Litchfieldite and Blueschist

Litchfieldite

Blueschist

Definition

Litchfieldite is a rare igneous rock which is coarse-grained, foliated and a variety of nepheline syenite, sometimes also called as nepheline syenite gneiss or gneissic nepeheline syenite

Blueschist is a metamorphic rock which is generally blue in color and is formed under conditions of high pressure and low temperature

History

Origin

USA

Discoverer

Bayley

Edgar Bailey

Etymology

From its occurrence at Litchfield, Maine, USA

From French schiste, Greek skhistos i.e. split

Class

Igneous Rocks

Metamorphic Rocks

Sub-Class

Durable Rock, Medium Hardness Rock

Family

Group

Plutonic

Not Applicable

Other Categories

Coarse Grained Rock, Opaque Rock

Fine Grained Rock, Medium Grained Rock, Opaque Rock

Texture

Granular

Foliated

Color

Brown, Buff, Cream, Green, Grey, Pink, White

Blue, Bluish - Grey, Purple, Shades of Blue

Maintenance

Less

Durability

Durable

Water Resistant

Yes

Scratch Resistant

Yes

Stain Resistant

Yes

Wind Resistant

Acid Resistant

Appearance

Banded and Foilated

Dull and Banded

Uses

Architecture

Interior Uses

Countertops, Decorative Aggregates, Flooring, Interior Decoration

Floor Tiles, Flooring, Homes, Hotels, Kitchens

Exterior Uses

As Building Stone, As Facing Stone, Garden Decoration

Garden Decoration, Office Buildings

Other Architectural Uses

Curbing

Not Yet Used

Industry

Construction Industry

As Dimension Stone, Cement Manufacture, Construction Aggregate, for Road Aggregate, Landscaping, Making natural cement, Manufacture of Magnesium and Dolomite Refractories, Production of Glass and Ceramics

As Dimension Stone, Cobblestones, Rail Track Ballast, Roadstone

Medical Industry

Not Yet Used

Antiquity Uses

Artifacts, Monuments, Sculpture

Other Uses

Commercial Uses

Creating Artwork

Cemetery Markers, Commemorative Tablets, Creating Artwork, Curling, Tombstones

Types

Borolanite and Litchfieldite

Not Available

Features

Application of acids on the surface causes cloudy frosting, Available in Lots of Colors and Patterns, Dissolves in hydrochloric acid, Is one of the oldest rock

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

Archaeological Significance

Monuments

Used

Famous Monuments

Data Not Available

Sculpture

Used

Famous Sculptures

Data Not Available

Pictographs

Used

Petroglyphs

Used

Figurines

Used

Fossils

Absent

Formation

Litchfieldite 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.

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

Albite, Amphibole, Biotite, Cancrinite, Feldspar, Hornblende, Plagioclase, Pyroxene, Sodalite

Albite, Chlorite, Epidote, Garnet, Glaucophane, Lawsonite, Muscovite or Illite, Quartz

Compound Content

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

Transformation

Metamorphism

Yes

Types of Metamorphism

Burial Metamorphism, Cataclastic Metamorphism, Contact Metamorphism, Impact Metamorphism

Not Applicable

Weathering

Yes

Types of Weathering

Biological Weathering, Mechanical Weathering

Mechanical Weathering

Erosion

Yes

Types of Erosion

Coastal Erosion, Water Erosion, Wind Erosion

Chemical Erosion, Coastal Erosion, Water Erosion, Wind Erosion

Properties

Physical Properties

Hardness

5.5-6

3.5-4

Grain Size

Coarse Grained

Fine to Medium Grained

Fracture

Conchoidal to Uneven

Conchoidal

Streak

White

White to Grey

Porosity

Less Porous

Highly Porous

Luster

Greasy to Dull

Dull

Compressive Strength

150.00 N/mm²

Not Available

Cleavage

Poor

Slaty

Toughness

Not Available

1.5

Specific Gravity

2.6

3-3.2

Transparency

Translucent to Opaque

Opaque

Density

2.6 g/cm³

2.8-2.9 g/cm³

Thermal Properties

Resistance

Heat Resistant, Impact Resistant, Wear Resistant

Impact Resistant, Pressure Resistant

Reserves

Deposits in Eastern Continents

Asia

Not Yet Found

Japan, Turkey

Africa

South Africa

Egypt, Ethiopia, South Africa

Europe

Finland, Norway, Portugal

France, Greece, Iceland

Others

Not Yet Found

Deposits in Western Continents

North America

Canada

USA

South America

Brazil

Not Yet Found

Deposits in Oceania Continent

Australia

Not Yet Found

New Zealand

Summary >>

<< Reserves

All about Litchfieldite and Blueschist Properties

Know all about Litchfieldite and Blueschist properties here. All properties of rocks are important as they define the type of rock and its application. Litchfieldite belongs to Igneous Rocks while Blueschist belongs to Metamorphic Rocks.Texture of Litchfieldite is Granular whereas that of Blueschist is Foliated. Litchfieldite appears Banded and Foilated and Blueschist appears Dull and Banded. The luster of Litchfieldite is greasy to dull while that of Blueschist is dull. Litchfieldite is available in brown, buff, cream, green, grey, pink, white colors whereas Blueschist is available in blue, bluish - grey, purple, shades of blue colors. The commercial uses of Litchfieldite are creating artwork and that of Blueschist are cemetery markers, commemorative tablets, creating artwork, curling, tombstones.