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Limestone vs Variolite


Variolite vs Limestone


Definition

Definition
Limestone is a sedimentary rock composed mostly of calcite and aragonite, which are different crystal forms of calcium carbonate  
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
New Zealand  
France  

Discoverer
Belsazar Hacquet  
Unknown  

Etymology
From lime and stone in late 14th Century  
From Latin varius, speckled, variegated  

Class
Sedimentary Rocks  
Igneous Rocks  

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

Family
  
  

Group
Not Applicable  
Volcanic  

Other Categories
Fine Grained Rock, Opaque Rock  
Opaque Rock  

Texture

Texture
Clastic or Non-Clastic  
Glassy, Massive, Porphyritic, Scoriaceous, Vesicular  

Color
Beige, Black, Blue, Brown, Cream, Gold, Green, Grey, Light Green, Light Grey, Linen, Pink, Red, Rust, Silver, White, Yellow  
Black, Brown, Light to Dark Grey  

Maintenance
More  
Less  

Durability
Durable  
Durable  

Water Resistant
No  
Yes  

Scratch Resistant
Yes  
Yes  

Stain Resistant
Yes  
No  

Wind Resistant
No  
No  

Acid Resistant
No  
Yes  

Appearance
Rough and Banded  
Dull and Soft  

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  
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  
Not Available  

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, Creating Artwork  

Types

Types
Chalk, Coquina, Fossiliferous Limestone, Lithographic Limestone, Oolitic Limestone, Travertine, Tufa  
Not Available  

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
Used  
Used  

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  
Not Available  

Sculpture
Used  
Used  

Famous Sculptures
Ajanta Caves in Maharashtra, India, Elephanta Caves in Maharashtra, India  
Not Available  

Pictographs
Used  
Used  

Petroglyphs
Used  
Used  

Figurines
Used  
Used  

Fossils
Present  
Absent  

Formation

Formation
Limestone is a sedimentary rock which is mainly made up of calcium carbonate.  
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
Calcite, Chert, Clay, Dolomite, Quartz, Sand, Silt  
Olivine, Plagioclase, Pyroxene  

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  
Yes  

Types of Metamorphism
Not Applicable  
Burial Metamorphism, Cataclastic Metamorphism, Contact Metamorphism, Hydrothermal Metamorphism, Impact Metamorphism, Regional Metamorphism  

Weathering
Yes  
Yes  

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

Erosion
Yes  
No  

Types of Erosion
Chemical Erosion, Coastal Erosion  
Not Applicable  

Properties

Physical Properties
  
  

Hardness
3-4  
6  

Grain Size
Fine Grained  
Not Applicable  

Fracture
Splintery  
Conchoidal  

Streak
White  
White to Grey  

Porosity
Less Porous  
Less Porous  

Luster
Dull to Pearly  
Not Available  

Compressive Strength
115.00 N/mm2  
18
37.50 N/mm2  
27

Cleavage
Not Available  
Not Available  

Toughness
1  
2.3  

Specific Gravity
2.3-2.7  
2.8-3  

Transparency
Opaque  
Opaque  

Density
2.3-2.7 g/cm3  
2.9-3.1 g/cm3  

Thermal Properties
  
  

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

Resistance
Pressure Resistant  
Heat Resistant, Pressure Resistant, Wear Resistant  

Reserves

Deposits in Eastern Continents
  
  

Asia
Brunei, India, Indonesia, Malaysia, Singapore, Thailand, Vietnam  
India, Russia  

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

Europe
United Kingdom  
Iceland  

Others
Not Available  
Not Available  

Deposits in Western Continents
  
  

North America
USA  
Canada, USA  

South America
Colombia  
Brazil  

Deposits in Oceania Continent
  
  

Australia
Adelaide, New Zealand, Queensland, Victoria, Yorke Peninsula  
Not Available  

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Limestone vs Variolite 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 Variolite Reserves. Limestone is a sedimentary rock composed mostly of calcite and aragonite, which are different crystal forms of calcium carbonate. 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. 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 Variolite information and Limestone vs Variolite characteristics in the upcoming sections.

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Limestone vs Variolite 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 Variolite characteristics assist us to distinguish and recognize rocks. Also you can check about Properties of Limestone and Properties of Variolite. Learn more about Limestone vs Variolite in the next section. The interior uses of Limestone include Decorative aggregates and Interior decoration whereas the interior uses of Variolite include Floor tiles, Flooring, Homes, Hotels and Kitchens. Due to some exceptional properties of Limestone and Variolite, 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 Variolite include As dimension stone, Cobblestones, Rail track ballast, Roadstone.

More about Limestone and Variolite

Here you can know more about Limestone and Variolite. The life cycle of a rock consists of formation of rock, composition of rock and transformation of rock. The composition of Limestone and Variolite consists of mineral content and compound content. The mineral content of Limestone includes Calcite, Chert, Clay, Dolomite, Quartz, Sand, Silt and mineral content of Variolite includes Olivine, Plagioclase, Pyroxene. You can also check out the list of all Sedimentary Rocks. When we have to compare Limestone vs Variolite, 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, Variolite is available in black, brown, light to dark grey colors. Appearance of Limestone is Rough and Banded and that of Variolite is Dull and Soft. Properties of rock is another aspect for Limestone vs Variolite. The hardness of Limestone is 3-4 and that of Variolite is 6. The types of Limestone are Chalk, Coquina, Fossiliferous Limestone, Lithographic Limestone, Oolitic Limestone, Travertine, Tufa whereas types of Variolite are Not Available. 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 Variolite is white to grey. The specific heat capacity of Limestone is 0.91 kJ/Kg K and that of Variolite 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 Variolite is heat resistant, pressure resistant, wear resistant.

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