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
Conglomerate is a sedimentary rock which forms from rounded gravel and boulder sized clasts which are cemented together in a matrix
Discoverer
Unknown
Unknown
Etymology
From English feldspar and -ite
From Latin conglomeratus, to roll together, i.e. from com together + glomerare to gather into a ball, from glomus (genitive glomeris) a ball
Class
Igneous Rocks
Sedimentary Rocks
Sub-Class
Durable Rock, Medium Hardness Rock
Durable Rock, Soft Rock
Other Categories
Fine Grained Rock, Opaque Rock
Coarse Grained Rock, Opaque Rock
Texture
Arborescent Patterned, Vitreous
Clastic
Color
Black, Blue, Brown, Green, Orange, Red, Tan, Yellow
Beige, Black, Brown, Buff, Light to Dark Grey, Orange, Rust, White, Yellow
Durability
Durable
Durable
Scratch Resistant
Yes
Yes
Appearance
Layered, Banded, Veined and Shiny
Shiny and Rounded
Interior Uses
Decorative Aggregates, Flooring, Interior Decoration
Decorative Aggregates, Floor Tiles, Homes
Exterior Uses
Paving Stone, Garden Decoration
As Building Stone, As Facing Stone, Garden Decoration, Office Buildings, Roof Tiles
Other Architectural Uses
Curbing
Curbing
Construction Industry
Arrowheads, Cutting Tool, Knives, Scrapers, Spear Points
As Dimension Stone, Cement Manufacture, Construction Aggregate, for Road Aggregate, Roadstone
Medical Industry
Surgery
-
Antiquity Uses
Artifacts
Artifacts, Monuments, Sculpture, Small Figurines
Commercial Uses
Mirror, Jewelry
Cemetery Markers, In aquifers, Tombstones
Types
Igneous rock
Orthoconglomerate and Paraconglomerate
Features
Available in Lots of Colors and Patterns, Clasts are smooth to touch, Splintery, Very fine grained rock
Clasts are smooth to touch, Is one of the oldest rock, Matrix variable
Archaeological Significance
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.
Conglomerate forms where sediments consisting mainly of pebble and cobble-size clasts at least two millimeters in diameter starts accumulating.
Mineral Content
Feldspar, Iron Oxides
Clay, Sand, Silica, Silt
Compound Content
Aluminium Oxide, CaO, Iron(III) Oxide, FeO, Potassium Oxide, MgO, MnO, Sodium Oxide, Phosphorus Pentoxide, Silicon Dioxide, Titanium Dioxide
NaCl, CaO
Types of Metamorphism
Burial Metamorphism, Contact Metamorphism, Impact Metamorphism, Regional Metamorphism
Burial Metamorphism, Cataclastic Metamorphism, Regional Metamorphism
Types of Weathering
Biological Weathering, Chemical Weathering, Mechanical Weathering
-
Types of Erosion
Chemical Erosion, Glacier Erosion, Water Erosion
Chemical Erosion, Coastal Erosion
Grain Size
Fine Grained
Coarse Grained
Fracture
Conchoidal
Uneven
Porosity
Very Less Porous
Highly Porous
Specific Gravity
2.6-2.7
2.86-2.88
Transparency
Translucent
Opaque
Density
2.6 g/cm3
1.7-2.3 g/cm3
Resistance
Heat Resistant, Impact Resistant
Heat Resistant
Deposits in Eastern Continents
Asia
Afghanistan, Indonesia, Japan, Russia
China, India, Kazakhstan, Mongolia, Russia, Uzbekistan
Africa
Kenya
Namibia, Nigeria, South Africa
Europe
Greece, Hungary, Iceland, Italy, Turkey
Austria, Denmark, Germany, Great Britain, Netherlands, Norway, Poland, Sweden, Switzerland, United Kingdom
Deposits in Western Continents
North America
Canada, Mexico, USA
Canada, USA
South America
Argentina, Chile, Ecuador, Peru
Brazil
Deposits in Oceania Continent
Australia
New Zealand
New South Wales, New Zealand
Felsite vs Conglomerate 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. Felsite vs Conglomerate characteristics assist us to distinguish and recognize rocks. Also you can check about Properties of Felsite and Properties of Conglomerate. Learn more about Felsite vs Conglomerate in the next section. The interior uses of Felsite include Decorative aggregates, Flooring and Interior decoration whereas the interior uses of Conglomerate include Decorative aggregates, Floor tiles and Homes. Due to some exceptional properties of Felsite and Conglomerate, they have various applications in construction industry. The uses of Felsite in construction industry include Arrowheads, Cutting tool, Knives, Scrapers, Spear points and that of Conglomerate include As dimension stone, Cement manufacture, Construction aggregate, For road aggregate, Roadstone.
More about Felsite and Conglomerate
Here you can know more about Felsite and Conglomerate. The life cycle of a rock consists of formation of rock, composition of rock and transformation of rock. The composition of Felsite and Conglomerate consists of mineral content and compound content. The mineral content of Felsite includes Feldspar, Iron Oxides and mineral content of Conglomerate includes Clay, Sand, Silica, Silt. You can also check out the list of all Igneous Rocks. When we have to compare Felsite vs Conglomerate, the texture, color and appearance plays an important role in determining the type of rock. Felsite is available in black, blue, brown, green, orange, red, tan, yellow colors whereas, Conglomerate is available in beige, black, brown, buff, light to dark grey, orange, rust, white, yellow colors. Appearance of Felsite is Layered, Banded, Veined and Shiny and that of Conglomerate is Shiny and Rounded. Properties of rock is another aspect for Felsite vs Conglomerate. The hardness of Felsite is 5-5.5 and that of Conglomerate is 2-3. The types of Felsite are Igneous rock whereas types of Conglomerate are Orthoconglomerate and Paraconglomerate. Streak of rock is the color of powder produced when it is dragged across an unweathered surface. The streak of Felsite and Conglomerate is white. The specific heat capacity of Felsite is 0.92 kJ/Kg K and that of Conglomerate is 0.92 kJ/Kg K. Depending on the properties like hardness, toughness, specific heat capacity, porosity etc., rocks are resistant to heat, wear, impact, etc.Felsite is heat resistant, impact resistant whereas Conglomerate is heat resistant.