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Pseudotachylite vs Amphibolite


Amphibolite vs Pseudotachylite


Definition

Definition
Very fine grained fault rock which is composed of glassy matrix that often contains inclusions of wall-rock fragments.  
Amphibolite can be defined as a granular metamorphic rock which mainly consist of hornblende and plagioclase  

History
  
  

Origin
USA  
-  

Discoverer
Unknown  
Alexandre Brongniart  

Etymology
From pseudo- +‎ tachylite, a glassy rock generated by frictional heat within faults.  
From Amphibole + -ite  

Class
Metamorphic Rocks  
Metamorphic Rocks  

Sub-Class
Durable Rock, Hard Rock  
Durable Rock, Hard Rock  

Family
  
  

Group
-  
-  

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

Texture

Texture
Quench  
Banded, Foliated, Massive  

Color
Black, Brown, Green, Grey, Pink, White  
Black, Brown, Green, Grey  

Maintenance
Less  
Less  

Durability
Durable  
Durable  

Water Resistant
Yes  
Yes  

Scratch Resistant
Yes  
Yes  

Stain Resistant
No  
Yes  

Wind Resistant
Yes  
No  

Acid Resistant
Yes  
Yes  

Appearance
Dull and Soft  
Foliated  

Uses

Architecture
  
  

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

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

Other Architectural Uses
Curbing  
Curbing  

Industry
  
  

Construction Industry
As Dimension Stone, Cement Manufacture, for Road Aggregate, Making natural cement  
As Dimension Stone, Building houses or walls, Cobblestones, Construction Aggregate, for Road Aggregate, Landscaping, Production of Glass and Ceramics, Roadstone  

Medical Industry
-  
-  

Antiquity Uses
Artifacts, Monuments  
Artifacts, Sculpture, Small Figurines  

Other Uses
  
  

Commercial Uses
Creating Artwork, Gemstone  
Cemetery Markers, Commemorative Tablets, Creating Artwork  

Types

Types
Cataclastic rock  
Hornblendite  

Features
Host Rock for Lead  
Clasts are smooth to touch, Matrix variable, Surfaces are often shiny  

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.  
Amphibolite is a coarse-grained metamorphic rock which forms by metamorphism of mafic igneous rocks like basalt and gabbro or from the metamorphism of clay-rich sedimentary rocks like marl or graywacke.  

Composition
  
  

Mineral Content
Iron Oxides, Pyroxene, Quartz, Stishovite, Sulfides  
Amphibole, Andalusite, Biotite, Calcite, Epidote, Garnet, Hornblade, Kyanite, Magnetite, Olivine, Plagioclase, Pyroxene, Staurolite, Wollastonite  

Compound Content
Carbon Dioxide, Silicon Dioxide, Sulfur Dioxide, Sulphur  
Aluminium Oxide, CaO, Iron(III) Oxide, FeO, Potassium Oxide, MgO, MnO, Sodium Oxide, Phosphorus Pentoxide, Silicon Dioxide, Titanium Dioxide  

Transformation
  
  

Metamorphism
Yes  
No  

Types of Metamorphism
Burial Metamorphism, Cataclastic Metamorphism, Contact Metamorphism  
-  

Weathering
No  
Yes  

Types of Weathering
-  
Chemical Weathering, Mechanical Weathering  

Erosion
No  
Yes  

Types of Erosion
-  
Chemical Erosion, Glacier Erosion, Sea Erosion, Wind Erosion  

Properties

Physical Properties
  
  

Hardness
7  
6-7  

Grain Size
Very fine-grained  
Medium to Coarse Grained  

Fracture
Uneven  
Irregular to Conchoidal  

Streak
Light to dark brown  
White to Grey  

Porosity
Less Porous  
Less Porous  

Luster
Vitreous  
Vitreous to Dull  

Compressive Strength
60.00 N/mm2  
37
90.00 N/mm2  
32

Cleavage
-  
-  

Toughness
-  
2.3  

Specific Gravity
2.46-2.86  
2.5  

Transparency
Transparent to Translucent  
Opaque  

Density
2.7-2.9 g/cm3  
2.85-3.07 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  
Russia, Turkey  

Africa
Western Africa  
Burundi, Djibouti, Eritrea, Ethiopia, Kenya, Madagascar, Rwanda, Somalia, South Africa, Sudan, Tanzania, Uganda  

Europe
Great Britain, Switzerland  
Germany, Greece, Iceland, Norway, Poland  

Others
-  
-  

Deposits in Western Continents
  
  

North America
-  
Canada, USA  

South America
-  
Brazil  

Deposits in Oceania Continent
  
  

Australia
Central Australia, Western Australia  
South Australia, Western Australia  

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Pseudotachylite vs Amphibolite Information

Earth’s outer layer is covered by rocks and these rocks have different physical and chemical properties. As two rocks are not same, it’s fun to compare them. You can also know more about Pseudotachylite and Amphibolite Reserves. Very fine grained fault rock which is composed of glassy matrix that often contains inclusions of wall-rock fragments.. Amphibolite can be defined as a granular metamorphic rock which mainly consist of hornblende and plagioclase. These rocks are composed of many distinct minerals. The process of formation of rocks is different for various rocks. Rocks are quarried from many years for various purposes. You can check out Pseudotachylite vs Amphibolite information and Pseudotachylite vs Amphibolite characteristics in the upcoming sections.

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Pseudotachylite vs Amphibolite 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. Pseudotachylite vs Amphibolite characteristics assist us to distinguish and recognize rocks. Also you can check about Properties of Pseudotachylite and Properties of Amphibolite. Learn more about Pseudotachylite vs Amphibolite in the next section. The interior uses of Pseudotachylite include Decorative aggregates, Entryways and Interior decoration whereas the interior uses of Amphibolite include Countertops, Decorative aggregates, Entryways, Floor tiles, Flooring, Homes, Hotels and Kitchens. Due to some exceptional properties of Pseudotachylite and Amphibolite, they have various applications in construction industry. The uses of Pseudotachylite in construction industry include As dimension stone, Cement manufacture, For road aggregate, Making natural cement and that of Amphibolite include As dimension stone, Building houses or walls, Cobblestones, Construction aggregate, For road aggregate, Landscaping, Production of glass and ceramics, Roadstone.

More about Pseudotachylite and Amphibolite

Here you can know more about Pseudotachylite and Amphibolite. The life cycle of a rock consists of formation of rock, composition of rock and transformation of rock. The composition of Pseudotachylite and Amphibolite consists of mineral content and compound content. The mineral content of Pseudotachylite includes Iron Oxides, Pyroxene, Quartz, Stishovite, Sulfides and mineral content of Amphibolite includes Amphibole, Andalusite, Biotite, Calcite, Epidote, Garnet, Hornblade, Kyanite, Magnetite, Olivine, Plagioclase, Pyroxene, Staurolite, Wollastonite. You can also check out the list of all Metamorphic Rocks. When we have to compare Pseudotachylite vs Amphibolite, the texture, color and appearance plays an important role in determining the type of rock. Pseudotachylite is available in black, brown, green, grey, pink, white colors whereas, Amphibolite is available in black, brown, green, grey colors. Appearance of Pseudotachylite is Dull and Soft and that of Amphibolite is Foliated. Properties of rock is another aspect for Pseudotachylite vs Amphibolite. The hardness of Pseudotachylite is 7 and that of Amphibolite is 6-7. The types of Pseudotachylite are Cataclastic rock whereas types of Amphibolite are Hornblendite. Streak of rock is the color of powder produced when it is dragged across an unweathered surface. The streak of Pseudotachylite is light to dark brown while that of Amphibolite is white to grey. The specific heat capacity of Pseudotachylite is 0.92 kJ/Kg K and that of Amphibolite is 0.84 kJ/Kg K. Depending on the properties like hardness, toughness, specific heat capacity, porosity etc., rocks are resistant to heat, wear, impact, etc.Pseudotachylite is heat resistant whereas Amphibolite is heat resistant, pressure resistant, wear resistant.

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