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Quartzite vs Amphibolite


Amphibolite vs Quartzite


Definition

Definition
Quartzite is a non-foliated metamorphic rock that forms by the metamorphism of pure quartz Sandstone  
Amphibolite can be defined as a granular metamorphic rock which mainly consist of hornblende and plagioclase  

History
  
  

Origin
-  
-  

Discoverer
Unknown  
Alexandre Brongniart  

Etymology
From quartz + -ite  
From Amphibole + -ite  

Class
Metamorphic Rocks  
Metamorphic Rocks  

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

Family
  
  

Group
-  
-  

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

Texture

Texture
Foliated, Granular  
Banded, Foliated, Massive  

Color
Black, Blue, Brown, Green, Light Grey, Purple, White, Yellow  
Black, Brown, Green, Grey  

Maintenance
Less  
Less  

Durability
Durable  
Durable  

Water Resistant
Yes  
Yes  

Scratch Resistant
Yes  
Yes  

Stain Resistant
Yes  
Yes  

Wind Resistant
Yes  
No  

Acid Resistant
Yes  
Yes  

Appearance
Lustrous  
Foliated  

Uses

Architecture
  
  

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

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

Other Architectural Uses
Curbing  
Curbing  

Industry
  
  

Construction Industry
Arrowheads, As Dimension Stone, Cement Manufacture, Construction Aggregate, Cutting Tool, for Road Aggregate, Making natural cement, Production of Glass and Ceramics, Rail Track Ballast, Roadstone  
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, Jewellery, Monuments, Sculpture  
Artifacts, Sculpture, Small Figurines  

Other Uses
  
  

Commercial Uses
An Oil and Gas Reservoir, As armour rock for sea walls, Cemetery Markers, Commemorative Tablets, In aquifers, Laboratory bench tops, Petroleum reservoirs, Soil Conditioner, Source of Magnesia (MgO), Tombstones, Used in aquariums  
Cemetery Markers, Commemorative Tablets, Creating Artwork  

Types

Types
Orthoquartzite and Metaquartzite  
Hornblendite  

Features
Generally rough to touch, Is one of the oldest rock  
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
Quartzite forms from sandstone and the mineral quartz being put under extreme heat and pressure.   
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
Chlorite, Epidote, Hematite, Kyanite, Magnetite, Muscovite or Illite, Quartz  
Amphibole, Andalusite, Biotite, Calcite, Epidote, Garnet, Hornblade, Kyanite, Magnetite, Olivine, Plagioclase, Pyroxene, Staurolite, Wollastonite  

Compound Content
Aluminium Oxide, CaO, Iron(III) Oxide, MgO, Sodium Oxide, Silicon Dioxide  
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, Hydrothermal Metamorphism, Regional Metamorphism  
-  

Weathering
Yes  
Yes  

Types of Weathering
Biological Weathering, Chemical Weathering, Mechanical Weathering  
Chemical Weathering, Mechanical Weathering  

Erosion
Yes  
Yes  

Types of Erosion
Chemical Erosion, Coastal Erosion, Water Erosion, Wind Erosion  
Chemical Erosion, Glacier Erosion, Sea Erosion, Wind Erosion  

Properties

Physical Properties
  
  

Hardness
6-7  
6-7  

Grain Size
Medium Grained  
Medium to Coarse Grained  

Fracture
Uneven, Splintery or Conchoidal  
Irregular to Conchoidal  

Streak
White  
White to Grey  

Porosity
Less Porous  
Less Porous  

Luster
Vitreous  
Vitreous to Dull  

Compressive Strength
115.00 N/mm2  
27
90.00 N/mm2  
32

Cleavage
Indiscernible  
-  

Toughness
1.9  
2.3  

Specific Gravity
2.6-2.8  
2.5  

Transparency
Transparent to Translucent  
Opaque  

Density
2.32-2.42 g/cm3  
2.85-3.07 g/cm3  

Thermal Properties
  
  

Specific Heat Capacity
0.75 kJ/Kg K  
20
0.84 kJ/Kg K  
15

Resistance
Heat Resistant, Impact Resistant, Pressure Resistant, Wear Resistant  
Heat Resistant, Pressure Resistant, Wear Resistant  

Reserves

Deposits in Eastern Continents
  
  

Asia
China, India, Israel, Russia, South Korea, Thailand, Turkey  
Russia, Turkey  

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

Europe
England, Italy, Norway, Scotland, Sweden, United Kingdom  
Germany, Greece, Iceland, Norway, Poland  

Others
Greenland  
-  

Deposits in Western Continents
  
  

North America
Bahamas, Canada, USA  
Canada, USA  

South America
Brazil, Colombia, Venezuela  
Brazil  

Deposits in Oceania Continent
  
  

Australia
New Zealand, Queensland, Western Australia  
South Australia, Western Australia  

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Quartzite 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 Quartzite and Amphibolite Reserves. Quartzite is a non-foliated metamorphic rock that forms by the metamorphism of pure quartz Sandstone. 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 Quartzite vs Amphibolite information and Quartzite vs Amphibolite characteristics in the upcoming sections.

Compare Metamorphic Rocks

Quartzite 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. Quartzite vs Amphibolite characteristics assist us to distinguish and recognize rocks. Also you can check about Properties of Quartzite and Properties of Amphibolite. Learn more about Quartzite vs Amphibolite in the next section. The interior uses of Quartzite include Countertops, Decorative aggregates, Flooring and Homes whereas the interior uses of Amphibolite include Countertops, Decorative aggregates, Entryways, Floor tiles, Flooring, Homes, Hotels and Kitchens. Due to some exceptional properties of Quartzite and Amphibolite, they have various applications in construction industry. The uses of Quartzite in construction industry include Arrowheads, As dimension stone, Cement manufacture, Construction aggregate, Cutting tool, For road aggregate, Making natural cement, Production of glass and ceramics, Rail track ballast, Roadstone 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 Quartzite and Amphibolite

Here you can know more about Quartzite and Amphibolite. The life cycle of a rock consists of formation of rock, composition of rock and transformation of rock. The composition of Quartzite and Amphibolite consists of mineral content and compound content. The mineral content of Quartzite includes Chlorite, Epidote, Hematite, Kyanite, Magnetite, Muscovite or Illite, Quartz 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 Quartzite vs Amphibolite, the texture, color and appearance plays an important role in determining the type of rock. Quartzite is available in black, blue, brown, green, light grey, purple, white, yellow colors whereas, Amphibolite is available in black, brown, green, grey colors. Appearance of Quartzite is Lustrous and that of Amphibolite is Foliated. Properties of rock is another aspect for Quartzite vs Amphibolite. Hardness of Quartzite and Amphibolite is 6-7. The types of Quartzite are Orthoquartzite and Metaquartzite 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 Quartzite is white while that of Amphibolite is white to grey. The specific heat capacity of Quartzite is 0.75 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.Quartzite is heat resistant, impact resistant, pressure resistant, wear resistant whereas Amphibolite is heat resistant, pressure resistant, wear resistant.

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