Felsite

Limestone

Felsite and Limestone

Felsite

Limestone

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Definition

Felsite is a very fine grained volcanic rock that may or may not contain larger crystals and light colored rock that typically requires petrographic examination or chemical analysis for more precise definition

Limestone is a sedimentary rock composed mostly of calcite and aragonite, which are different crystal forms of calcium carbonate

History

Origin

New Zealand

Discoverer

Unknown

Belsazar Hacquet

Etymology

From English feldspar and -ite

From lime and stone in late 14th Century

Class

Igneous Rocks

Sedimentary Rocks

Sub-Class

Durable Rock, Medium Hardness Rock

Family

Group

Volcanic

Other Categories

Fine Grained Rock, Opaque Rock

Texture

Arborescent Patterned, Vitreous

Clastic or Non-Clastic

Color

Black, Blue, Brown, Green, Orange, Red, Tan, Yellow

Beige, Black, Blue, Brown, Cream, Gold, Green, Grey, Light Green, Light Grey, Linen, Pink, Red, Rust, Silver, White, Yellow

Maintenance

Less

Durability

Durable

Water Resistant

✔ ✘

Scratch Resistant

✔ ✘

Stain Resistant

✔ ✘

Wind Resistant

✔ ✘

Acid Resistant

✔ ✘

Appearance

Layered, Banded, Veined and Shiny

Rough and Banded

Uses

Architecture

Interior Uses

Decorative Aggregates, Flooring, Interior Decoration

Decorative Aggregates, Interior Decoration

Exterior Uses

Paving Stone, Garden Decoration

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

Other Architectural Uses

Curbing

Industry

Construction Industry

Arrowheads, Cutting Tool, Knives, Scrapers, Spear Points

Cement Manufacture, Cobblestones, for Road Aggregate, Production of Glass and Ceramics, Raw material for the manufacture of mortar, Roadstone, Source of calcium

Medical Industry

Surgery

In Chemical and Pharmaceutical Industry, Medicines and Cosmetics

Antiquity Uses

Artifacts

Artifacts, Monuments, Sculpture, Small Figurines

Other Uses

Commercial Uses

Mirror, Jewelry

Animal feed filler, As a Feed Additive for Livestock, Paper Industry, Raw material for manufacture of quicklime, slaked lime, Soil Conditioner, Used in aquariums, Whiting material in toothpaste, paint and paper

Types

Igneous rock

Chalk, Coquina, Fossiliferous Limestone, Lithographic Limestone, Oolitic Limestone, Travertine, Tufa

Features

Available in Lots of Colors and Patterns, Clasts are smooth to touch, Splintery, Very fine grained rock

Host Rock for Lead, Stalactites and stalagmites are formed from this rock, Zinc and Copper Deposits

Archaeological Significance

Monuments

Famous Monuments

Acropolis of Athens in Greece, Agia Sophia in Istanbul, Turkey, Al Aqsa Mosque in Jerusalem, Angkor Wat in Cambodia, Big Ben in London, Charminar in Hyderabad, India, Chhatrapati Shivaji Terminus in Maharashtra, India, Chichen Itza in Mexico, Empire State Building in New York, Khajuraho Temples, India, Kremlin in Moscow, Louvre in Paris, France, Neuschwanstein in Bavaria, Potala Palace in Lahasa, Tibet, Wailing Wall in Jerusalem

Sculpture

Famous Sculptures

Ajanta Caves in Maharashtra, India, Elephanta Caves in Maharashtra, India

Pictographs

Petroglyphs

Figurines

Fossils

Absent

Present

Formation

Felsite 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.

Limestone is a sedimentary rock which is mainly made up of calcium carbonate.

Composition

Mineral Content

Feldspar, Iron Oxides

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, NaCl, CaO, Iron(III) Oxide, FeO, MgO

Transformation

Metamorphism

✔ ✘

Types of Metamorphism

Burial Metamorphism, Contact Metamorphism, Impact Metamorphism, Regional Metamorphism

Weathering

✔ ✘

Types of Weathering

Biological Weathering, Chemical Weathering, Mechanical Weathering

Erosion

✔ ✘

Types of Erosion

Chemical Erosion, Glacier Erosion, Water Erosion

Chemical Erosion, Coastal Erosion

Properties

Physical Properties

Hardness

5-5.53-4

1 7

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Grain Size

Fine Grained

Fracture

Conchoidal

Splintery

Streak

White

Porosity

Very Less Porous

Less Porous

Luster

Vitreous

Dull to Pearly

Compressive Strength

0.15 N/mm²115.00 N/mm²

0.15 450

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Cleavage

Toughness

Specific Gravity

2.6-2.72.3-2.7

0 8.4

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Transparency

Translucent

Opaque

Density

2.6 g/cm³2.3-2.7 g/cm³

0 1400

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Thermal Properties

Specific Heat Capacity

0.92 kJ/Kg K0.91 kJ/Kg K

0.14 3.2

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Resistance

Heat Resistant, Impact Resistant

Pressure Resistant

Reserves

Deposits in Eastern Continents

Asia

Afghanistan, Indonesia, Japan, Russia

Brunei, India, Indonesia, Malaysia, Singapore, Thailand, Vietnam

Africa

Kenya

Cameroon, Chad, Ghana, Kenya, Malawi, Sudan, Tanzania, Togo, Zambia, Zimbabwe

Europe

Greece, Hungary, Iceland, Italy, Turkey

United Kingdom

Others

Deposits in Western Continents

North America

Canada, Mexico, USA

USA

South America

Argentina, Chile, Ecuador, Peru

Colombia

Deposits in Oceania Continent

Australia

New Zealand

Adelaide, New Zealand, Queensland, Victoria, Yorke Peninsula

All about Felsite and Limestone Properties

Know all about Felsite and Limestone properties here. All properties of rocks are important as they define the type of rock and its application. Felsite belongs to Igneous Rocks while Limestone belongs to Sedimentary Rocks.Texture of Felsite is Arborescent Patterned, Vitreous whereas that of Limestone is Clastic or Non-Clastic. Felsite appears Layered, Banded, Veined and Shiny and Limestone appears Rough and Banded. The luster of Felsite is vitreous while that of Limestone is dull to pearly. Felsite is available in black, blue, brown, green, orange, red, tan, yellow colors whereas Limestone is available in beige, black, blue, brown, cream, gold, green, grey, light green, light grey, linen, pink, red, rust, silver, white, yellow colors. The commercial uses of Felsite are mirror, jewelry and that of Limestone are animal feed filler, as a feed additive for livestock, paper industry, raw material for manufacture of quicklime, slaked lime, soil conditioner, used in aquariums, whiting material in toothpaste, paint and paper.