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Migmatite and Schist


Schist and Migmatite


Definition

Definition
Migmatite is typically a granitic rock within a metamorphic host rock which is composed of two intermingled but distinguishable components   
Schist is a medium grade metamorphic rock with medium to large, flat, sheet like grains in a preferred orientation   

History
  
  

Origin
Southern Alps, France   
Unknown   

Discoverer
Jakob Sederholm   
Unknown   

Etymology
From the Greek word migma which means a mixture   
From French schiste, Greek skhistos i.e. split   

Class
Metamorphic Rocks   
Metamorphic Rocks   

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

Family
  
  

Group
Not Applicable   
Not Applicable   

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   
Foliated, Platy   

Color
Black, Bluish - Grey, Brown, Brown- Black, Dark Greenish - Grey, Dark Grey to Black   
Black, Blue, Brown, Dark Brown, Green, Grey, Silver   

Maintenance
More   
Less   

Durability
Durable   
Durable   

Water Resistant
Yes   
Yes   

Scratch Resistant
Yes   
No   

Stain Resistant
No   
No   

Wind Resistant
No   
No   

Acid Resistant
No   
No   

Appearance
Dull, Banded and Foilated   
Layered and Shiny   

Uses

Architecture
  
  

Interior Uses
Countertops, Flooring, Kitchens   
Decorative Aggregates, Floor Tiles, Interior Decoration   

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

Other Architectural Uses
Curbing   
Not Yet Used   

Industry
  
  

Construction Industry
As Dimension Stone, Cement Manufacture, for Road Aggregate, Making natural cement   
As Dimension Stone, Building houses or walls, Cement Manufacture, for Road Aggregate, Roadstone   

Medical Industry
Not Yet Used   
Not Yet Used   

Antiquity Uses
Artifacts   
Artifacts   

Other Uses
  
  

Commercial Uses
Cemetery Markers, Jewelry, Tombstones, Used to manufracture paperweights and bookends   
Used in aquariums, Writing Slates   

Types

Types
Diatexites and Metatexites   
Mica Schists, Calc-Silicate Schists, Graphite Schists, Blueschists, Whiteschists, Greenschists, Hornblende Schist, Talc Schist, Chlorite Schist, Garnet Schist, Glaucophane schist.   

Features
Generally rough to touch, Is one of the oldest rock   
Easily splits into thin plates, Smooth to touch   

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
Migmatites form by high temperature regional and thermal metamorphism of protolith rocks where rocks melt partially due to high temperature.   
Schist formed by dynamic metamorphism at high temperatures and pressures that aligns the grains of mica, hornblende and other elongated minerals into thin layers.   

Composition
  
  

Mineral Content
Biotite, Chlorite, Feldspar, Garnet, Graphite, Hornblade, Micas, Muscovite or Illite, Quartz, Quartzite, Silica, Zircon   
Alusite, Amphibole, Biotite, Chlorite, Epidote, Feldspar, Garnet, Graphite, Hornblade, Kyanite, Micas, Muscovite or Illite, Porphyroblasts, Quartz, Sillimanite, Staurolite, Talc   

Compound Content
Aluminium Oxide, NaCl, CaO, Carbon Dioxide, Iron(III) Oxide, FeO, Potassium Oxide, Magnesium Carbonate, MgO, MnO, Phosphorus Pentoxide, Silicon Dioxide, Titanium Dioxide   
CaO, Carbon Dioxide, MgO   

Transformation
  
  

Metamorphism
Yes   
No   

Types of Metamorphism
Burial Metamorphism, Cataclastic Metamorphism, Regional Metamorphism   
Not Applicable   

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, Glacier Erosion, Water Erosion, Wind Erosion   
Chemical Erosion, Coastal Erosion, Glacier Erosion   

Properties

Physical Properties
  
  

Hardness
5.5-6.5   
3.5-4   

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

Fracture
Irregular   
Conchoidal   

Streak
White   
White   

Porosity
Very Less Porous   
Highly Porous   

Luster
Dull to Pearly to Subvitreous   
Shiny   

Cleavage
Poor   
Slaty   

Toughness
1.2   
1.5   

Specific Gravity
2.65-2.75   
2.5-2.9   

Transparency
Opaque   
Opaque   

Density
Not Available   
2.8-2.9 g/cm3   

Thermal Properties
  
  

Resistance
Heat Resistant, Pressure Resistant   
Impact Resistant, Pressure Resistant, Water Resistant   

Reserves

Deposits in Eastern Continents
  
  

Asia
China, India, Iran, Iraq, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Mongolia, Russia   
Afghanistan, Bangladesh, Bhutan, China, India, Japan, Kazakhstan, Malaysia, Pakistan, Russia, Thailand, Turkey, Vietnam   

Africa
Cameroon, Ethiopia, Ghana, Kenya, Madagascar, Morocco, Mozambique, Namibia, Nigeria, Tanzania, Togo   
Egypt, Ethiopia, Morocco, Nigeria, South Africa   

Europe
Albania, Austria, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Finland, France, Georgia, Germany, Hungary, Italy, Kosovo, Monaco, Norway, Poland, Romania, Serbia, Slovakia, Slovenia, Sweden, Switzerland, Ukraine, United Kingdom   
Austria, England, France, Georgia, Germany, Italy, Liechtenstein, Monaco, Norway, Slovenia, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland   

Others
Not Yet Found   
Not Yet Found   

Deposits in Western Continents
  
  

North America
Canada, Costa Rica, Cuba, Mexico, Panama, USA   
Canada, Costa Rica, Cuba, Mexico, Panama, USA   

South America
Argentina, Bolivia, Brazil, Chile, Colombia, Ecuador, Peru, Venezuela   
Brazil, Colombia, Guyana   

Deposits in Oceania Continent
  
  

Australia
New South Wales, New Zealand, Queensland, Victoria   
New South Wales, New Zealand, Queensland   

Summary >>
<< Reserves

All about Migmatite and Schist Properties

Know all about Migmatite and Schist properties here. All properties of rocks are important as they define the type of rock and its application. Migmatite and Schist belong to Metamorphic Rocks.Texture of Migmatite is Foliated whereas that of Schist is Foliated, Platy. Migmatite appears Dull, Banded and Foilated and Schist appears Layered and Shiny. The luster of Migmatite is dull to pearly to subvitreous while that of Schist is shiny. Migmatite is available in black, bluish - grey, brown, brown- black, dark greenish - grey, dark grey to black colors whereas Schist is available in black, blue, brown, dark brown, green, grey, silver colors. The commercial uses of Migmatite are cemetery markers, jewelry, tombstones, used to manufracture paperweights and bookends and that of Schist are used in aquariums, writing slates.

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