Definition
Epidosite is a highly altered epidote and quartz bearing rock which is a type of metasomatite, essentially altered basalt
Oolite is a sedimentary rock formed from ooids, spherical grains which are composed of concentric layers of calcite
Discoverer
Unknown
William Smith
Etymology
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From oo- + -lite, after German Oolit. A rock consisting of fine grains of carbonate of lime
Class
Igneous Rocks
Sedimentary 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
Clastic or Non-Clastic
Color
Black, Brown, Light to Dark Grey
Black, Blue, Brown, Cream, Green, Grey, Pink, Red, Silver, White, Yellow
Durability
Durable
Durable
Scratch Resistant
Yes
Yes
Appearance
Dull and Soft
Rounded and Rough
Interior Uses
Decorative Aggregates, Floor Tiles, Homes, Hotels, Interior Decoration
Decorative Aggregates, Flooring, Interior Decoration
Exterior Uses
As Facing Stone, Garden Decoration, Office Buildings, Paving Stone
As Building Stone, As Facing Stone, Garden Decoration, Paving Stone
Other Architectural Uses
Curbing
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Construction Industry
As Dimension Stone, Cobblestones, Rail Track Ballast, Roadstone
Cement Manufacture, Cobblestones, Landscaping
Antiquity Uses
Artifacts, Monuments, Sculpture, Small Figurines
Artifacts
Commercial Uses
Commemorative Tablets, Creating Artwork
Creating Artwork, Jewelry, Used in aquariums
Types
Alkaline Basalt, Boninite, High Alumina Basalt, Mid Ocean Ridge Basalt (MORB), Tholeiitic Basalt, Basaltic trachyandesite, Mugearite and Shoshonite
Pisolitic Oolite and Oncolitic Oolite
Features
Has High structural resistance against erosion and climate, Very fine grained rock
Available in lots of colors, Generally rough to touch, Very fine grained rock
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.
Oolites form when layers of calcite are deposited around a sand grain or fossil piece and are rolled around in calm water, which makes them round.
Mineral Content
Olivine, Plagioclase, Pyroxene
Calcite, Chert, Clay, Dolomite, Quartz, Sand, Silt
Compound Content
Aluminium Oxide, CaO, Iron(III) Oxide, FeO, Potassium Oxide, MgO, MnO, Sodium Oxide, Phosphorus Pentoxide, Silicon Dioxide, Titanium Dioxide
Aluminium Oxide, Ca, NaCl, CaO, Iron(III) Oxide, FeO, MgO
Types of Metamorphism
Burial Metamorphism, Cataclastic Metamorphism, Hydrothermal Metamorphism, Impact Metamorphism
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Types of Weathering
Biological Weathering, Chemical Weathering, Mechanical Weathering
Biological Weathering, Chemical Weathering, Mechanical Weathering
Types of Erosion
-
Chemical Erosion, Coastal Erosion
Grain Size
Fine to Coarse Grained
Fine Grained
Fracture
Conchoidal
Conchoidal
Streak
White to Grey
White
Porosity
Less Porous
Less Porous
Specific Gravity
2.8-3
-9999
Transparency
Opaque
Opaque
Density
-9999 g/cm3
-9999 g/cm3
Resistance
Heat Resistant, Pressure Resistant, Wear Resistant
Heat Resistant, Wear Resistant
Deposits in Eastern Continents
Asia
India, Russia
Brunei, India, Indonesia, Malaysia, Singapore, Thailand, Vietnam
Africa
South Africa
Cameroon, Chad, Ghana, Kenya, Malawi, Sudan, Tanzania, Togo, Zambia, Zimbabwe
Europe
Iceland
United Kingdom
Deposits in Western Continents
North America
Canada, USA
USA
South America
Brazil
Colombia
Deposits in Oceania Continent
Australia
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Adelaide, New Zealand, Queensland, Victoria, Yorke Peninsula
Epidosite vs Oolite 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 Oolite characteristics assist us to distinguish and recognize rocks. Also you can check about Properties of Epidosite and Properties of Oolite. Learn more about Epidosite vs Oolite in the next section. The interior uses of Epidosite include Decorative aggregates, Floor tiles, Homes, Hotels and Interior decoration whereas the interior uses of Oolite include Decorative aggregates, Flooring and Interior decoration. Due to some exceptional properties of Epidosite and Oolite, 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 Oolite include Cement manufacture, Cobblestones, Landscaping.
More about Epidosite and Oolite
Here you can know more about Epidosite and Oolite. The life cycle of a rock consists of formation of rock, composition of rock and transformation of rock. The composition of Epidosite and Oolite consists of mineral content and compound content. The mineral content of Epidosite includes Olivine, Plagioclase, Pyroxene and mineral content of Oolite includes Calcite, Chert, Clay, Dolomite, Quartz, Sand, Silt. You can also check out the list of all Igneous Rocks. When we have to compare Epidosite vs Oolite, 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, Oolite is available in black, blue, brown, cream, green, grey, pink, red, silver, white, yellow colors. Appearance of Epidosite is Dull and Soft and that of Oolite is Rounded and Rough. Properties of rock is another aspect for Epidosite vs Oolite. The hardness of Epidosite is 6 and that of Oolite is 3-4. 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 Oolite are Pisolitic Oolite and Oncolitic Oolite. 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 Oolite is white. The specific heat capacity of Epidosite is 0.84 kJ/Kg K and that of Oolite is 0.65 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 Oolite is heat resistant, wear resistant.