Definition
Icelandite belongs to volcanic igneous rocks which is rich in iron and belongs to andesite rock
Blueschist is a metamorphic rock which is generally blue in color and is formed under conditions of high pressure and low temperature
Discoverer
Ian S. E. Carmichael
Edgar Bailey
Etymology
From its origin place near Cenozoic volcano near the parsonage Þingmúli in East Iceland
From French schiste, Greek skhistos i.e. split
Class
Igneous Rocks
Metamorphic Rocks
Sub-Class
Durable Rock, Hard Rock
Durable Rock, Medium Hardness Rock
Group
Volcanic
Not Applicable
Other Categories
Fine Grained Rock, Opaque Rock
Fine Grained Rock, Medium Grained Rock, Opaque Rock
Texture
Aphanitic to Porphyritic
Foliated
Color
Bluish - Grey, Grey, Pink, Yellow
Blue, Bluish - Grey, Purple, Shades of Blue
Durability
Durable
Durable
Appearance
Dull and Soft
Dull and Banded
Interior Uses
Decorative Aggregates, Floor Tiles, Homes, Interior Decoration, Kitchens
Floor Tiles, Flooring, Homes, Hotels, Kitchens
Exterior Uses
Office Buildings, Roof Tiles
Garden Decoration, Office Buildings
Other Architectural Uses
Curbing
Not Yet Used
Construction Industry
Cobblestones, Construction Aggregate, for Road Aggregate
As Dimension Stone, Cobblestones, Rail Track Ballast, Roadstone
Medical Industry
Not Yet Used
Not Yet Used
Antiquity Uses
Artifacts, Jewellery, Sculpture, Small Figurines
Artifacts, Monuments, Sculpture
Commercial Uses
Cemetery Markers, Creating Artwork
Cemetery Markers, Commemorative Tablets, Creating Artwork, Curling, Tombstones
Types
Not Available
Not Available
Features
Generally rough to touch, High silica content, Is one of the oldest rock
Has High structural resistance against erosion and climate, Very fine grained rock
Archaeological Significance
Monuments
Not Yet Used
Used
Famous Monuments
Not Applicable
Data Not Available
Famous Sculptures
Data Not Available
Data Not Available
Pictographs
Not Used
Used
Petroglyphs
Not Used
Used
Formation
Icelandite 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.
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, Apatite, Biotite, Feldspar, Garnet, Hornblade, Ilmenite, Magnetite, Plagioclase, Pyroxene, Quartz, Zircon
Albite, Chlorite, Epidote, Garnet, Glaucophane, Lawsonite, Muscovite or Illite, Quartz
Compound Content
Silicon Dioxide
Aluminium Oxide, CaO, Iron(III) Oxide, FeO, Potassium Oxide, MgO, MnO, Sodium Oxide, Phosphorus Pentoxide, Silicon Dioxide, Titanium Dioxide
Types of Metamorphism
Burial Metamorphism, Cataclastic Metamorphism, Contact Metamorphism, Hydrothermal Metamorphism, Impact Metamorphism, Regional Metamorphism
Not Applicable
Types of Weathering
Biological Weathering
Mechanical Weathering
Types of Erosion
Chemical Erosion, Coastal Erosion, Sea Erosion, Water Erosion, Wind Erosion
Chemical Erosion, Coastal Erosion, Water Erosion, Wind Erosion
Grain Size
Very fine-grained
Fine to Medium Grained
Fracture
Uneven
Conchoidal
Streak
White
White to Grey
Porosity
Less Porous
Highly Porous
Cleavage
Not Available
Slaty
Specific Gravity
2.5-2.8
3-3.2
Transparency
Opaque
Opaque
Density
2.11-2.36 g/cm3
2.8-2.9 g/cm3
Specific Heat Capacity
Not Available
Resistance
Heat Resistant, Pressure Resistant, Scratch Resistant, Wear Resistant
Impact Resistant, Pressure Resistant
Deposits in Eastern Continents
Asia
India, Indonesia, Japan, Nepal, South Korea
Japan, Turkey
Africa
Egypt, Ethiopia, Morocco, Namibia, South Africa, Tanzania
Egypt, Ethiopia, South Africa
Europe
Austria, Finland, Germany, Italy, Romania, Turkey, United Kingdom
France, Greece, Iceland
Others
Not Yet Found
Not Yet Found
Deposits in Western Continents
North America
Mexico, USA
USA
South America
Argentina, Bolivia, Chile, Colombia, Ecuador, Peru, Venezuela
Not Yet Found
Deposits in Oceania Continent
Australia
New South Wales, New Zealand, Western Australia
New Zealand
Icelandite 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. Icelandite vs Blueschist characteristics assist us to distinguish and recognize rocks. Also you can check about Properties of Icelandite and Properties of Blueschist. Learn more about Icelandite vs Blueschist in the next section. The interior uses of Icelandite include Decorative aggregates, Floor tiles, Homes, Interior decoration and Kitchens whereas the interior uses of Blueschist include Floor tiles, Flooring, Homes, Hotels and Kitchens. Due to some exceptional properties of Icelandite and Blueschist, they have various applications in construction industry. The uses of Icelandite in construction industry include Cobblestones, Construction aggregate, For road aggregate and that of Blueschist include As dimension stone, Cobblestones, Rail track ballast, Roadstone.
More about Icelandite and Blueschist
Here you can know more about Icelandite and Blueschist. The life cycle of a rock consists of formation of rock, composition of rock and transformation of rock. The composition of Icelandite and Blueschist consists of mineral content and compound content. The mineral content of Icelandite includes Amphibole, Apatite, Biotite, Feldspar, Garnet, Hornblade, Ilmenite, Magnetite, Plagioclase, Pyroxene, Quartz, Zircon 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 Igneous Rocks. When we have to compare Icelandite vs Blueschist, the texture, color and appearance plays an important role in determining the type of rock. Icelandite is available in bluish - grey, grey, pink, yellow colors whereas, Blueschist is available in blue, bluish - grey, purple, shades of blue colors. Appearance of Icelandite is Dull and Soft and that of Blueschist is Dull and Banded. Properties of rock is another aspect for Icelandite vs Blueschist. The hardness of Icelandite is 7 and that of Blueschist is 3.5-4. The types of Icelandite are Not Available whereas types of Blueschist are Not Available. Streak of rock is the color of powder produced when it is dragged across an unweathered surface. The streak of Icelandite is white while that of Blueschist is white to grey. The specific heat capacity of Icelandite is 2.39 kJ/Kg K and that of Blueschist is Not Available. Depending on the properties like hardness, toughness, specific heat capacity, porosity etc., rocks are resistant to heat, wear, impact, etc.Icelandite is heat resistant, pressure resistant, scratch resistant, wear resistant whereas Blueschist is impact resistant, pressure resistant.