Definition
Icelandite belongs to volcanic igneous rocks which is rich in iron and belongs to andesite rock
Very fine grained fault rock which is composed of glassy matrix that often contains inclusions of wall-rock fragments.
Discoverer
Ian S. E. Carmichael
Unknown
Etymology
From its origin place near Cenozoic volcano near the parsonage Þingmúli in East Iceland
From pseudo- + tachylite, a glassy rock generated by frictional heat within faults.
Class
Igneous Rocks
Metamorphic Rocks
Sub-Class
Durable Rock, Hard Rock
Durable Rock, Hard Rock
Group
Volcanic
Not Applicable
Other Categories
Fine Grained Rock, Opaque Rock
Fine Grained Rock, Opaque Rock
Texture
Aphanitic to Porphyritic
Quench
Color
Bluish - Grey, Grey, Pink, Yellow
Black, Brown, Colourless, Green, Grey, Pink, White
Durability
Durable
Durable
Scratch Resistant
Yes
Yes
Appearance
Dull and Soft
Dull and Soft
Interior Uses
Decorative Aggregates, Floor Tiles, Homes, Interior Decoration, Kitchens
Decorative Aggregates, Entryways, Interior Decoration
Exterior Uses
Office Buildings, Roof Tiles
As Building Stone, As Facing Stone, Garden Decoration
Other Architectural Uses
Curbing
Curbing
Construction Industry
Cobblestones, Construction Aggregate, for Road Aggregate
As Dimension Stone, Cement Manufacture, for Road Aggregate, Making natural cement
Medical Industry
Not Yet Used
Not Yet Used
Antiquity Uses
Artifacts, Jewellery, Sculpture, Small Figurines
Artifacts, Monuments
Commercial Uses
Cemetery Markers, Creating Artwork
Creating Artwork, Gemstone
Types
Not Available
Not Available
Features
Generally rough to touch, High silica content, Is one of the oldest rock
Host Rock for Lead
Archaeological Significance
Monuments
Not Yet Used
Used
Famous Monuments
Not Applicable
Data Not Available
Sculpture
Used
Not Yet Used
Famous Sculptures
Data Not Available
Not Applicable
Pictographs
Not Used
Not Used
Petroglyphs
Not Used
Not Used
Figurines
Used
Not Yet 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.
Due to change in environmental conditions, rocks are heated and pressurized deep inside the Earth's surface. Pseudotachylite is formed from the extreme heat caused by magma or by the intense collisions and friction of tectonic plates.
Mineral Content
Amphibole, Apatite, Biotite, Feldspar, Garnet, Hornblade, Ilmenite, Magnetite, Plagioclase, Pyroxene, Quartz, Zircon
Iron Oxides, Pyroxene, Quartz, Stishovite, Sulfides
Compound Content
Silicon Dioxide
Carbon Dioxide, Silicon Dioxide, Sulfur Dioxide, Sulphur
Types of Metamorphism
Burial Metamorphism, Cataclastic Metamorphism, Contact Metamorphism, Hydrothermal Metamorphism, Impact Metamorphism, Regional Metamorphism
Burial Metamorphism, Cataclastic Metamorphism, Contact Metamorphism
Types of Weathering
Biological Weathering
Not Applicable
Types of Erosion
Chemical Erosion, Coastal Erosion, Sea Erosion, Water Erosion, Wind Erosion
Not Applicable
Grain Size
Very fine-grained
Very fine-grained
Streak
White
Light to dark brown
Porosity
Less Porous
Less Porous
Compressive Strength
Not Available
Cleavage
Not Available
Irregular
Toughness
1.1
Not Available
Specific Gravity
2.5-2.8
2.46-2.86
Transparency
Opaque
Transparent to Translucent
Density
2.11-2.36 g/cm3
2.7-2.9 g/cm3
Resistance
Heat Resistant, Pressure Resistant, Scratch Resistant, Wear Resistant
Heat Resistant
Deposits in Eastern Continents
Asia
India, Indonesia, Japan, Nepal, South Korea
South Korea
Africa
Egypt, Ethiopia, Morocco, Namibia, South Africa, Tanzania
Western Africa
Europe
Austria, Finland, Germany, Italy, Romania, Turkey, United Kingdom
Great Britain, Switzerland
Others
Not Yet Found
Not Yet Found
Deposits in Western Continents
North America
Mexico, USA
Not Yet Found
South America
Argentina, Bolivia, Chile, Colombia, Ecuador, Peru, Venezuela
Not Yet Found
Deposits in Oceania Continent
Australia
New South Wales, New Zealand, Western Australia
Central Australia, Western Australia
Icelandite vs Pseudotachylite 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 Pseudotachylite characteristics assist us to distinguish and recognize rocks. Also you can check about Properties of Icelandite and Properties of Pseudotachylite. Learn more about Icelandite vs Pseudotachylite in the next section. The interior uses of Icelandite include Decorative aggregates, Floor tiles, Homes, Interior decoration and Kitchens whereas the interior uses of Pseudotachylite include Decorative aggregates, Entryways and Interior decoration. Due to some exceptional properties of Icelandite and Pseudotachylite, they have various applications in construction industry. The uses of Icelandite in construction industry include Cobblestones, Construction aggregate, For road aggregate and that of Pseudotachylite include As dimension stone, Cement manufacture, For road aggregate, Making natural cement.
More about Icelandite and Pseudotachylite
Here you can know more about Icelandite and Pseudotachylite. The life cycle of a rock consists of formation of rock, composition of rock and transformation of rock. The composition of Icelandite and Pseudotachylite 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 Pseudotachylite includes Iron Oxides, Pyroxene, Quartz, Stishovite, Sulfides. You can also check out the list of all Igneous Rocks. When we have to compare Icelandite vs Pseudotachylite, 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, Pseudotachylite is available in black, brown, colourless, green, grey, pink, white colors. Appearance of Icelandite is Dull and Soft and that of Pseudotachylite is Dull and Soft. Properties of rock is another aspect for Icelandite vs Pseudotachylite. Hardness of Icelandite and Pseudotachylite is 7. The types of Icelandite are Not Available whereas types of Pseudotachylite 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 Pseudotachylite is light to dark brown. The specific heat capacity of Icelandite is 2.39 kJ/Kg K and that of Pseudotachylite 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.Icelandite is heat resistant, pressure resistant, scratch resistant, wear resistant whereas Pseudotachylite is heat resistant.