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
Novaculite is a dense, hard, fine-grained, siliceous metamorpic rock which is a type of chert that breaks with conchoidal fracture
Origin
Southern Mongolia
Unknown
Discoverer
Unknown
Unknown
Etymology
From Greek dia through and meiktós or mixed
From Latin word novacula, for razor stone
Class
Sedimentary Rocks
Sedimentary Rocks
Sub-Class
Durable Rock, Soft Rock
Durable Rock, Hard Rock
Group
Not Applicable
Not Applicable
Other Categories
Coarse Grained Rock, Opaque Rock
Fine Grained Rock, Opaque Rock
Texture
Clastic
Banded, Glassy, Rough, Vitreous
Color
Brown, Buff
Black, Brown, Green, Grey, Red, White
Durability
Durable
Durable
Appearance
Banded
Glassy or Pearly
Interior Uses
Decorative Aggregates, Interior Decoration
Countertops, Decorative Aggregates, Flooring, Interior Decoration
Exterior Uses
As Building Stone, Paving Stone
As Building Stone, Garden Decoration
Other Architectural Uses
Curbing
Curbing
Construction Industry
As Dimension Stone, Construction Aggregate, for Road Aggregate, Landscaping, Roadstone
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
Artifacts, Monuments
Commercial Uses
Commemorative Tablets, Creating Artwork, Production of Lime
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
Bedded Diamictite and Laminated Diamictite
Not Available
Features
Host Rock for Lead, Is one of the oldest rock
Clasts are smooth to touch, Easily splits into thin plates, Has High structural resistance against erosion and climate
Archaeological Significance
Monuments
Not Yet Used
Used
Famous Monuments
Not Applicable
Data Not Available
Sculpture
Not Yet Used
Not Yet Used
Famous Sculptures
Not Applicable
Not Applicable
Pictographs
Used
Not Used
Petroglyphs
Used
Not Used
Figurines
Not Yet Used
Not Yet Used
Formation
Diamictite is unevenly sorted terrigenous, non-calcareous sedimentary rock which forms due to weathering of mudstone and sandstone.
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
Calcite, Clay, Feldspar, Micas, Quartz
Quartz, Silicon
Compound Content
Not Available
Ca, Silicon Dioxide
Types of Metamorphism
Not Applicable
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
Coarse Grained
Fine Grained
Fracture
Conchoidal to Uneven
Conchoidal
Streak
Light to dark brown
Colorless
Porosity
Highly Porous
Less Porous
Luster
Grainy, Pearly and Vitreous
Waxy and Dull
Compressive Strength
Not Available
Cleavage
Not Available
Non-Existent
Toughness
Not Available
1.5
Specific Gravity
4.3-5.0
2.5-2.7
Transparency
Opaque
Translucent to Opaque
Density
2.2-2.35 g/cm3
2.7 g/cm3
Resistance
Heat Resistant, Impact Resistant
Heat Resistant, Impact Resistant, Pressure Resistant, Wear Resistant
Deposits in Eastern Continents
Asia
China, India, Kazakhstan, Mongolia, Russia
China, India, Iran, Japan, Oman, Russia, Saudi Arabia, Taiwan, Thailand, Vietnam
Africa
Namibia, Nigeria, South Africa
Kenya, Morocco, South Africa, Tanzania
Europe
Austria, Denmark, Germany, Great Britain, Netherlands, Norway, Poland, Sweden, Switzerland, United Kingdom
Austria, France, Greece, Italy, Malta, Poland, Portugal, Serbia, Spain, Sweden, United Kingdom
Others
Not Yet Found
Greenland, Mid-Atlantic Ridge
Deposits in Western Continents
North America
Canada, USA
Canada, Mexico, USA
South America
Brazil, Venezuela
Bolivia, Brazil
Deposits in Oceania Continent
Australia
New South Wales, New Zealand
New South Wales, Queensland, South Australia, Western Australia
Diamictite 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. Diamictite vs Novaculite characteristics assist us to distinguish and recognize rocks. Also you can check about Properties of Diamictite and Properties of Novaculite. Learn more about Diamictite vs Novaculite in the next section. The interior uses of Diamictite include Decorative aggregates and Interior decoration whereas the interior uses of Novaculite include Countertops, Decorative aggregates, Flooring and Interior decoration. Due to some exceptional properties of Diamictite and Novaculite, they have various applications in construction industry. The uses of Diamictite in construction industry include As dimension stone, Construction aggregate, For road aggregate, Landscaping, Roadstone 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 Diamictite and Novaculite
Here you can know more about Diamictite and Novaculite. The life cycle of a rock consists of formation of rock, composition of rock and transformation of rock. The composition of Diamictite and Novaculite consists of mineral content and compound content. The mineral content of Diamictite includes Calcite, Clay, Feldspar, Micas, Quartz and mineral content of Novaculite includes Quartz, Silicon. You can also check out the list of all Sedimentary Rocks. When we have to compare Diamictite vs Novaculite, the texture, color and appearance plays an important role in determining the type of rock. Diamictite is available in brown, buff colors whereas, Novaculite is available in black, brown, green, grey, red, white colors. Appearance of Diamictite is Banded and that of Novaculite is Glassy or Pearly. Properties of rock is another aspect for Diamictite vs Novaculite. The hardness of Diamictite is 2-3 and that of Novaculite is 7. The types of Diamictite are Bedded Diamictite and Laminated Diamictite 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 Diamictite is light to dark brown while that of Novaculite is colorless. The specific heat capacity of Diamictite is 0.75 kJ/Kg K 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.Diamictite is heat resistant, impact resistant whereas Novaculite is heat resistant, impact resistant, pressure resistant, wear resistant.