Definition
Oolite is a sedimentary rock formed from ooids, spherical grains which are composed of concentric layers of calcite
Tachylite is a vitreous form of basaltic volcanic glass. This glass is formed naturally by the rapid cooling of molten basalt
Discoverer
William Smith
Unknown
Etymology
From oo- + -lite, after German Oolit. A rock consisting of fine grains of carbonate of lime
From German Tachylite, from tachy- + Greek lutos soluble, melting
Class
Sedimentary Rocks
Igneous Rocks
Sub-Class
Durable Rock, Medium Hardness Rock
Durable Rock, Medium Hardness Rock
Other Categories
Fine Grained Rock, Opaque Rock
Coarse Grained Rock, Fine Grained Rock, Medium Grained Rock, Opaque Rock
Texture
Clastic or Non-Clastic
Vitreous
Color
Black, Blue, Brown, Cream, Green, Grey, Pink, Red, Silver, White, Yellow
Black, Dark Brown
Durability
Durable
Durable
Appearance
Rounded and Rough
Glassy
Interior Uses
Decorative Aggregates, Flooring, Interior Decoration
Decorative Aggregates, Interior Decoration
Exterior Uses
As Building Stone, As Facing Stone, Garden Decoration, Paving Stone
As Building Stone, As Facing Stone, Garden Decoration, Paving Stone
Other Architectural Uses
-
Curbing
Construction Industry
Cement Manufacture, Cobblestones, Landscaping
Cutting Tool, Knives, Landscaping, Scrapers
Antiquity Uses
Artifacts
Artifacts
Commercial Uses
Creating Artwork, Jewelry, Used in aquariums
Cemetery Markers, Creating Artwork
Types
Pisolitic Oolite and Oncolitic Oolite
Volcanic glass
Features
Available in lots of colors, Generally rough to touch, Very fine grained rock
Available in Lots of Colors and Patterns, Clasts are smooth to touch
Archaeological Significance
Formation
Oolites form when layers of calcite are deposited around a sand grain or fossil piece and are rolled around in calm water, which makes them round.
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.
Mineral Content
Calcite, Chert, Clay, Dolomite, Quartz, Sand, Silt
Feldspar, Olivine
Compound Content
Aluminium Oxide, Ca, NaCl, CaO, Iron(III) Oxide, FeO, MgO
Fe, Mg
Types of Metamorphism
-
Burial Metamorphism, Cataclastic Metamorphism, Contact Metamorphism, Hydrothermal Metamorphism, Impact Metamorphism, Regional Metamorphism
Types of Weathering
Biological Weathering, Chemical Weathering, Mechanical Weathering
Biological Weathering, Chemical Weathering, Mechanical Weathering
Types of Erosion
Chemical Erosion, Coastal Erosion
Chemical Erosion, Sea Erosion, Water Erosion, Wind Erosion
Grain Size
Fine Grained
Medium to Fine Coarse Grained
Fracture
Conchoidal
Conchoidal
Porosity
Less Porous
Less Porous
Luster
Pearly to Shiny
Resinous
Specific Gravity
-9999
2.4
Transparency
Opaque
Opaque
Density
-9999 g/cm3
3.058 g/cm3
Resistance
Heat Resistant, Wear Resistant
Heat Resistant, Impact Resistant, Wear Resistant
Deposits in Eastern Continents
Asia
Brunei, India, Indonesia, Malaysia, Singapore, Thailand, Vietnam
Cambodia, Russia, South Korea
Africa
Cameroon, Chad, Ghana, Kenya, Malawi, Sudan, Tanzania, Togo, Zambia, Zimbabwe
East Africa
Europe
United Kingdom
England, Germany, Hungary, Iceland, Scotland, Sweden
Deposits in Western Continents
Deposits in Oceania Continent
Australia
Adelaide, New Zealand, Queensland, Victoria, Yorke Peninsula
Victoria
Oolite vs Tachylite Characteristics
Though some rocks look identical, they have certain characteristics which distinguish them from others. Characteristics of rocks include texture, appearance, color, fracture, streak, hardness etc. Oolite vs Tachylite characteristics assist us to distinguish and recognize rocks. Also you can check about Properties of Oolite and Properties of Tachylite. Learn more about Oolite vs Tachylite in the next section. The interior uses of Oolite include Decorative aggregates, Flooring and Interior decoration whereas the interior uses of Tachylite include Decorative aggregates and Interior decoration. Due to some exceptional properties of Oolite and Tachylite, they have various applications in construction industry. The uses of Oolite in construction industry include Cement manufacture, Cobblestones, Landscaping and that of Tachylite include Cutting tool, Knives, Landscaping, Scrapers.
More about Oolite and Tachylite
Here you can know more about Oolite and Tachylite. The life cycle of a rock consists of formation of rock, composition of rock and transformation of rock. The composition of Oolite and Tachylite consists of mineral content and compound content. The mineral content of Oolite includes Calcite, Chert, Clay, Dolomite, Quartz, Sand, Silt and mineral content of Tachylite includes Feldspar, Olivine. You can also check out the list of all Sedimentary Rocks. When we have to compare Oolite vs Tachylite, the texture, color and appearance plays an important role in determining the type of rock. Oolite is available in black, blue, brown, cream, green, grey, pink, red, silver, white, yellow colors whereas, Tachylite is available in black, dark brown colors. Appearance of Oolite is Rounded and Rough and that of Tachylite is Glassy. Properties of rock is another aspect for Oolite vs Tachylite. The hardness of Oolite is 3-4 and that of Tachylite is 5.5. The types of Oolite are Pisolitic Oolite and Oncolitic Oolite whereas types of Tachylite are Volcanic glass. Streak of rock is the color of powder produced when it is dragged across an unweathered surface. The streak of Oolite is white while that of Tachylite is vermilion. The specific heat capacity of Oolite is 0.65 kJ/Kg K and that of Tachylite is 0.56 kJ/Kg K. Depending on the properties like hardness, toughness, specific heat capacity, porosity etc., rocks are resistant to heat, wear, impact, etc.Oolite is heat resistant, wear resistant whereas Tachylite is heat resistant, impact resistant, wear resistant.