Definition
Diamictite is a sedimentary rock that consists of non-sorted to poorly sorted terrigenous sediment containing particles that range in size from clay to boulders, suspended in a matrix of mudstone or sandstone
Very fine grained fault rock which is composed of glassy matrix that often contains inclusions of wall-rock fragments.
History
Origin
Southern Mongolia
USA
Discoverer
Unknown
Unknown
Etymology
From Greek dia through and meiktós or mixed
From pseudo- + tachylite, a glassy rock generated by frictional heat within faults.
Class
Sedimentary Rocks
Metamorphic Rocks
Sub-Class
Durable Rock, Soft Rock
Durable Rock, Hard Rock
Family
Group
-
-
Other Categories
Coarse Grained Rock, Opaque Rock
Fine Grained Rock, Opaque Rock
Texture
Clastic
Quench
Color
Brown, Buff
Black, Brown, Green, Grey, Pink, White
Maintenance
Less
Less
Durability
Durable
Durable
Water Resistant
✔
✘
✔
✘
Scratch Resistant
✔
✘
✔
✘
Stain Resistant
✔
✘
✔
✘
Wind Resistant
✔
✘
✔
✘
Acid Resistant
✔
✘
✔
✘
Appearance
Banded
Dull and Soft
Architecture
Interior Uses
Decorative Aggregates, Interior Decoration
Decorative Aggregates, Entryways, Interior Decoration
Exterior Uses
As Building Stone, Paving Stone
As Building Stone, As Facing Stone, Garden Decoration
Other Architectural Uses
Curbing
Curbing
Industry
Construction Industry
As Dimension Stone, Construction Aggregate, for Road Aggregate, Landscaping, Roadstone
As Dimension Stone, Cement Manufacture, for Road Aggregate, Making natural cement
Medical Industry
-
-
Antiquity Uses
Artifacts
Artifacts, Monuments
Other Uses
Commercial Uses
Commemorative Tablets, Creating Artwork, Production of Lime
Creating Artwork, Gemstone
Types
Bedded Diamictite and Laminated Diamictite
Cataclastic rock
Features
Host Rock for Lead, Is one of the oldest rock
Host Rock for Lead
Archaeological Significance
Monuments
-
-
Famous Monuments
-
-
Sculpture
-
-
Famous Sculptures
-
-
Pictographs
-
-
Petroglyphs
-
-
Figurines
-
-
Fossils
Present
Absent
Formation
Diamictite is unevenly sorted terrigenous, non-calcareous sedimentary rock which forms due to weathering of mudstone and sandstone.
Due to change in environmental conditions, rocks are heated and pressurized deep inside the Earth's surface. Pseudotachylite is formed from the extreme heat caused by magma or by the intense collisions and friction of tectonic plates.
Composition
Mineral Content
Calcite, Clay, Feldspar, Micas, Quartz
Iron Oxides, Pyroxene, Quartz, Stishovite, Sulfides
Compound Content
-
Carbon Dioxide, Silicon Dioxide, Sulfur Dioxide, Sulphur
Transformation
Metamorphism
✔
✘
✔
✘
Types of Metamorphism
-
Burial Metamorphism, Cataclastic Metamorphism, Contact Metamorphism
Weathering
✔
✘
✔
✘
Types of Weathering
Biological Weathering, Chemical Weathering
-
Erosion
✔
✘
✔
✘
Types of Erosion
Chemical Erosion, Coastal Erosion, Water Erosion
-
Physical Properties
Hardness
2-37
1
7
👆🏻
Grain Size
Coarse Grained
Very fine-grained
Fracture
Conchoidal to Uneven
Uneven
Streak
Light to dark brown
Light to dark brown
Porosity
Highly Porous
Less Porous
Luster
Grainy, Pearly and Vitreous
Vitreous
Compressive Strength
-60.00 N/mm2
0.15
450
👆🏻
Cleavage
-
-
Toughness
-
-
Specific Gravity
4.3-5.02.46-2.86
0
8.4
👆🏻
Transparency
Opaque
Transparent to Translucent
Density
2.2-2.35 g/cm32.7-2.9 g/cm3
0
1400
👆🏻
Thermal Properties
Specific Heat Capacity
0.75 kJ/Kg K0.92 kJ/Kg K
0.14
3.2
👆🏻
Resistance
Heat Resistant, Impact Resistant
Heat Resistant
Deposits in Eastern Continents
Asia
China, India, Kazakhstan, Mongolia, Russia
South Korea
Africa
Namibia, Nigeria, South Africa
Western Africa
Europe
Austria, Denmark, Germany, Great Britain, Netherlands, Norway, Poland, Sweden, Switzerland, United Kingdom
Great Britain, Switzerland
Others
-
-
Deposits in Western Continents
North America
Canada, USA
-
South America
Brazil, Venezuela
-
Deposits in Oceania Continent
Australia
New South Wales, New Zealand
Central Australia, Western Australia