Quartzite

Blueschist

Quartzite vs Blueschist

Quartzite

Blueschist

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Definition

Quartzite is a non-foliated metamorphic rock that forms by the metamorphism of pure quartz Sandstone

Blueschist is a metamorphic rock which is generally blue in color and is formed under conditions of high pressure and low temperature

History

Origin

USA

Discoverer

Unknown

Edgar Bailey

Etymology

From quartz + -ite

From French schiste, Greek skhistos i.e. split

Class

Metamorphic Rocks

Sub-Class

Durable Rock, Hard Rock

Durable Rock, Medium Hardness Rock

Family

Group

Other Categories

Medium Grained Rock, Opaque Rock

Fine Grained Rock, Medium Grained Rock, Opaque Rock

Texture

Foliated, Granular

Foliated

Color

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

Blue, Bluish - Grey, Purple, Shades of Blue

Maintenance

Less

Durability

Durable

Water Resistant

✔ ✘

Scratch Resistant

✔ ✘

Stain Resistant

✔ ✘

Wind Resistant

✔ ✘

Acid Resistant

✔ ✘

Appearance

Lustrous

Dull and Banded

Uses

Architecture

Interior Uses

Countertops, Decorative Aggregates, Flooring, Homes

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

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, Cobblestones, Rail Track Ballast, Roadstone

Medical Industry

Antiquity Uses

Artifacts, Jewellery, Monuments, Sculpture

Artifacts, Monuments, Sculpture

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, Curling, Tombstones

Types

Orthoquartzite and Metaquartzite

Metamorphic rock

Features

Generally rough to touch, Is one of the oldest rock

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

Formation

Quartzite forms from sandstone and the mineral quartz being put under extreme heat and pressure.

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

Chlorite, Epidote, Hematite, Kyanite, Magnetite, Muscovite or Illite, Quartz

Albite, Chlorite, Epidote, Garnet, Glaucophane, Lawsonite, Muscovite or Illite, Quartz

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

✔ ✘

Types of Metamorphism

Burial Metamorphism, Cataclastic Metamorphism, Hydrothermal Metamorphism, Regional Metamorphism

Weathering

✔ ✘

Types of Weathering

Biological Weathering, Chemical Weathering, Mechanical Weathering

Mechanical Weathering

Erosion

✔ ✘

Types of Erosion

Chemical Erosion, Coastal Erosion, Water Erosion, Wind Erosion

Properties

Physical Properties

Hardness

6-73.5-4

1 7

👆🏻

Grain Size

Medium Grained

Fine to Medium Grained

Fracture

Uneven, Splintery or Conchoidal

Conchoidal

Streak

White

White to Grey

Porosity

Less Porous

Highly Porous

Luster

Vitreous

Dull

Compressive Strength

115.00 N/mm²220.00 N/mm²

0.15 450

👆🏻

Cleavage

Indiscernible

Slaty

Toughness

1.9

1.5

Specific Gravity

2.6-2.83-3.2

0 8.4

👆🏻

Transparency

Transparent to Translucent

Opaque

Density

2.32-2.42 g/cm³2.8-2.9 g/cm³

0 1400

👆🏻

Thermal Properties

Specific Heat Capacity

0.75 kJ/Kg K0.84 kJ/Kg K

0.14 3.2

👆🏻

Resistance

Heat Resistant, Impact Resistant, Pressure Resistant, Wear Resistant

Impact Resistant, Pressure Resistant

Reserves

Deposits in Eastern Continents

Asia

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

Japan, Turkey

Africa

Ethiopia, Morocco, South Africa, Zimbabwe

Egypt, Ethiopia, South Africa

Europe

England, Italy, Norway, Scotland, Sweden, United Kingdom

France, Greece, Iceland

Others

Greenland

Deposits in Western Continents

North America

Bahamas, Canada, USA

USA

South America

Brazil, Colombia, Venezuela

Deposits in Oceania Continent

Australia

New Zealand, Queensland, Western Australia

New Zealand

Quartzite vs Blueschist 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 Blueschist Reserves. Quartzite is a non-foliated metamorphic rock that forms by the metamorphism of pure quartz Sandstone. Blueschist is a metamorphic rock which is generally blue in color and is formed under conditions of high pressure and low temperature. 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 Blueschist information and Quartzite vs Blueschist characteristics in the upcoming sections.

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Quartzite vs Blueschist 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 Blueschist characteristics assist us to distinguish and recognize rocks. Also you can check about Properties of Quartzite and Properties of Blueschist. Learn more about Quartzite vs Blueschist in the next section. The interior uses of Quartzite include Countertops, Decorative aggregates, Flooring and Homes whereas the interior uses of Blueschist include Floor tiles, Flooring, Homes, Hotels and Kitchens. Due to some exceptional properties of Quartzite and Blueschist, 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 Blueschist include As dimension stone, Cobblestones, Rail track ballast, Roadstone.

More about Quartzite and Blueschist

Here you can know more about Quartzite and Blueschist. The life cycle of a rock consists of formation of rock, composition of rock and transformation of rock. The composition of Quartzite and Blueschist 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 Blueschist includes Albite, Chlorite, Epidote, Garnet, Glaucophane, Lawsonite, Muscovite or Illite, Quartz. You can also check out the list of all Metamorphic Rocks. When we have to compare Quartzite vs Blueschist, 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, Blueschist is available in blue, bluish - grey, purple, shades of blue colors. Appearance of Quartzite is Lustrous and that of Blueschist is Dull and Banded. Properties of rock is another aspect for Quartzite vs Blueschist. The hardness of Quartzite is 6-7 and that of Blueschist is 3.5-4. The types of Quartzite are Orthoquartzite and Metaquartzite whereas types of Blueschist are Metamorphic rock. 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 Blueschist is white to grey. The specific heat capacity of Quartzite is 0.75 kJ/Kg K and that of Blueschist 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 Blueschist is impact resistant, pressure resistant.