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Limestone vs Blueschist


Blueschist vs Limestone


Definition

Definition
Limestone is a sedimentary rock composed mostly of calcite and aragonite, which are different crystal forms of calcium carbonate  
Blueschist is a metamorphic rock which is generally blue in color and is formed under conditions of high pressure and low temperature  

History
  
  

Origin
New Zealand  
USA  

Discoverer
Belsazar Hacquet  
Edgar Bailey  

Etymology
From lime and stone in late 14th Century  
From French schiste, Greek skhistos i.e. split  

Class
Sedimentary Rocks  
Metamorphic Rocks  

Sub-Class
Durable Rock, Medium Hardness Rock  
Durable Rock, Medium Hardness Rock  

Family
  
  

Group
-  
-  

Other Categories
Fine Grained Rock, Opaque Rock  
Fine Grained Rock, Medium Grained Rock, Opaque Rock  

Texture

Texture
Clastic or Non-Clastic  
Foliated  

Color
Beige, Black, Blue, Brown, Cream, Gold, Green, Grey, Light Green, Light Grey, Linen, Pink, Red, Rust, Silver, White, Yellow  
Blue, Bluish - Grey, Purple, Shades of Blue  

Maintenance
More  
Less  

Durability
Durable  
Durable  

Water Resistant
No  
No  

Scratch Resistant
Yes  
No  

Stain Resistant
Yes  
No  

Wind Resistant
No  
No  

Acid Resistant
No  
No  

Appearance
Rough and Banded  
Dull and Banded  

Uses

Architecture
  
  

Interior Uses
Decorative Aggregates, Interior Decoration  
Floor Tiles, Flooring, Homes, Hotels, Kitchens  

Exterior Uses
As Building Stone, As Facing Stone, Garden Decoration, Office Buildings  
Garden Decoration, Office Buildings  

Other Architectural Uses
Curbing  
-  

Industry
  
  

Construction Industry
Cement Manufacture, Cobblestones, for Road Aggregate, Production of Glass and Ceramics, Raw material for the manufacture of mortar, Roadstone, Source of calcium  
As Dimension Stone, Cobblestones, Rail Track Ballast, Roadstone  

Medical Industry
In Chemical and Pharmaceutical Industry, Medicines and Cosmetics  
-  

Antiquity Uses
Artifacts, Monuments, Sculpture, Small Figurines  
Artifacts, Monuments, Sculpture  

Other Uses
  
  

Commercial Uses
Animal feed filler, As a Feed Additive for Livestock, Paper Industry, Raw material for manufacture of quicklime, slaked lime, Soil Conditioner, Used in aquariums, Whiting material in toothpaste, paint and paper  
Cemetery Markers, Commemorative Tablets, Creating Artwork, Curling, Tombstones  

Types

Types
Chalk, Coquina, Fossiliferous Limestone, Lithographic Limestone, Oolitic Limestone, Travertine, Tufa  
Metamorphic rock  

Features
Host Rock for Lead, Stalactites and stalagmites are formed from this rock, Zinc and Copper Deposits  
Has High structural resistance against erosion and climate, Very fine grained rock  

Archaeological Significance
  
  

Monuments
-  
-  

Famous Monuments
Acropolis of Athens in Greece, Agia Sophia in Istanbul, Turkey, Al Aqsa Mosque in Jerusalem, Angkor Wat in Cambodia, Big Ben in London, Charminar in Hyderabad, India, Chhatrapati Shivaji Terminus in Maharashtra, India, Chichen Itza in Mexico, Empire State Building in New York, Khajuraho Temples, India, Kremlin in Moscow, Louvre in Paris, France, Neuschwanstein in Bavaria, Potala Palace in Lahasa, Tibet, Wailing Wall in Jerusalem  
-  

Sculpture
-  
-  

Famous Sculptures
Ajanta Caves in Maharashtra, India, Elephanta Caves in Maharashtra, India  
-  

Pictographs
-  
-  

Petroglyphs
-  
-  

Figurines
-  
-  

Fossils
Present  
Absent  

Formation

Formation
Limestone is a sedimentary rock which is mainly made up of calcium carbonate.  
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.  

Composition
  
  

Mineral Content
Calcite, Chert, Clay, Dolomite, Quartz, Sand, Silt  
Albite, Chlorite, Epidote, Garnet, Glaucophane, Lawsonite, Muscovite or Illite, Quartz  

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

Transformation
  
  

Metamorphism
No  
No  

Types of Metamorphism
-  
-  

Weathering
Yes  
Yes  

Types of Weathering
Biological Weathering, Chemical Weathering, Mechanical Weathering  
Mechanical Weathering  

Erosion
Yes  
Yes  

Types of Erosion
Chemical Erosion, Coastal Erosion  
Chemical Erosion, Coastal Erosion, Water Erosion, Wind Erosion  

Properties

Physical Properties
  
  

Hardness
3-4  
3.5-4  

Grain Size
Fine Grained  
Fine to Medium Grained  

Fracture
Splintery  
Conchoidal  

Streak
White  
White to Grey  

Porosity
Less Porous  
Highly Porous  

Luster
Dull to Pearly  
Dull  

Compressive Strength
115.00 N/mm2  
27
220.00 N/mm2  
9

Cleavage
-  
Slaty  

Toughness
1  
1.5  

Specific Gravity
2.3-2.7  
3-3.2  

Transparency
Opaque  
Opaque  

Density
2.3-2.7 g/cm3  
2.8-2.9 g/cm3  

Thermal Properties
  
  

Specific Heat Capacity
0.91 kJ/Kg K  
11
0.84 kJ/Kg K  
15

Resistance
Pressure Resistant  
Impact Resistant, Pressure Resistant  

Reserves

Deposits in Eastern Continents
  
  

Asia
Brunei, India, Indonesia, Malaysia, Singapore, Thailand, Vietnam  
Japan, Turkey  

Africa
Cameroon, Chad, Ghana, Kenya, Malawi, Sudan, Tanzania, Togo, Zambia, Zimbabwe  
Egypt, Ethiopia, South Africa  

Europe
United Kingdom  
France, Greece, Iceland  

Others
-  
-  

Deposits in Western Continents
  
  

North America
USA  
USA  

South America
Colombia  
-  

Deposits in Oceania Continent
  
  

Australia
Adelaide, New Zealand, Queensland, Victoria, Yorke Peninsula  
New Zealand  

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Limestone vs Blueschist Information

Earth’s outer layer is covered by rocks and these rocks have different physical and chemical properties. As two rocks are not same, it’s fun to compare them. You can also know more about Limestone and Blueschist Reserves. Limestone is a sedimentary rock composed mostly of calcite and aragonite, which are different crystal forms of calcium carbonate. Blueschist is a metamorphic rock which is generally blue in color and is formed under conditions of high pressure and low temperature. These rocks are composed of many distinct minerals. The process of formation of rocks is different for various rocks. Rocks are quarried from many years for various purposes. You can check out Limestone vs Blueschist information and Limestone vs Blueschist characteristics in the upcoming sections.

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Limestone 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. Limestone vs Blueschist characteristics assist us to distinguish and recognize rocks. Also you can check about Properties of Limestone and Properties of Blueschist. Learn more about Limestone vs Blueschist in the next section. The interior uses of Limestone include Decorative aggregates and Interior decoration whereas the interior uses of Blueschist include Floor tiles, Flooring, Homes, Hotels and Kitchens. Due to some exceptional properties of Limestone and Blueschist, they have various applications in construction industry. The uses of Limestone in construction industry include Cement manufacture, Cobblestones, For road aggregate, Production of glass and ceramics, Raw material for the manufacture of mortar, Roadstone, Source of calcium and that of Blueschist include As dimension stone, Cobblestones, Rail track ballast, Roadstone.

More about Limestone and Blueschist

Here you can know more about Limestone and Blueschist. The life cycle of a rock consists of formation of rock, composition of rock and transformation of rock. The composition of Limestone and Blueschist consists of mineral content and compound content. The mineral content of Limestone includes Calcite, Chert, Clay, Dolomite, Quartz, Sand, Silt 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 Sedimentary Rocks. When we have to compare Limestone vs Blueschist, the texture, color and appearance plays an important role in determining the type of rock. Limestone is available in beige, black, blue, brown, cream, gold, green, grey, light green, light grey, linen, pink, red, rust, silver, white, yellow colors whereas, Blueschist is available in blue, bluish - grey, purple, shades of blue colors. Appearance of Limestone is Rough and Banded and that of Blueschist is Dull and Banded. Properties of rock is another aspect for Limestone vs Blueschist. The hardness of Limestone is 3-4 and that of Blueschist is 3.5-4. The types of Limestone are Chalk, Coquina, Fossiliferous Limestone, Lithographic Limestone, Oolitic Limestone, Travertine, Tufa whereas types of Blueschist are Metamorphic rock. Streak of rock is the color of powder produced when it is dragged across an unweathered surface. The streak of Limestone is white while that of Blueschist is white to grey. The specific heat capacity of Limestone is 0.91 kJ/Kg K and that of Blueschist is 0.84 kJ/Kg K. Depending on the properties like hardness, toughness, specific heat capacity, porosity etc., rocks are resistant to heat, wear, impact, etc.Limestone is pressure resistant whereas Blueschist is impact resistant, pressure resistant.

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