Definition
Epidosite is a highly altered epidote and quartz bearing rock which is a type of metasomatite, essentially altered basalt
Ignimbrite is a volcanic rock consisting mainly of pumice fragments, formed by the consolidation of material deposited by pyroclastic flows
Discoverer
Unknown
Patrick Marshall
Etymology
-
From Latin ignis fire + imber, imbr- shower of rain, storm cloud + -ite
Class
Igneous Rocks
Igneous Rocks
Sub-Class
Durable Rock, Medium Hardness Rock
Durable Rock, Medium Hardness Rock
Other Categories
Coarse Grained Rock, Fine Grained Rock, Opaque Rock
Fine Grained Rock, Opaque Rock
Texture
Glassy, Massive, Porphyritic, Scoriaceous, Vesicular
Aphanitic
Color
Black, Brown, Light to Dark Grey
Beige, Black, Brown, Grey, Pink, White
Durability
Durable
Durable
Scratch Resistant
Yes
Yes
Appearance
Dull and Soft
Dull, Vesicular and Foilated
Interior Uses
Decorative Aggregates, Floor Tiles, Homes, Hotels, Interior Decoration
Decorative Aggregates, Floor Tiles, Homes, Interior Decoration
Exterior Uses
As Facing Stone, Garden Decoration, Office Buildings, Paving Stone
As Building Stone, Garden Decoration, Office Buildings, Paving Stone
Other Architectural Uses
Curbing
Curbing
Construction Industry
As Dimension Stone, Cobblestones, Rail Track Ballast, Roadstone
Building houses or walls, Construction Aggregate
Antiquity Uses
Artifacts, Monuments, Sculpture, Small Figurines
Artifacts, Monuments, Sculpture, Small Figurines
Commercial Uses
Commemorative Tablets, Creating Artwork
Cemetery Markers, Commemorative Tablets, Creating Artwork
Types
Alkaline Basalt, Boninite, High Alumina Basalt, Mid Ocean Ridge Basalt (MORB), Tholeiitic Basalt, Basaltic trachyandesite, Mugearite and Shoshonite
Pyroclastic rock
Features
Has High structural resistance against erosion and climate, Very fine grained rock
Always found as volcanic pipes over deep continental crust
Archaeological Significance
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.
Ignimbrites are formed from very poorly sorted mixture of volcanic ash or tuff and pumice lapilli, commonly with scattered lithic fragments.
Mineral Content
Olivine, Plagioclase, Pyroxene
Apatite, Biotite, Calcite, Chlorite, Feldspar, Hematite, Hornblade, Ilmenite, Magnetite, Olivine, Pyroxene, Quartz
Compound Content
Aluminium Oxide, CaO, Iron(III) Oxide, FeO, Potassium Oxide, MgO, MnO, Sodium Oxide, Phosphorus Pentoxide, Silicon Dioxide, Titanium Dioxide
Ca, NaCl
Types of Metamorphism
Burial Metamorphism, Cataclastic Metamorphism, Hydrothermal Metamorphism, Impact Metamorphism
Burial Metamorphism, Contact Metamorphism, Hydrothermal Metamorphism, Impact Metamorphism, Regional Metamorphism
Types of Weathering
Biological Weathering, Chemical Weathering, Mechanical Weathering
Biological Weathering, Chemical Weathering
Types of Erosion
-
Chemical Erosion, Coastal Erosion
Grain Size
Fine to Coarse Grained
Fine Grained
Fracture
Conchoidal
Uneven
Streak
White to Grey
White
Porosity
Less Porous
Highly Porous
Luster
-
Vitreous to Dull
Specific Gravity
2.8-3
2.73
Transparency
Opaque
Opaque
Density
-9999 g/cm3
1-1.8 g/cm3
Resistance
Heat Resistant, Pressure Resistant, Wear Resistant
Heat Resistant, Impact Resistant, Pressure Resistant, Wear Resistant
Deposits in Eastern Continents
Asia
India, Russia
Afghanistan, Armenia, Azerbaijan, Burma, Cambodia, China, India, Indonesia, Iran, Japan, Malaysia, Mongolia, Nepal, North Korea, Pakistan, Saudi Arabia, Syria, Taiwan, Thailand, Turkey, Vietnam, Yemen
Africa
South Africa
Cameroon, Cape Verde, Chad, Djibouti, Eritrea, Ethiopia, Kenya, Libya, Madagascar, Nigeria, Rwanda, South Africa, Sudan, Tanzania, Uganda
Europe
Iceland
France, Georgia, Germany, Greece, Iceland, Italy, Netherlands, Poland, Portugal, Spain, United Kingdom
Others
-
Antarctica, Hawaii Islands
Deposits in Western Continents
North America
Canada, USA
Canada, Costa Rica, Panama, USA
South America
Brazil
Argentina, Bolivia, Brazil, Chile, Colombia, Ecuador
Deposits in Oceania Continent
Australia
-
Central Australia, Western Australia
Epidosite vs Ignimbrite 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 Ignimbrite characteristics assist us to distinguish and recognize rocks. Also you can check about Properties of Epidosite and Properties of Ignimbrite. Learn more about Epidosite vs Ignimbrite in the next section. The interior uses of Epidosite include Decorative aggregates, Floor tiles, Homes, Hotels and Interior decoration whereas the interior uses of Ignimbrite include Decorative aggregates, Floor tiles, Homes and Interior decoration. Due to some exceptional properties of Epidosite and Ignimbrite, 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 Ignimbrite include Building houses or walls, Construction aggregate.
More about Epidosite and Ignimbrite
Here you can know more about Epidosite and Ignimbrite. The life cycle of a rock consists of formation of rock, composition of rock and transformation of rock. The composition of Epidosite and Ignimbrite consists of mineral content and compound content. The mineral content of Epidosite includes Olivine, Plagioclase, Pyroxene and mineral content of Ignimbrite includes Apatite, Biotite, Calcite, Chlorite, Feldspar, Hematite, Hornblade, Ilmenite, Magnetite, Olivine, Pyroxene, Quartz. You can also check out the list of all Igneous Rocks. When we have to compare Epidosite vs Ignimbrite, 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, Ignimbrite is available in beige, black, brown, grey, pink, white colors. Appearance of Epidosite is Dull and Soft and that of Ignimbrite is Dull, Vesicular and Foilated. Properties of rock is another aspect for Epidosite vs Ignimbrite. The hardness of Epidosite is 6 and that of Ignimbrite is 4-6. 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 Ignimbrite are Pyroclastic rock. 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 Ignimbrite is white. The specific heat capacity of Epidosite is 0.84 kJ/Kg K and that of Ignimbrite is 0.20 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 Ignimbrite is heat resistant, impact resistant, pressure resistant, wear resistant.