Definition
Icelandite belongs to volcanic igneous rocks which is rich in iron and belongs to andesite rock
Websterite is ultramafic and ultrabasic rock that consists of roughly equal proportions of orthopyroxene and clinopyroxene. It is a special type of pyroxenite.
Origin
Iceland
Webster, North Carolina
Discoverer
Ian S. E. Carmichael
Unknown
Etymology
From its origin place near Cenozoic volcano near the parsonage Þingmúli in East Iceland
From the town of Webster located in North Carolina
Class
Igneous Rocks
Igneous Rocks
Sub-Class
Durable Rock, Hard Rock
Durable Rock, Hard Rock
Other Categories
Fine Grained Rock, Opaque Rock
Coarse Grained Rock, Opaque Rock
Texture
Aphanitic to Porphyritic
Clastic, Granular, Phaneritic, Porphyritic
Color
Bluish - Grey, Grey, Pink, Yellow
Black to Grey, Bluish - Grey, Dark Greenish - Grey, Green, Light Greenish Grey
Durability
Durable
Durable
Scratch Resistant
Yes
Yes
Appearance
Dull and Soft
Layered, Banded, Veined and Shiny
Interior Uses
Decorative Aggregates, Floor Tiles, Homes, Interior Decoration, Kitchens
Countertops, Decorative Aggregates, Entryways, Floor Tiles, Flooring, Interior Decoration
Exterior Uses
Office Buildings, Roof Tiles
As Building Stone, As Facing Stone, Garden Decoration, Paving Stone
Other Architectural Uses
Curbing
Curbing
Construction Industry
Cobblestones, Construction Aggregate, for Road Aggregate
As Dimension Stone, Building houses or walls, Cement Manufacture, Construction Aggregate, for Road Aggregate
Antiquity Uses
Artifacts, Jewellery, Sculpture, Small Figurines
Artifacts
Commercial Uses
Cemetery Markers, Creating Artwork
Cemetery Markers, Commemorative Tablets, Creating Artwork, Laboratory bench tops, Jewelry, Sea Defence, Tombstones
Types
Intermediate volcanic rock
Ultramafic rock
Features
Generally rough to touch, High silica content, Is one of the oldest rock
Generally rough to touch, Is one of the oldest rock
Archaeological Significance
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.
Websterite can be formed as cumulates in ultramafic intrusions by accumulation of pyroxene crystals at the base of the lava chamber.
Mineral Content
Amphibole, Apatite, Biotite, Feldspar, Garnet, Hornblade, Ilmenite, Magnetite, Plagioclase, Pyroxene, Quartz, Zircon
Amphibole, Augite, Bronzite, Chromite, Diopside, Enstatite, Garnet, Hornblende, Hypersthene, Magnetite, Pyroxene
Compound Content
Silicon Dioxide
Aluminium Oxide, CaO, Chromium(III) Oxide, Iron(III) Oxide, Potassium Oxide, MgO, Sodium Oxide, Silicon Dioxide, Sulfur Trioxide
Types of Metamorphism
Burial Metamorphism, Cataclastic Metamorphism, Contact Metamorphism, Hydrothermal Metamorphism, Impact Metamorphism, Regional Metamorphism
Burial Metamorphism, Impact Metamorphism
Types of Weathering
Biological Weathering
Biological Weathering, Chemical Weathering, Mechanical Weathering
Types of Erosion
Chemical Erosion, Coastal Erosion, Sea Erosion, Water Erosion, Wind Erosion
Chemical Erosion, Coastal Erosion, Glacier Erosion, Water Erosion, Wind Erosion
Grain Size
Very fine-grained
Coarse Grained
Streak
White
White, Greenish White or Grey
Porosity
Less Porous
Less Porous
Luster
Vitreous
Dull to Vitreous to Submetallic
Specific Gravity
2.5-2.8
3.2-3.5
Transparency
Opaque
Opaque
Density
2.11-2.36 g/cm3
3.1-3.6 g/cm3
Resistance
Heat Resistant, Pressure Resistant, Scratch Resistant, Wear Resistant
Impact Resistant, Pressure Resistant, Wear Resistant
Deposits in Eastern Continents
Asia
India, Indonesia, Japan, Nepal, South Korea
India, Russia
Africa
Egypt, Ethiopia, Morocco, Namibia, South Africa, Tanzania
South Africa
Europe
Austria, Finland, Germany, Italy, Romania, Turkey, United Kingdom
Germany, Greece, Italy, Scotland, Turkey
Deposits in Western Continents
North America
Mexico, USA
Canada, USA
South America
Argentina, Bolivia, Chile, Colombia, Ecuador, Peru, Venezuela
Brazil, Colombia, Venezuela
Deposits in Oceania Continent
Australia
New South Wales, New Zealand, Western Australia
New Zealand, Queensland
Icelandite vs Websterite 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 Websterite characteristics assist us to distinguish and recognize rocks. Also you can check about Properties of Icelandite and Properties of Websterite. Learn more about Icelandite vs Websterite in the next section. The interior uses of Icelandite include Decorative aggregates, Floor tiles, Homes, Interior decoration and Kitchens whereas the interior uses of Websterite include Countertops, Decorative aggregates, Entryways, Floor tiles, Flooring and Interior decoration. Due to some exceptional properties of Icelandite and Websterite, they have various applications in construction industry. The uses of Icelandite in construction industry include Cobblestones, Construction aggregate, For road aggregate and that of Websterite include As dimension stone, Building houses or walls, Cement manufacture, Construction aggregate, For road aggregate.
More about Icelandite and Websterite
Here you can know more about Icelandite and Websterite. The life cycle of a rock consists of formation of rock, composition of rock and transformation of rock. The composition of Icelandite and Websterite 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 Websterite includes Amphibole, Augite, Bronzite, Chromite, Diopside, Enstatite, Garnet, Hornblende, Hypersthene, Magnetite, Pyroxene. You can also check out the list of all Igneous Rocks. When we have to compare Icelandite vs Websterite, 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, Websterite is available in black to grey, bluish - grey, dark greenish - grey, green, light greenish grey colors. Appearance of Icelandite is Dull and Soft and that of Websterite is Layered, Banded, Veined and Shiny. Properties of rock is another aspect for Icelandite vs Websterite. Hardness of Icelandite and Websterite is 7. The types of Icelandite are Intermediate volcanic rock whereas types of Websterite are Ultramafic rock. 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 Websterite is white, greenish white or grey. The specific heat capacity of Icelandite is 2.39 kJ/Kg K and that of Websterite is 0.79 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 Websterite is impact resistant, pressure resistant, wear resistant.