Lignite

Variolite

Lignite and Variolite

Lignite

Variolite

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Definition

Lignite is a soft brownish coal which shows traces of plants and is intermediate between bituminous coal and peat

Variolites are a group of dark green basic igneous rocks which exhibit pale colored spots, or spherules, especially on weathered surfaces, that give them a pockmarked appearance

History

Origin

France

Discoverer

Unknown

Etymology

From French, Latin lignum wood + -ite1

From Latin varius, speckled, variegated

Class

Sedimentary Rocks

Igneous Rocks

Sub-Class

Durable Rock, Soft Rock

Durable Rock, Hard Rock

Family

Group

Volcanic

Other Categories

Coarse Grained Rock, Fine Grained Rock, Medium Grained Rock, Opaque Rock

Opaque Rock

Texture

Amorphous, Glassy

Glassy, Massive, Porphyritic, Scoriaceous, Vesicular

Color

Black, Brown, Dark Brown, Grey, Light to Dark Grey

Black, Brown, Light to Dark Grey

Maintenance

Less

Durability

Durable

Water Resistant

✔ ✘

Scratch Resistant

✔ ✘

Stain Resistant

✔ ✘

Wind Resistant

✔ ✘

Acid Resistant

✔ ✘

Appearance

Veined or Pebbled

Dull and Soft

Uses

Architecture

Interior Uses

Floor Tiles, Flooring, Homes, Hotels, Kitchens

Exterior Uses

Garden Decoration, Office Buildings

Other Architectural Uses

Curbing

Industry

Construction Industry

for Road Aggregate, Steel Production

As Dimension Stone, Cobblestones, Rail Track Ballast, Roadstone

Medical Industry

Antiquity Uses

Artifacts, Monuments, Sculpture

Other Uses

Commercial Uses

Electricity Generation

Cemetery Markers, Creating Artwork

Types

Xyloid Lignite or Fossil Wood and Compact Lignite or Perfect Lignite

Metamorphic rock

Features

Generally rough to touch, Helps in production of Heat and Electricity, Used as fossil fuel

Has High structural resistance against erosion and climate, Very fine grained rock

Archaeological Significance

Monuments

Famous Monuments

Sculpture

Famous Sculptures

Pictographs

Petroglyphs

Figurines

Fossils

Present

Absent

Formation

Coal formation takes place due to accumulation of plant debris in a swamp environment. The Coal formation process continues, as peat turns into lignite brown or black coal at increasing heat and pressure.

Variolites are a group of dark green basic igneous rocks that exhibit pale colored spots on weathered surfaces that give them a pockmarked appearance.

Composition

Mineral Content

Olivine, Plagioclase, Pyroxene

Compound Content

Carbon, Hydrogen, Nitrogen, Oxygen, Sulphur

Aluminium Oxide, CaO, Iron(III) Oxide, FeO, Potassium Oxide, MgO, MnO, Sodium Oxide, Phosphorus Pentoxide, Silicon Dioxide, Titanium Dioxide

Transformation

Metamorphism

✔ ✘

Types of Metamorphism

Burial Metamorphism, Cataclastic Metamorphism, Contact Metamorphism, Hydrothermal Metamorphism, Impact Metamorphism, Regional Metamorphism

Weathering

✔ ✘

Types of Weathering

Biological Weathering, Chemical Weathering, Mechanical Weathering

Erosion

✔ ✘

Types of Erosion

Chemical Erosion, Water Erosion, Wind Erosion

Properties

Physical Properties

Hardness

1 7

👆🏻

Grain Size

Medium to Fine Coarse Grained

Fracture

Conchoidal

Streak

Black

White to Grey

Porosity

Highly Porous

Less Porous

Luster

Dull to Vitreous to Submetallic

Compressive Strength

-37.50 N/mm²

0.15 450

👆🏻

Cleavage

Toughness

2.3

Specific Gravity

1.1-1.42.8-3

0 8.4

👆🏻

Transparency

Opaque

Density

800-801 g/cm³2.9-3.1 g/cm³

0 1400

👆🏻

Thermal Properties

Specific Heat Capacity

1.26 kJ/Kg K0.84 kJ/Kg K

0.14 3.2

👆🏻

Resistance

Heat Resistant

Heat Resistant, Pressure Resistant, Wear Resistant

Reserves

Deposits in Eastern Continents

Asia

Bangladesh, Burma, Cambodia, China, India, Indonesia, Kazakhstan, Malaysia, Mongolia, Pakistan, Turkey, Vietnam

India, Russia

Africa

Botswana, Kenya, Morocco, Mozambique, South Africa, Tanzania

South Africa

Europe

Belgium, Bulgaria, England, France, Germany, Greece, Hungary, Kosovo, Netherlands, Norway, Poland, Romania, Serbia, Slovakia, Slovenia, The Czech Republic, Ukraine, United Kingdom

Iceland

Others

Deposits in Western Continents

North America

Canada, Mexico, USA

Canada, USA

South America

Brazil, Chile, Colombia, Venezuela

Brazil

Deposits in Oceania Continent

Australia

New South Wales, Queensland, Victoria

All about Lignite and Variolite Properties

Know all about Lignite and Variolite properties here. All properties of rocks are important as they define the type of rock and its application. Lignite belongs to Sedimentary Rocks while Variolite belongs to Igneous Rocks.Texture of Lignite is Amorphous, Glassy whereas that of Variolite is Glassy, Massive, Porphyritic, Scoriaceous, Vesicular. Lignite appears Veined or Pebbled and Variolite appears Dull and Soft. The luster of Lignite is dull to vitreous to submetallic while that of Variolite is . Lignite and Variolite are available in black, brown, dark brown, grey, light to dark grey colors. The commercial uses of Lignite are electricity generation and that of Variolite are cemetery markers, creating artwork.