Definition
Greenschist is a metamorphic rock that is formed under lowest temperatures and pressures and is usually produced by regional metamorphism
Diabase is a fine-grained igneous rock which is composed mostly of pyroxene and feldspar
Discoverer
Unknown
Christian Leopold von Buch
Etymology
From minerals such as chlorite, serpentine, and epidote, and platy minerals such as muscovite and platy serpentine which are green in color
From Greek di + base
Class
Metamorphic Rocks
Igneous Rocks
Sub-Class
Durable Rock, Medium Hardness Rock
Durable Rock, Hard Rock
Group
Not Applicable
Volcanic
Other Categories
Coarse Grained Rock, Fine Grained Rock, Medium Grained Rock, Opaque Rock
Fine Grained Rock, Medium Grained Rock, Opaque Rock
Texture
Foliated, Platy
Aphanitic, Granular
Color
Dark Greenish - Grey, Green
Dark Grey to Black
Durability
Durable
Durable
Scratch Resistant
Yes
Yes
Appearance
Layered and Shiny
Vesicular
Interior Uses
Bathrooms, Countertops, Decorative Aggregates, Entryways, Homes, Interior Decoration
Countertops, Decorative Aggregates, Homes, Interior Decoration, Kitchens
Exterior Uses
As Building Stone, As Facing Stone, Paving Stone, Garden Decoration, Office Buildings
As Building Stone, As Facing Stone, Paving Stone, Garden Decoration, Office Buildings
Other Architectural Uses
Curbing
Curbing
Construction Industry
As Dimension Stone, Building houses or walls, Cement Manufacture, Cutting Tool, for Road Aggregate, Roadstone
As Dimension Stone, Building houses or walls, Cement Manufacture, Construction Aggregate, for Road Aggregate
Medical Industry
Not Yet Used
Not Yet Used
Antiquity Uses
Artifacts
Artifacts, Monuments, Sculpture, Small Figurines
Commercial Uses
Blackboards, Manufacture of tools, Writing Slates
An Oil and Gas Reservoir, Cemetery Markers, Commemorative Tablets, Laboratory bench tops, Jewelry, Sea Defence, Tombstones
Types
Not Available
Not Available
Features
Easily splits into thin plates, Smooth to touch
Smooth to touch
Archaeological Significance
Monuments
Not Yet Used
Used
Famous Monuments
Not Applicable
Stonehenge in English county of Wiltshire
Sculpture
Not Yet Used
Used
Famous Sculptures
Not Applicable
Data Not Available
Pictographs
Used
Not Used
Petroglyphs
Used
Not Used
Figurines
Not Yet Used
Used
Formation
Greenschist is medium grade metamorphic rock, formed by the metamorphosis of mudstone or shale, or some types of igneous rock, when it is subjected to higher temperatures and pressures.
Diabase forms when molten igneous rock is squeezed up into a vertical crack in other rocks, the crack is usually forced apart and the molten rock cools in the space to form a tabular igneous intrusion cutting across the surrounding rocks and is known as a dike.
Mineral Content
Alusite, Amphibole, Biotite, Chlorite, Epidote, Feldspar, Garnet, Graphite, Hornblade, Kyanite, Micas, Muscovite or Illite, Porphyroblasts, Quartz, Serpentine, Sillimanite, Staurolite, Talc
Augite, Chlorite, Olivine, Plagioclase, Pyroxene, Pyrrhotite, Serpentine
Compound Content
CaO, Carbon Dioxide, MgO
Aluminium Oxide, CaO, Chromium(III) Oxide, Iron(III) Oxide, Potassium Oxide, MgO, Sodium Oxide, Silicon Dioxide, Sulfur Trioxide
Types of Metamorphism
Not Applicable
Burial Metamorphism, Cataclastic Metamorphism, Contact Metamorphism, Regional Metamorphism
Types of Weathering
Biological Weathering, Chemical Weathering
Biological Weathering, Chemical Weathering
Types of Erosion
Chemical Erosion, Coastal Erosion, Glacier Erosion, Sea Erosion
Chemical Erosion, Coastal Erosion, Water Erosion
Grain Size
Medium to Fine Coarse Grained
Fine to Medium Grained
Fracture
Conchoidal
Conchoidal
Porosity
Highly Porous
Highly Porous
Luster
Shiny
Not Available
Compressive Strength
Not Available
Cleavage
Slaty
Not Available
Specific Gravity
2.5-2.9
2.86-2.87
Transparency
Opaque
Opaque
Density
2.8-2.9 g/cm3
2.7-3.3 g/cm3
Resistance
Impact Resistant, Pressure Resistant, Water Resistant
Heat Resistant, Impact Resistant, Pressure Resistant, Wear Resistant
Deposits in Eastern Continents
Asia
Afghanistan, Bangladesh, Bhutan, China, India, Japan, Kazakhstan, Malaysia, Pakistan, Russia, Thailand, Turkey, Vietnam
India
Africa
Egypt, Ethiopia, Morocco, Nigeria, South Africa
South Africa, Tanzania
Europe
Austria, England, France, Georgia, Germany, Italy, Liechtenstein, Monaco, Norway, Slovenia, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland
Germany, Greece, Italy, Scotland, Turkey
Others
Not Yet Found
Antarctica, Greenland
Deposits in Western Continents
North America
Canada, Costa Rica, Cuba, Mexico, Panama, USA
Canada, USA
South America
Brazil, Colombia, Guyana
Argentina, Brazil, Colombia, Venezuela
Deposits in Oceania Continent
Australia
New South Wales, New Zealand, Queensland
Central Australia, New Zealand, Queensland, Western Australia
Greenschist vs Diabase 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. Greenschist vs Diabase characteristics assist us to distinguish and recognize rocks. Also you can check about Properties of Greenschist and Properties of Diabase. Learn more about Greenschist vs Diabase in the next section. The interior uses of Greenschist include Bathrooms, Countertops, Decorative aggregates, Entryways, Homes and Interior decoration whereas the interior uses of Diabase include Countertops, Decorative aggregates, Homes, Interior decoration and Kitchens. Due to some exceptional properties of Greenschist and Diabase, they have various applications in construction industry. The uses of Greenschist in construction industry include As dimension stone, Building houses or walls, Cement manufacture, Cutting tool, For road aggregate, Roadstone and that of Diabase include As dimension stone, Building houses or walls, Cement manufacture, Construction aggregate, For road aggregate.
More about Greenschist and Diabase
Here you can know more about Greenschist and Diabase. The life cycle of a rock consists of formation of rock, composition of rock and transformation of rock. The composition of Greenschist and Diabase consists of mineral content and compound content. The mineral content of Greenschist includes Alusite, Amphibole, Biotite, Chlorite, Epidote, Feldspar, Garnet, Graphite, Hornblade, Kyanite, Micas, Muscovite or Illite, Porphyroblasts, Quartz, Serpentine, Sillimanite, Staurolite, Talc and mineral content of Diabase includes Augite, Chlorite, Olivine, Plagioclase, Pyroxene, Pyrrhotite, Serpentine. You can also check out the list of all Metamorphic Rocks. When we have to compare Greenschist vs Diabase, the texture, color and appearance plays an important role in determining the type of rock. Greenschist is available in dark greenish - grey, green colors whereas, Diabase is available in dark grey to black colors. Appearance of Greenschist is Layered and Shiny and that of Diabase is Vesicular. Properties of rock is another aspect for Greenschist vs Diabase. The hardness of Greenschist is 3.5-4 and that of Diabase is 7. The types of Greenschist are Not Available whereas types of Diabase are Not Available. Streak of rock is the color of powder produced when it is dragged across an unweathered surface. The streak of Greenschist is white while that of Diabase is black. The specific heat capacity of Greenschist is Not Available and that of Diabase is Not Available. Depending on the properties like hardness, toughness, specific heat capacity, porosity etc., rocks are resistant to heat, wear, impact, etc.Greenschist is impact resistant, pressure resistant, water resistant whereas Diabase is heat resistant, impact resistant, pressure resistant, wear resistant.