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Epidosite and Amphibolite


Amphibolite and Epidosite


Definition

Definition
Epidosite is a highly altered epidote and quartz bearing rock which is a type of metasomatite, essentially altered basalt   
Amphibolite can be defined as a granular metamorphic rock which mainly consist of hornblende and plagioclase   

History
  
  

Discoverer
Unknown   
Alexandre Brongniart   

Etymology
Not Available   
From Amphibole + -ite   

Class
Igneous Rocks   
Metamorphic Rocks   

Sub-Class
Durable Rock, Medium Hardness Rock   
Durable Rock, Hard Rock   

Family
  
  

Group
Volcanic   
Not Applicable   

Other Categories
Coarse Grained Rock, Fine Grained Rock, Opaque Rock   
Coarse Grained Rock, Medium Grained Rock, Opaque Rock   

Texture

Texture
Glassy, Massive, Porphyritic, Scoriaceous, Vesicular   
Banded, Foliated, Massive   

Color
Black, Brown, Light to Dark Grey   
Black, Brown, Green, Grey   

Maintenance
Less   
Less   

Durability
Durable   
Durable   

Water Resistant
Yes   
Yes   

Scratch Resistant
Yes   
Yes   

Stain Resistant
Yes   
Yes   

Wind Resistant
Yes   
No   

Acid Resistant
No   
Yes   

Appearance
Dull and Soft   
Foliated   

Uses

Architecture
  
  

Interior Uses
Decorative Aggregates, Floor Tiles, Homes, Hotels, Interior Decoration   
Countertops, Decorative Aggregates, Entryways, Floor Tiles, Flooring, Homes, Hotels, Kitchens   

Exterior Uses
As Facing Stone, Garden Decoration, Office Buildings, Paving Stone   
As Building Stone, As Facing Stone, Paving Stone, Office Buildings   

Other Architectural Uses
Curbing   
Curbing   

Industry
  
  

Construction Industry
As Dimension Stone, Cobblestones, Rail Track Ballast, Roadstone   
As Dimension Stone, Building houses or walls, Cobblestones, Construction Aggregate, for Road Aggregate, Landscaping, Production of Glass and Ceramics, Roadstone   

Medical Industry
Not Yet Used   
Not Yet Used   

Antiquity Uses
Artifacts, Monuments, Sculpture, Small Figurines   
Artifacts, Sculpture, Small Figurines   

Other Uses
  
  

Commercial Uses
Commemorative Tablets, Creating Artwork   
Cemetery Markers, Commemorative Tablets, Creating Artwork   

Types

Types
Alkaline Basalt, Boninite, High Alumina Basalt, Mid Ocean Ridge Basalt (MORB), Tholeiitic Basalt, Basaltic trachyandesite, Mugearite and Shoshonite   
Hornblendite   

Features
Has High structural resistance against erosion and climate, Very fine grained rock   
Clasts are smooth to touch, Matrix variable, Surfaces are often shiny   

Archaeological Significance
  
  

Monuments
Used   
Used   

Famous Monuments
Data Not Available   
Data Not Available   

Sculpture
Used   
Used   

Famous Sculptures
Data Not Available   
Data Not Available   

Pictographs
Used   
Not Used   

Petroglyphs
Used   
Not Used   

Figurines
Used   
Used   

Fossils
Absent   
Absent   

Formation

Formation
Epidosite is a fine-grained, hard rock which is a type of metasomatite, essentially altered basalt. It forms with or without crystallization, either below the surface as intrusive rocks or on the surface as extrusive rocks.   
Amphibolite is a coarse-grained metamorphic rock which forms by metamorphism of mafic igneous rocks like basalt and gabbro or from the metamorphism of clay-rich sedimentary rocks like marl or graywacke.   

Composition
  
  

Mineral Content
Olivine, Plagioclase, Pyroxene   
Amphibole, Andalusite, Biotite, Calcite, Epidote, Garnet, Hornblade, Kyanite, Magnetite, Olivine, Plagioclase, Pyroxene, Staurolite, Wollastonite   

Compound Content
Aluminium Oxide, CaO, Iron(III) Oxide, FeO, Potassium Oxide, MgO, MnO, Sodium Oxide, Phosphorus Pentoxide, Silicon Dioxide, Titanium Dioxide   
Aluminium Oxide, CaO, Iron(III) Oxide, FeO, Potassium Oxide, MgO, MnO, Sodium Oxide, Phosphorus Pentoxide, Silicon Dioxide, Titanium Dioxide   

Transformation
  
  

Metamorphism
Yes   
No   

Types of Metamorphism
Burial Metamorphism, Cataclastic Metamorphism, Hydrothermal Metamorphism, Impact Metamorphism   
Not Applicable   

Weathering
Yes   
Yes   

Types of Weathering
Biological Weathering, Chemical Weathering, Mechanical Weathering   
Chemical Weathering, Mechanical Weathering   

Erosion
No   
Yes   

Types of Erosion
Not Applicable   
Chemical Erosion, Glacier Erosion, Sea Erosion, Wind Erosion   

Properties

Physical Properties
  
  

Hardness
6   
6-7   

Grain Size
Fine to Coarse Grained   
Medium to Coarse Grained   

Fracture
Conchoidal   
Irregular to Conchoidal   

Streak
White to Grey   
White to Grey   

Porosity
Less Porous   
Less Porous   

Luster
Not Available   
Vitreous to Dull   

Cleavage
Not Available   
Irregular   

Toughness
2.3   
2.3   

Specific Gravity
2.8-3   
2.5   

Transparency
Opaque   
Opaque   

Density
Not Available   
2.85-3.07 g/cm3   

Thermal Properties
  
  

Resistance
Heat Resistant, Pressure Resistant, Wear Resistant   
Heat Resistant, Pressure Resistant, Wear Resistant   

Reserves

Deposits in Eastern Continents
  
  

Asia
India, Russia   
Russia, Turkey   

Africa
South Africa   
Burundi, Djibouti, Eritrea, Ethiopia, Kenya, Madagascar, Rwanda, Somalia, South Africa, Sudan, Tanzania, Uganda   

Europe
Iceland   
Germany, Greece, Iceland, Norway, Poland   

Others
Not Yet Found   
Not Yet Found   

Deposits in Western Continents
  
  

North America
Canada, USA   
Canada, USA   

South America
Brazil   
Brazil   

Deposits in Oceania Continent
  
  

Australia
Not Yet Found   
South Australia, Western Australia   

Summary >>
<< Reserves

All about Epidosite and Amphibolite Properties

Know all about Epidosite and Amphibolite properties here. All properties of rocks are important as they define the type of rock and its application. Epidosite belongs to Igneous Rocks while Amphibolite belongs to Metamorphic Rocks.Texture of Epidosite is Glassy, Massive, Porphyritic, Scoriaceous, Vesicular whereas that of Amphibolite is Banded, Foliated, Massive. Epidosite appears Dull and Soft and Amphibolite appears Foliated. The luster of Epidosite is not available while that of Amphibolite is vitreous to dull. Epidosite is available in black, brown, light to dark grey colors whereas Amphibolite is available in black, brown, green, grey colors. The commercial uses of Epidosite are commemorative tablets, creating artwork and that of Amphibolite are cemetery markers, commemorative tablets, creating artwork.

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