Home
Compare Rocks


Metapelite and Tachylite


Tachylite and Metapelite


Definition

Definition
Metapelite is an old and currently not widely used field geological term for a clay rich fine-grained clastic sediment or sedimentary rock, i.e. mud or a mudstone   
Tachylite is a vitreous form of basaltic volcanic glass. This glass is formed naturally by the rapid cooling of molten basalt   

History
  
  

Origin
Unknown   
Iceland   

Discoverer
Unknown   
Unknown   

Etymology
From Pelos or clay in Greek   
From German Tachylite, from tachy- + Greek lutos soluble, melting   

Class
Metamorphic Rocks   
Igneous Rocks   

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

Family
  
  

Group
Not Applicable   
Volcanic   

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

Texture

Texture
Foliated   
Vitreous   

Color
Dark Greenish - Grey, Green, Light Green, Light Greenish Grey   
Black, Dark Brown   

Maintenance
Less   
More   

Durability
Durable   
Durable   

Water Resistant
Yes   
Yes   

Scratch Resistant
Yes   
No   

Stain Resistant
Yes   
No   

Wind Resistant
No   
Yes   

Acid Resistant
No   
Yes   

Appearance
Banded   
Glassy   

Uses

Architecture
  
  

Interior Uses
Decorative Aggregates, Interior Decoration   
Decorative Aggregates, Interior Decoration   

Exterior Uses
As Building Stone, As Facing Stone   
As Building Stone, As Facing Stone, Garden Decoration, Paving Stone   

Other Architectural Uses
Curbing   
Curbing   

Industry
  
  

Construction Industry
Cement Manufacture, Construction Aggregate, for Road Aggregate   
Cutting Tool, Knives, Landscaping, Scrapers   

Medical Industry
Not Yet Used   
Not Yet Used   

Antiquity Uses
Artifacts   
Artifacts   

Other Uses
  
  

Commercial Uses
Commemorative Tablets, Creating Artwork   
Cemetery Markers, Creating Artwork   

Types

Types
Not Available   
Not Available   

Features
Easily splits into thin plates, It is One of the Oldest, Strongest and Hardest Rock   
Available in Lots of Colors and Patterns, Clasts are smooth to touch, NA   

Archaeological Significance
  
  

Monuments
Not Yet Used   
Not Yet Used   

Famous Monuments
Not Applicable   
Not Applicable   

Sculpture
Not Yet Used   
Not Yet Used   

Famous Sculptures
Not Applicable   
Not Applicable   

Pictographs
Used   
Used   

Petroglyphs
Used   
Used   

Figurines
Not Yet Used   
Not Yet Used   

Fossils
Absent   
Absent   

Formation

Formation
Due to change in environmental conditions, rocks are heated and pressurized deep inside the Earth's surface. Metapelite is formed from the extreme heat caused by magma or by the intense collisions and friction of tectonic plates.   
Tachylite 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.   

Composition
  
  

Mineral Content
Albite, Chlorite, Quartz   
Feldspar, Olivine   

Compound Content
Aluminium Oxide, CaO, MgO   
Fe, Mg   

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   
Yes   

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

Properties

Physical Properties
  
  

Hardness
5-6   
5.5   

Grain Size
Medium to Fine Coarse Grained   
Medium to Fine Coarse Grained   

Fracture
Fibrous   
Conchoidal   

Streak
Unknown   
Vermilion   

Porosity
Highly Porous   
Less Porous   

Luster
Earthy   
Resinous   

Compressive Strength
Not Available   
206.00 N/mm2   
8

Cleavage
Not Available   
Not Available   

Toughness
Not Available   
Not Available   

Specific Gravity
3.4-3.7   
2.4   

Transparency
Opaque   
Opaque   

Density
0-300 g/cm3   
3.058 g/cm3   

Thermal Properties
  
  

Specific Heat Capacity
0.72 kJ/Kg K   
20
0.56 kJ/Kg K   
22

Resistance
Heat Resistant, Impact Resistant, Pressure Resistant   
Heat Resistant, Impact Resistant, Wear Resistant   

Reserves

Deposits in Eastern Continents
  
  

Asia
Not Yet Found   
Cambodia, Russia, South Korea   

Africa
Western Africa   
East Africa   

Europe
United Kingdom   
England, Germany, Hungary, Iceland, Scotland, Sweden   

Others
Not Yet Found   
Hawaii Islands   

Deposits in Western Continents
  
  

North America
Not Available   
USA   

South America
Brazil, Colombia, Ecuador   
Not Yet Found   

Deposits in Oceania Continent
  
  

Australia
Central Australia, Western Australia   
Victoria   

Summary >>
<< Reserves

All about Metapelite and Tachylite Properties

Know all about Metapelite and Tachylite properties here. All properties of rocks are important as they define the type of rock and its application. Metapelite belongs to Metamorphic Rocks while Tachylite belongs to Igneous Rocks.Texture of Metapelite is Foliated whereas that of Tachylite is Vitreous. Metapelite appears Banded and Tachylite appears Glassy. The luster of Metapelite is earthy while that of Tachylite is resinous. Metapelite is available in dark greenish - grey, green, light green, light greenish grey colors whereas Tachylite is available in black, dark brown colors. The commercial uses of Metapelite are commemorative tablets, creating artwork and that of Tachylite are cemetery markers, creating artwork.

Compare Metamorphic Rocks

Metamorphic Rocks

Metamorphic Rocks

» More Metamorphic Rocks

Compare Metamorphic Rocks

» More Compare Metamorphic Rocks