Kitchens
Decorative Aggregates, Interior Decoration
Exterior Uses
As Building Stone, As Facing Stone, Paving Stone, Garden Decoration, Office Buildings
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
for Road Aggregate
Medical Industry
-
-
Antiquity Uses
Artifacts, Monuments, Sculpture, Small Figurines
Artifacts, Monuments, Sculpture, Small Figurines
Other Uses
Commercial Uses
An Oil and Gas Reservoir, Cemetery Markers, Commemorative Tablets, Laboratory bench tops, Jewelry, Sea Defence, Tombstones
Creating Artwork, Gemstone, Jewelry, Production of Lime
Types
Dolerite
-
Features
Smooth to touch
High percentage of mica, Host Rock for Lead
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.
Whiteschist is formed by dynamic metamorphism at high temperatures and pressures that aligns the grains of mica, hornblende and other elongated minerals into thin layers.
Composition
Mineral Content
Augite, Chlorite, Olivine, Plagioclase, Pyroxene, Pyrrhotite, Serpentine
Carbonate, Coesite, Quartz, Silica
Compound Content
Aluminium Oxide, CaO, Chromium(III) Oxide, Iron(III) Oxide, Potassium Oxide, MgO, Sodium Oxide, Silicon Dioxide, Sulfur Trioxide
CaO, Mg, MgO, Silicon Dioxide
Transformation
Metamorphism
✔
✘
✔
✘
Types of Metamorphism
Burial Metamorphism, Cataclastic Metamorphism, Contact 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, Glacier Erosion
Physical Properties
Hardness
71.5
1
7
👆🏻
Grain Size
Fine to Medium Grained
Fine to Medium Grained
Fracture
Conchoidal
Conchoidal
Streak
Black
White
Porosity
Highly Porous
Less Porous
Luster
-
Subvitreous to Dull
Compressive Strength
225.00 N/mm2200.00 N/mm2
0.15
450
👆🏻
Cleavage
-
Perfect
Toughness
1.6
1
Specific Gravity
2.86-2.872.86
0
8.4
👆🏻
Transparency
Opaque
Opaque
Density
2.7-3.3 g/cm32.8-2.9 g/cm3
0
1400
👆🏻
Thermal Properties
Specific Heat Capacity
0.84 kJ/Kg K0.92 kJ/Kg K
0.14
3.2
👆🏻
Resistance
Heat Resistant, Impact Resistant, Pressure Resistant, Wear Resistant
Heat Resistant
Deposits in Eastern Continents
Asia
India
Afghanistan, Bangladesh, Bhutan, China, India, Japan, Kazakhstan, Malaysia, Pakistan, Russia, Thailand, Turkey, Vietnam
Africa
South Africa, Tanzania
Egypt, Ethiopia, Morocco, Nigeria, South Africa
Europe
Germany, Greece, Italy, Scotland, Turkey
Austria, England, France, Georgia, Germany, Italy, Liechtenstein, Monaco, Norway, Slovenia, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland
Others
Antarctica, Greenland
-
Deposits in Western Continents
North America
Canada, USA
Canada, Costa Rica, Cuba, Mexico, Panama, USA
South America
Argentina, Brazil, Colombia, Venezuela
Brazil, Colombia, Guyana
Deposits in Oceania Continent
Australia
Central Australia, New Zealand, Queensland, Western Australia
New South Wales, New Zealand, Queensland