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Felsite
Felsite

Variolite
Variolite



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Felsite
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Variolite

Felsite vs Variolite

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Definition

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
Variolites are a group of dark green basic igneous rocks which exhibit pale colored spots, or spherules, especially on weathered surfaces, that give them a pockmarked appearance

History

Origin

-
France

Discoverer

Unknown
Unknown

Etymology

From English feldspar and -ite
From Latin varius, speckled, variegated

Class

Igneous Rocks
Igneous Rocks

Sub-Class

Durable Rock, Medium Hardness Rock
Durable Rock, Hard Rock

Family

Group

Volcanic
Volcanic

Other Categories

Fine Grained Rock, Opaque Rock
Opaque Rock

Texture

Texture

Arborescent Patterned, Vitreous
Glassy, Massive, Porphyritic, Scoriaceous, Vesicular

Color

Black, Blue, Brown, Green, Orange, Red, Tan, Yellow
Black, Brown, Light to Dark Grey

Maintenance

Less
Less

Durability

Durable
Durable

Water Resistant

Scratch Resistant

Stain Resistant

Wind Resistant

Acid Resistant

Appearance

Layered, Banded, Veined and Shiny
Dull and Soft

Uses

Architecture

Interior Uses

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

Exterior Uses

Paving Stone, Garden Decoration
Garden Decoration, Office Buildings

Other Architectural Uses

Curbing
Curbing

Industry

Construction Industry

Arrowheads, Cutting Tool, Knives, Scrapers, Spear Points
As Dimension Stone, Cobblestones, Rail Track Ballast, Roadstone

Medical Industry

Surgery
-

Antiquity Uses

Artifacts
Artifacts, Monuments, Sculpture

Other Uses

Commercial Uses

Mirror, Jewelry
Cemetery Markers, Creating Artwork

Types

Types

Igneous rock
Metamorphic rock

Features

Available in Lots of Colors and Patterns, Clasts are smooth to touch, Splintery, Very fine grained rock
Has High structural resistance against erosion and climate, Very fine grained rock

Archaeological Significance

Monuments

-
-

Famous Monuments

-
-

Sculpture

-
-

Famous Sculptures

-
-

Pictographs

-
-

Petroglyphs

-
-

Figurines

-
-

Fossils

Absent
Absent

Formation

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.
Variolites are a group of dark green basic igneous rocks that exhibit pale colored spots on weathered surfaces that give them a pockmarked appearance.

Composition

Mineral Content

Feldspar, Iron Oxides
Olivine, Plagioclase, Pyroxene

Compound Content

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

Transformation

Metamorphism

Types of Metamorphism

Burial Metamorphism, Contact Metamorphism, Impact Metamorphism, Regional Metamorphism
Burial Metamorphism, Cataclastic Metamorphism, Contact Metamorphism, Hydrothermal Metamorphism, Impact Metamorphism, Regional Metamorphism

Weathering

Types of Weathering

Biological Weathering, Chemical Weathering, Mechanical Weathering
Biological Weathering, Chemical Weathering, Mechanical Weathering

Erosion

Types of Erosion

Chemical Erosion, Glacier Erosion, Water Erosion
-

Properties

Physical Properties

Hardness

5-5.56
1 7
👆🏻

Grain Size

Fine Grained
-

Fracture

Conchoidal
Conchoidal

Streak

White
White to Grey

Porosity

Very Less Porous
Less Porous

Luster

Vitreous
-

Compressive Strength

0.15 N/mm237.50 N/mm2
0.15 450
👆🏻

Cleavage

-
-

Toughness

-
2.3

Specific Gravity

2.6-2.72.8-3
0 8.4
👆🏻

Transparency

Translucent
Opaque

Density

2.6 g/cm32.9-3.1 g/cm3
0 1400
👆🏻

Thermal Properties

Specific Heat Capacity

0.92 kJ/Kg K0.84 kJ/Kg K
0.14 3.2
👆🏻

Resistance

Heat Resistant, Impact Resistant
Heat Resistant, Pressure Resistant, Wear Resistant

Reserves

Deposits in Eastern Continents

Asia

Afghanistan, Indonesia, Japan, Russia
India, Russia

Africa

Kenya
South Africa

Europe

Greece, Hungary, Iceland, Italy, Turkey
Iceland

Others

-
-

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
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Felsite vs Variolite 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 Felsite and Variolite Reserves. 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. Variolites are a group of dark green basic igneous rocks which exhibit pale colored spots, or spherules, especially on weathered surfaces, that give them a pockmarked appearance. 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 Felsite vs Variolite information and Felsite vs Variolite characteristics in the upcoming sections.

Felsite vs Variolite 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 Variolite characteristics assist us to distinguish and recognize rocks. Also you can check about Properties of Felsite and Properties of Variolite. Learn more about Felsite vs Variolite in the next section. The interior uses of Felsite include Decorative aggregates, Flooring and Interior decoration whereas the interior uses of Variolite include Floor tiles, Flooring, Homes, Hotels and Kitchens. Due to some exceptional properties of Felsite and Variolite, 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 Variolite include As dimension stone, Cobblestones, Rail track ballast, Roadstone.

More about Felsite and Variolite

Here you can know more about Felsite and Variolite. The life cycle of a rock consists of formation of rock, composition of rock and transformation of rock. The composition of Felsite and Variolite consists of mineral content and compound content. The mineral content of Felsite includes Feldspar, Iron Oxides and mineral content of Variolite includes Olivine, Plagioclase, Pyroxene. You can also check out the list of all Igneous Rocks. When we have to compare Felsite vs Variolite, 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, Variolite is available in black, brown, light to dark grey colors. Appearance of Felsite is Layered, Banded, Veined and Shiny and that of Variolite is Dull and Soft. Properties of rock is another aspect for Felsite vs Variolite. The hardness of Felsite is 5-5.5 and that of Variolite is 6. The types of Felsite are Igneous rock whereas types of Variolite are Metamorphic rock. Streak of rock is the color of powder produced when it is dragged across an unweathered surface. The streak of Felsite is white while that of Variolite is white to grey. The specific heat capacity of Felsite is 0.92 kJ/Kg K and that of Variolite is 0.84 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 Variolite is heat resistant, pressure resistant, wear resistant.