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
Diatomite is a fine-grained sedimentary rock which is formed from consolidated diatomaceous earth
History
Origin
-
Germany
Discoverer
Unknown
Unknown
Etymology
From Pelos or clay in Greek
From diatom + -ite1
Class
Metamorphic Rocks
Sedimentary Rocks
Sub-Class
Durable Rock, Medium Hardness Rock
Durable Rock, Soft Rock
Family
Group
-
-
Other Categories
Coarse Grained Rock, Fine Grained Rock, Medium Grained Rock, Opaque Rock
Fine Grained Rock, Opaque Rock
Texture
Foliated
Clastic or Non-Clastic
Color
Dark Greenish - Grey, Green, Light Green, Light Greenish Grey
Grey, White, Yellow
Maintenance
Less
Less
Durability
Durable
Non-Durable
Water Resistant
✔
✘
✔
✘
Scratch Resistant
✔
✘
✔
✘
Stain Resistant
✔
✘
✔
✘
Wind Resistant
✔
✘
✔
✘
Acid Resistant
✔
✘
✔
✘
Appearance
Banded
Soft
Architecture
Interior Uses
Decorative Aggregates, Interior Decoration
Decorative Aggregates, Homes, Interior Decoration
Exterior Uses
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
As Dimension Stone, Cement Manufacture, Construction Aggregate, for Road Aggregate, Landscaping, Making natural cement, Source of calcium
Medical Industry
-
-
Antiquity Uses
Artifacts
Artifacts
Other Uses
Commercial Uses
Commemorative Tablets, Creating Artwork
Alumina Refineries, Animal feed filler, As a Feed Additive for Livestock, Creating Artwork, Drawing on blackboards, Fire resistant, Gymnasts, athletes and mountain climbers use for grip, In aquifers, Soil Conditioner, To ignite fire, Used as a filter medium, Used as an insecticide, Whiting material in toothpaste, paint and paper
Types
Metamorphic rock
Diatomite
Features
Easily splits into thin plates, It is One of the Oldest, Strongest and Hardest Rock
Clasts are smooth to touch, Is one of the oldest rock, Smooth to touch, Very fine grained rock
Archaeological Significance
Monuments
-
-
Famous Monuments
-
-
Sculpture
-
-
Famous Sculptures
-
-
Pictographs
-
-
Petroglyphs
-
-
Figurines
-
-
Fossils
Absent
Present
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.
Diatomite rock formed from the skeletal remains of single celled plants called diatoms. When diatoms die, their skeletal remains sink to the bottom of lakes and oceans etc. hence forming diatomite deposit.
Composition
Mineral Content
Albite, Chlorite, Quartz
Calcite, Clay, Clay Minerals, Quartz, Sand
Compound Content
Aluminium Oxide, CaO, MgO
Ca, NaCl, CaO
Transformation
Metamorphism
✔
✘
✔
✘
Types of Metamorphism
-
-
Weathering
✔
✘
✔
✘
Types of Weathering
Biological Weathering, Chemical Weathering, Mechanical Weathering
Biological Weathering, Chemical Weathering, Mechanical Weathering
Erosion
✔
✘
✔
✘
Types of Erosion
Chemical Erosion, Coastal Erosion, Water Erosion, Wind Erosion
Chemical Erosion, Coastal Erosion, Wind Erosion
Physical Properties
Hardness
5-61
1
7
👆🏻
Grain Size
Medium to Fine Coarse Grained
Very fine-grained
Fracture
Fibrous
-
Streak
-
White
Porosity
Highly Porous
Highly Porous
Luster
Earthy
Dull
Compressive Strength
40.00 N/mm2-
0.15
450
👆🏻
Cleavage
-
-
Toughness
-
1
Specific Gravity
3.4-3.72.3-2.4
0
8.4
👆🏻
Transparency
Opaque
Opaque
Density
0-300 g/cm32.49-2.51 g/cm3
0
1400
👆🏻
Thermal Properties
Specific Heat Capacity
0.72 kJ/Kg K0.90 kJ/Kg K
0.14
3.2
👆🏻
Resistance
Heat Resistant, Impact Resistant, Pressure Resistant
Heat Resistant
Deposits in Eastern Continents
Asia
-
Brunei, India, Indonesia, Malaysia, Singapore, Thailand, Vietnam
Africa
Western Africa
Cameroon, Chad, Ghana, Kenya, Malawi, Sudan, Tanzania, Togo, Zambia, Zimbabwe
Europe
United Kingdom
England, France, Germany, Spain, United Kingdom
Others
-
-
Deposits in Western Continents
North America
-
Canada, USA
South America
Brazil, Colombia, Ecuador
Colombia
Deposits in Oceania Continent
Australia
Central Australia, Western Australia
Adelaide, New Zealand, Queensland, Victoria, Yorke Peninsula