Definition
Pumice is a volcanic rock that consists of highly vesicular rough textured volcanic glass, which may or may not contain crystals
Blueschist is a metamorphic rock which is generally blue in color and is formed under conditions of high pressure and low temperature
History
Origin
Spain
USA
Discoverer
Unknown
Edgar Bailey
Etymology
From Old French pomis, from a Latin dialect variant of pumex
From French schiste, Greek skhistos i.e. split
Class
Igneous Rocks
Metamorphic Rocks
Sub-Class
Durable Rock, Medium Hardness 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
Vesicular
Foliated
Color
Beige, Grey, Light Green, Light Grey, Pink, White, Yellow- grey
Blue, Bluish - Grey, Purple, Shades of Blue
Maintenance
Less
Less
Durability
Durable
Durable
Water Resistant
✔
✘
✔
✘
Scratch Resistant
✔
✘
✔
✘
Stain Resistant
✔
✘
✔
✘
Wind Resistant
✔
✘
✔
✘
Acid Resistant
✔
✘
✔
✘
Appearance
Vesicular
Dull and Banded
Architecture
Interior Uses
Decorative Aggregates, Flooring, Homes, Interior Decoration
Floor Tiles, Flooring, Homes, Hotels, Kitchens
Exterior Uses
As Building Stone, As Facing Stone, Garden Decoration, Paving Stone
Garden Decoration, Office Buildings
Other Architectural Uses
Curbing, Powder
-
Industry
Construction Industry
As Dimension Stone, Cement Manufacture, for Road Aggregate, In landscaping and horticulture, Making natural cement, Production of lightweight concrete blocks
As Dimension Stone, Cobblestones, Rail Track Ballast, Roadstone
Medical Industry
As an abrasive in skin exfoliating products, In Chemical and Pharmaceutical Industry, Medicines and Cosmetics
-
Antiquity Uses
Artifacts
Artifacts, Monuments, Sculpture
Other Uses
Commercial Uses
As a traction material on snow-covered roads, As an abrasive in pencil erasers, Fine abrasive used for polishing, Manufacture of Soap, Solvents, Dyes, Plastics and Fibres, Used in aquariums
Cemetery Markers, Commemorative Tablets, Creating Artwork, Curling, Tombstones
Types
Scoria
Metamorphic rock
Features
Host Rock for Lead
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
Pumice rock forms when the magma cools so quickly that atoms in the melt are not able to arrange themselves into a crystalline structure.
Blueschist forms due to the metamorphism of basalt and other rocks with similar composition at high pressures and low temperatures and approximately corresponding to a depth of 15 to 30 kilometers and 200 to 500 °C.
Composition
Mineral Content
Aluminum Oxides, Calcite, Carbonate, Iron Oxides, Silica
Albite, Chlorite, Epidote, Garnet, Glaucophane, Lawsonite, Muscovite or Illite, Quartz
Compound Content
Al, Aluminium Oxide, CaO, Carbon Dioxide, MgO, Silicon Dioxide
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, Impact Metamorphism
-
Weathering
✔
✘
✔
✘
Types of Weathering
Biological Weathering, Chemical Weathering, Mechanical Weathering
Mechanical Weathering
Erosion
✔
✘
✔
✘
Types of Erosion
Chemical Erosion, Coastal Erosion, Glacier Erosion, Sea Erosion, Water Erosion, Wind Erosion
Chemical Erosion, Coastal Erosion, Water Erosion, Wind Erosion
Physical Properties
Hardness
63.5-4
1
7
👆🏻
Grain Size
Fine Grained
Fine to Medium Grained
Fracture
Planar
Conchoidal
Streak
White, Greenish White or Grey
White to Grey
Porosity
Highly Porous
Highly Porous
Luster
Earthy
Dull
Compressive Strength
51.20 N/mm2220.00 N/mm2
0.15
450
👆🏻
Cleavage
Perfect
Slaty
Toughness
3
1.5
Specific Gravity
2.863-3.2
0
8.4
👆🏻
Transparency
Opaque
Opaque
Density
0.25-0.3 g/cm32.8-2.9 g/cm3
0
1400
👆🏻
Thermal Properties
Specific Heat Capacity
0.87 kJ/Kg K0.84 kJ/Kg K
0.14
3.2
👆🏻
Resistance
Impact Resistant, Pressure Resistant
Impact Resistant, Pressure Resistant
Deposits in Eastern Continents
Asia
Afghanistan, Indonesia, Japan, Russia
Japan, Turkey
Africa
Ethiopia, Kenya, Tanzania
Egypt, Ethiopia, South Africa
Europe
Greece, Hungary, Iceland, Italy, Turkey
France, Greece, Iceland
Others
-
-
Deposits in Western Continents
North America
Bahamas, Barbados, Canada, Costa Rica, Cuba, Jamaica, Mexico, USA
USA
South America
Argentina, Chile, Ecuador, Peru
-
Deposits in Oceania Continent
Australia
New Zealand, Western Australia
New Zealand