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
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
-
France
Discoverer
Unknown
Unknown
Etymology
From Pelos or clay in Greek
From Latin varius, speckled, variegated
Class
Metamorphic Rocks
Igneous Rocks
Sub-Class
Durable Rock, Medium Hardness Rock
Durable Rock, Hard Rock
Family
Group
-
Volcanic
Other Categories
Coarse Grained Rock, Fine Grained Rock, Medium Grained Rock, Opaque Rock
Opaque Rock
Texture
Foliated
Glassy, Massive, Porphyritic, Scoriaceous, Vesicular
Color
Dark Greenish - Grey, Green, Light Green, Light Greenish Grey
Black, Brown, Light to Dark Grey
Maintenance
Less
Less
Durability
Durable
Durable
Water Resistant
✔
✘
✔
✘
Scratch Resistant
✔
✘
✔
✘
Stain Resistant
✔
✘
✔
✘
Wind Resistant
✔
✘
✔
✘
Acid Resistant
✔
✘
✔
✘
Appearance
Banded
Dull and Soft
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
Other Architectural Uses
Curbing
Curbing
Industry
Construction Industry
Cement Manufacture, Construction Aggregate, for Road Aggregate
As Dimension Stone, Cobblestones, Rail Track Ballast, Roadstone
Medical Industry
-
-
Antiquity Uses
Artifacts
Artifacts, Monuments, Sculpture
Other Uses
Commercial Uses
Commemorative Tablets, Creating Artwork
Cemetery Markers, Creating Artwork
Types
Metamorphic rock
Metamorphic rock
Features
Easily splits into thin plates, It is One of the Oldest, Strongest and Hardest Rock
Has High structural resistance against erosion and climate, Very fine grained rock
Archaeological Significance
Monuments
-
-
Famous Monuments
-
-
Sculpture
-
-
Famous Sculptures
-
-
Pictographs
-
-
Petroglyphs
-
-
Figurines
-
-
Fossils
Absent
Absent
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.
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
Albite, Chlorite, Quartz
Olivine, Plagioclase, Pyroxene
Compound Content
Aluminium Oxide, CaO, MgO
Aluminium Oxide, CaO, Iron(III) Oxide, FeO, Potassium Oxide, MgO, MnO, Sodium Oxide, Phosphorus Pentoxide, Silicon Dioxide, Titanium Dioxide
Transformation
Metamorphism
✔
✘
✔
✘
Types of Metamorphism
-
Burial Metamorphism, Cataclastic Metamorphism, Contact Metamorphism, Hydrothermal Metamorphism, Impact Metamorphism, Regional 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
-
Physical Properties
Hardness
5-66
1
7
👆🏻
Grain Size
Medium to Fine Coarse Grained
-
Fracture
Fibrous
Conchoidal
Streak
-
White to Grey
Porosity
Highly Porous
Less Porous
Luster
Earthy
-
Compressive Strength
40.00 N/mm237.50 N/mm2
0.15
450
👆🏻
Cleavage
-
-
Toughness
-
2.3
Specific Gravity
3.4-3.72.8-3
0
8.4
👆🏻
Transparency
Opaque
Opaque
Density
0-300 g/cm32.9-3.1 g/cm3
0
1400
👆🏻
Thermal Properties
Specific Heat Capacity
0.72 kJ/Kg K0.84 kJ/Kg K
0.14
3.2
👆🏻
Resistance
Heat Resistant, Impact Resistant, Pressure Resistant
Heat Resistant, Pressure Resistant, Wear Resistant
Deposits in Eastern Continents
Asia
-
India, Russia
Africa
Western Africa
South Africa
Europe
United Kingdom
Iceland
Others
-
-
Deposits in Western Continents
North America
-
Canada, USA
South America
Brazil, Colombia, Ecuador
Brazil
Deposits in Oceania Continent
Australia
Central Australia, Western Australia
-