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Pseudotachylite and Adakite


Adakite and Pseudotachylite


Definition

Definition
Very fine grained fault rock which is composed of glassy matrix that often contains inclusions of wall-rock fragments.  
Adakite is an intermediate to felsic volcanic rock that has geochemical characteristics of magma which is said to be formed by partial melting of altered basalt that is subducted below volcanic arcs  

History
  
  

Origin
USA  
Adak, Aleutian Islands  

Discoverer
Unknown  
Defant and Drummond  

Etymology
From pseudo- +‎ tachylite, a glassy rock generated by frictional heat within faults.  
From Adak, Aleutian Islands  

Class
Metamorphic Rocks  
Igneous Rocks  

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

Family
  
  

Group
-  
Volcanic  

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

Texture

Texture
Quench  
Porphyritic  

Color
Black, Brown, Green, Grey, Pink, White  
Black, Brown, Light to Dark Grey  

Maintenance
Less  
Less  

Durability
Durable  
Durable  

Water Resistant
Yes  
No  

Scratch Resistant
Yes  
No  

Stain Resistant
No  
No  

Wind Resistant
Yes  
Yes  

Acid Resistant
Yes  
Yes  

Appearance
Dull and Soft  
Dull and Soft  

Uses

Architecture
  
  

Interior Uses
Decorative Aggregates, Entryways, Interior Decoration  
Decorative Aggregates, Floor Tiles, Homes, Hotels, Kitchens  

Exterior Uses
As Building Stone, As Facing Stone, Garden Decoration  
As Building Stone, As Facing Stone, Office Buildings  

Other Architectural Uses
Curbing  
Whetstones  

Industry
  
  

Construction Industry
As Dimension Stone, Cement Manufacture, for Road Aggregate, Making natural cement  
As Dimension Stone, Cobblestones, Rail Track Ballast, Roadstone  

Medical Industry
-  
-  

Antiquity Uses
Artifacts, Monuments  
Monuments, Sculpture, Small Figurines  

Other Uses
  
  

Commercial Uses
Creating Artwork, Gemstone  
Commemorative Tablets, Pottery, Used in aquariums  

Types

Types
Cataclastic rock  
Intermediate volcanic rock  

Features
Host Rock for Lead  
Has High structural resistance against erosion and climate, Host rock for Diamond, Very fine grained rock  

Archaeological Significance
  
  

Monuments
-  
-  

Famous Monuments
-  
-  

Sculpture
-  
-  

Famous Sculptures
-  
-  

Pictographs
-  
-  

Petroglyphs
-  
-  

Figurines
-  
-  

Fossils
Absent  
Absent  

Formation

Formation
Due to change in environmental conditions, rocks are heated and pressurized deep inside the Earth's surface. Pseudotachylite is formed from the extreme heat caused by magma or by the intense collisions and friction of tectonic plates.  
Adakite rocks are formed when the hydrous fluids are released from minerals that break down in metamorphosed basalt, and rise into the mantle they initiate partial melting.  

Composition
  
  

Mineral Content
Iron Oxides, Pyroxene, Quartz, Stishovite, Sulfides  
Olivine, Plagioclase, Pyroxene  

Compound Content
Carbon Dioxide, Silicon Dioxide, Sulfur Dioxide, Sulphur  
Aluminium Oxide, MgO, Silicon Dioxide  

Transformation
  
  

Metamorphism
Yes  
Yes  

Types of Metamorphism
Burial Metamorphism, Cataclastic Metamorphism, Contact Metamorphism  
Cataclastic Metamorphism, Contact Metamorphism, Impact Metamorphism, Regional Metamorphism  

Weathering
No  
Yes  

Types of Weathering
-  
Chemical Weathering, Mechanical Weathering  

Erosion
No  
Yes  

Types of Erosion
-  
Coastal Erosion, Sea Erosion, Water Erosion  

Properties

Physical Properties
  
  

Hardness
7  
3-4  

Grain Size
Very fine-grained  
Fine to Medium Grained  

Fracture
Uneven  
Conchoidal  

Streak
Light to dark brown  
Bluish Black  

Porosity
Less Porous  
Less Porous  

Luster
Vitreous  
Grainy, Pearly and Vitreous  

Compressive Strength
60.00 N/mm2  
37
200.00 N/mm2  
13

Cleavage
-  
-  

Toughness
-  
-  

Specific Gravity
2.46-2.86  
-9999  

Transparency
Transparent to Translucent  
Opaque  

Density
2.7-2.9 g/cm3  
-9999 g/cm3  

Thermal Properties
  
  

Specific Heat Capacity
0.92 kJ/Kg K  
10
0.84 kJ/Kg K  
15

Resistance
Heat Resistant  
Heat Resistant, Pressure Resistant, Wear Resistant  

Reserves

Deposits in Eastern Continents
  
  

Asia
South Korea  
India, Russia  

Africa
Western Africa  
Ethiopia, Somalia, South Africa  

Europe
Great Britain, Switzerland  
Iceland  

Others
-  
-  

Deposits in Western Continents
  
  

North America
-  
Canada, USA  

South America
-  
Brazil  

Deposits in Oceania Continent
  
  

Australia
Central Australia, Western Australia  
-  

Summary >>
<< Reserves

All about Pseudotachylite and Adakite Properties

Know all about Pseudotachylite and Adakite properties here. All properties of rocks are important as they define the type of rock and its application. Pseudotachylite belongs to Metamorphic Rocks while Adakite belongs to Igneous Rocks.Texture of Pseudotachylite is Quench whereas that of Adakite is Porphyritic. Pseudotachylite appears Dull and Soft and Adakite appears Dull and Soft. The luster of Pseudotachylite is vitreous while that of Adakite is grainy, pearly and vitreous. Pseudotachylite is available in black, brown, green, grey, pink, white colors whereas Adakite is available in black, brown, light to dark grey colors. The commercial uses of Pseudotachylite are creating artwork, gemstone and that of Adakite are commemorative tablets, pottery, used in aquariums.

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