Definition
Granulite is fine to medium grained metamorphic rock with a granular of polygonal crystals.
Blueschist is a metamorphic rock which is generally blue in color and is formed under conditions of high pressure and low temperature
Origin
Central Europe
USA
Discoverer
Unknown
Edgar Bailey
Etymology
From Latin granulum, a little grain or fine grained
From French schiste, Greek skhistos i.e. split
Class
Metamorphic Rocks
Metamorphic Rocks
Sub-Class
Durable Rock, Hard Rock
Durable Rock, Medium Hardness Rock
Other Categories
Coarse Grained Rock, Medium Grained Rock, Opaque Rock
Fine Grained Rock, Medium Grained Rock, Opaque Rock
Texture
Granoblastic
Foliated
Color
Black, Brown
Blue, Bluish - Grey, Purple, Shades of Blue
Durability
Durable
Durable
Appearance
Veined or Pebbled
Dull and Banded
Interior Uses
Bathrooms, Countertops, Decorative Aggregates, Entryways, Flooring, Homes, Hotels, Interior Decoration, Kitchens, Stair Treads
Floor Tiles, Flooring, Homes, Hotels, Kitchens
Exterior Uses
As Building Stone, As Facing Stone, Garden Decoration, Office Buildings, Paving Stone
Garden Decoration, Office Buildings
Other Architectural Uses
Curbing
-
Construction Industry
As Dimension Stone, Building houses or walls
As Dimension Stone, Cobblestones, Rail Track Ballast, Roadstone
Antiquity Uses
Artifacts, Monuments, Sculpture
Artifacts, Monuments, Sculpture
Commercial Uses
Curling, Gemstone, Laboratory bench tops, Soil Conditioner, Tombstones
Cemetery Markers, Commemorative Tablets, Creating Artwork, Curling, Tombstones
Types
Metamorphic rock
Metamorphic rock
Features
Clasts are smooth to touch
Has High structural resistance against erosion and climate, Very fine grained rock
Archaeological Significance
Formation
Granulite is a fine-grained granular metamorphic rock in which the main component minerals are feldspars and quartz and forms at high temperature and pressure conditions.
Blueschist forms due to the metamorphism of basalt and other rocks with similar composition at high pressures and low temperatures and approximately corresponding to a depth of 15 to 30 kilometers and 200 to 500 °C.
Mineral Content
Amphibole, Biotite, Feldspar, Hornblade, Micas, Muscovite or Illite, Plagioclase, Quartz
Albite, Chlorite, Epidote, Garnet, Glaucophane, Lawsonite, Muscovite or Illite, Quartz
Compound Content
Aluminium Oxide, CaO, Carbon Dioxide, Iron(III) Oxide, FeO, Potassium Oxide, MgO, MnO, Sodium Oxide, Phosphorus Pentoxide, Sulfur Dioxide, Titanium Dioxide
Aluminium Oxide, CaO, Iron(III) Oxide, FeO, Potassium Oxide, MgO, MnO, Sodium Oxide, Phosphorus Pentoxide, Silicon Dioxide, Titanium Dioxide
Types of Metamorphism
-
-
Types of Weathering
Biological Weathering, Chemical Weathering
Mechanical Weathering
Types of Erosion
Chemical Erosion, Water Erosion, Wind Erosion
Chemical Erosion, Coastal Erosion, Water Erosion, Wind Erosion
Grain Size
Medium to Coarse Grained
Fine to Medium Grained
Streak
White
White to Grey
Porosity
Very Less Porous
Highly Porous
Specific Gravity
2.8-3.0
3-3.2
Transparency
Opaque
Opaque
Density
3.06-3.33 g/cm3
2.8-2.9 g/cm3
Resistance
Heat Resistant, Wear Resistant
Impact Resistant, Pressure Resistant
Deposits in Eastern Continents
Asia
China, India, Iran, Saudi Arabia, Sri Lanka, Taiwan, Thailand, Turkey, Vietnam
Japan, Turkey
Africa
Angola, Egypt, Madagascar, Nigeria, South Africa
Egypt, Ethiopia, South Africa
Europe
Austria, Belgium, Finland, France, Germany, Italy, Norway, Sardinia, Spain, Switzerland, The Czech Republic
France, Greece, Iceland
Deposits in Western Continents
North America
Canada, USA
USA
Deposits in Oceania Continent
Granulite vs Blueschist 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. Granulite vs Blueschist characteristics assist us to distinguish and recognize rocks. Also you can check about Properties of Granulite and Properties of Blueschist. Learn more about Granulite vs Blueschist in the next section. The interior uses of Granulite include Bathrooms, Countertops, Decorative aggregates, Entryways, Flooring, Homes, Hotels, Interior decoration, Kitchens and Stair treads whereas the interior uses of Blueschist include Floor tiles, Flooring, Homes, Hotels and Kitchens. Due to some exceptional properties of Granulite and Blueschist, they have various applications in construction industry. The uses of Granulite in construction industry include As dimension stone, Building houses or walls and that of Blueschist include As dimension stone, Cobblestones, Rail track ballast, Roadstone.
More about Granulite and Blueschist
Here you can know more about Granulite and Blueschist. The life cycle of a rock consists of formation of rock, composition of rock and transformation of rock. The composition of Granulite and Blueschist consists of mineral content and compound content. The mineral content of Granulite includes Amphibole, Biotite, Feldspar, Hornblade, Micas, Muscovite or Illite, Plagioclase, Quartz and mineral content of Blueschist includes Albite, Chlorite, Epidote, Garnet, Glaucophane, Lawsonite, Muscovite or Illite, Quartz. You can also check out the list of all Metamorphic Rocks. When we have to compare Granulite vs Blueschist, the texture, color and appearance plays an important role in determining the type of rock. Granulite is available in black, brown colors whereas, Blueschist is available in blue, bluish - grey, purple, shades of blue colors. Appearance of Granulite is Veined or Pebbled and that of Blueschist is Dull and Banded. Properties of rock is another aspect for Granulite vs Blueschist. The hardness of Granulite is 6-7 and that of Blueschist is 3.5-4. The types of Granulite are Metamorphic rock whereas types of Blueschist are Metamorphic rock. Streak of rock is the color of powder produced when it is dragged across an unweathered surface. The streak of Granulite is white while that of Blueschist is white to grey. The specific heat capacity of Granulite is 0.14 kJ/Kg K and that of Blueschist 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.Granulite is heat resistant, wear resistant whereas Blueschist is impact resistant, pressure resistant.