Epidosite

Chert

Epidosite vs Chert

Epidosite

Chert

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Definition

Epidosite is a highly altered epidote and quartz bearing rock which is a type of metasomatite, essentially altered basalt

Chert is a hard, dark, opaque sedimentary rock which is composed of silica with an amorphous fine-grained texture

History

Origin

Discoverer

Unknown

Etymology

From flint-like quartz, 1670s, of unknown origin- a local term, which has been taken into geological use

Class

Igneous Rocks

Sedimentary Rocks

Sub-Class

Durable Rock, Medium Hardness Rock

Durable Rock, Hard Rock

Family

Group

Volcanic

Other Categories

Coarse Grained Rock, Fine Grained Rock, Opaque Rock

Fine Grained Rock, Opaque Rock

Texture

Glassy, Massive, Porphyritic, Scoriaceous, Vesicular

Banded, Rough

Color

Black, Brown, Light to Dark Grey

Black, Brown, Green, Grey, Red, White

Maintenance

Less

Durability

Durable

Water Resistant

✔ ✘

Scratch Resistant

✔ ✘

Stain Resistant

✔ ✘

Wind Resistant

✔ ✘

Acid Resistant

✔ ✘

Appearance

Dull and Soft

Glassy or Pearly

Uses

Architecture

Interior Uses

Decorative Aggregates, Floor Tiles, Homes, Hotels, Interior Decoration

Decorative Aggregates, Homes

Exterior Uses

As Facing Stone, Garden Decoration, Office Buildings, Paving Stone

As Building Stone, As Facing Stone, Garden Decoration, Office Buildings

Other Architectural Uses

Curbing

Industry

Construction Industry

As Dimension Stone, Cobblestones, Rail Track Ballast, Roadstone

Arrowheads, Construction Aggregate, Cutting Tool, Spear Points

Medical Industry

Antiquity Uses

Artifacts, Monuments, Sculpture, Small Figurines

Artifacts, Monuments

Other Uses

Commercial Uses

Commemorative Tablets, Creating Artwork

Creating Artwork, Gemstone, In fire-starting tools, Jewelry, To ignite fire, Used in flintlock firearms

Types

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

Flint, Jasper, Radiolarite, Common Chert, Chalcedony, Agate, Onyx, Opal, Magadi-type Chert, Porcelanite, Siliceous Sinter

Features

Has High structural resistance against erosion and climate, Very fine grained rock

Clasts are smooth to touch, Easily splits into thin plates, Has High structural resistance against erosion and climate

Archaeological Significance

Monuments

Famous Monuments

Sculpture

Famous Sculptures

Pictographs

Petroglyphs

Figurines

Fossils

Absent

Present

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.

Chert forms when microcrystals of silicon dioxide grow within soft sediments that become limestone or chalk. The chert formation can be either of chemical or biological origin.

Composition

Mineral Content

Olivine, Plagioclase, Pyroxene

Quartz, Silicon

Compound Content

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

Silicon Dioxide

Transformation

Metamorphism

✔ ✘

Types of Metamorphism

Burial Metamorphism, Cataclastic Metamorphism, Hydrothermal Metamorphism, Impact Metamorphism

Weathering

✔ ✘

Types of Weathering

Biological Weathering, Chemical Weathering, Mechanical Weathering

Erosion

✔ ✘

Types of Erosion

Chemical Erosion

Properties

Physical Properties

Hardness

66.5-7

1 7

👆🏻

Grain Size

Fine to Coarse Grained

Very fine-grained

Fracture

Conchoidal

Uneven, Splintery or Conchoidal

Streak

White to Grey

White

Porosity

Less Porous

Highly Porous

Luster

Waxy and Dull

Compressive Strength

160.00 N/mm²450.00 N/mm²

0.15 450

👆🏻

Cleavage

Toughness

2.3

1.5

Specific Gravity

2.8-32.5-2.8

0 8.4

👆🏻

Transparency

Opaque

Translucent to Opaque

Density

-9999 g/cm³2.7 g/cm³

0 1400

👆🏻

Thermal Properties

Specific Heat Capacity

0.84 kJ/Kg K0.74 kJ/Kg K

0.14 3.2

👆🏻

Resistance

Heat Resistant, Pressure Resistant, Wear Resistant

Heat Resistant, Impact Resistant, Pressure Resistant, Wear Resistant

Reserves

Deposits in Eastern Continents

Asia

India, Russia

China, India, Iran, Japan, Oman, Russia, Saudi Arabia, Taiwan, Thailand, Vietnam

Africa

South Africa

Kenya, Morocco, South Africa, Tanzania

Europe

Iceland

Austria, France, Greece, Italy, Malta, Poland, Portugal, Serbia, Spain, Sweden, United Kingdom

Others

Greenland, Mid-Atlantic Ridge

Deposits in Western Continents

North America

Canada, USA

Canada, Mexico, USA

South America

Brazil

Bolivia, Brazil

Deposits in Oceania Continent

Australia

New South Wales, Queensland, South Australia, Western Australia

Epidosite vs Chert Information

Earth’s outer layer is covered by rocks and these rocks have different physical and chemical properties. As two rocks are not same, it’s fun to compare them. You can also know more about Epidosite and Chert Reserves. Epidosite is a highly altered epidote and quartz bearing rock which is a type of metasomatite, essentially altered basalt. Chert is a hard, dark, opaque sedimentary rock which is composed of silica with an amorphous fine-grained texture. These rocks are composed of many distinct minerals. The process of formation of rocks is different for various rocks. Rocks are quarried from many years for various purposes. You can check out Epidosite vs Chert information and Epidosite vs Chert characteristics in the upcoming sections.

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Epidosite vs Chert 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. Epidosite vs Chert characteristics assist us to distinguish and recognize rocks. Also you can check about Properties of Epidosite and Properties of Chert. Learn more about Epidosite vs Chert in the next section. The interior uses of Epidosite include Decorative aggregates, Floor tiles, Homes, Hotels and Interior decoration whereas the interior uses of Chert include Decorative aggregates and Homes. Due to some exceptional properties of Epidosite and Chert, they have various applications in construction industry. The uses of Epidosite in construction industry include As dimension stone, Cobblestones, Rail track ballast, Roadstone and that of Chert include Arrowheads, Construction aggregate, Cutting tool, Spear points.

More about Epidosite and Chert

Here you can know more about Epidosite and Chert. The life cycle of a rock consists of formation of rock, composition of rock and transformation of rock. The composition of Epidosite and Chert consists of mineral content and compound content. The mineral content of Epidosite includes Olivine, Plagioclase, Pyroxene and mineral content of Chert includes Quartz, Silicon. You can also check out the list of all Igneous Rocks. When we have to compare Epidosite vs Chert, the texture, color and appearance plays an important role in determining the type of rock. Epidosite is available in black, brown, light to dark grey colors whereas, Chert is available in black, brown, green, grey, red, white colors. Appearance of Epidosite is Dull and Soft and that of Chert is Glassy or Pearly. Properties of rock is another aspect for Epidosite vs Chert. The hardness of Epidosite is 6 and that of Chert is 6.5-7. The types of Epidosite are Alkaline Basalt, Boninite, High Alumina Basalt, Mid Ocean Ridge Basalt (MORB), Tholeiitic Basalt, Basaltic trachyandesite, Mugearite and Shoshonite whereas types of Chert are Flint, Jasper, Radiolarite, Common Chert, Chalcedony, Agate, Onyx, Opal, Magadi-type Chert, Porcelanite, Siliceous Sinter. Streak of rock is the color of powder produced when it is dragged across an unweathered surface. The streak of Epidosite is white to grey while that of Chert is white. The specific heat capacity of Epidosite is 0.84 kJ/Kg K and that of Chert 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.Epidosite is heat resistant, pressure resistant, wear resistant whereas Chert is heat resistant, impact resistant, pressure resistant, wear resistant.