Definition
Sandstone is defined as a rock which is composed of sand-sized grains of various minerals mostly of uniform size and often are smooth and rounded
Amphibolite can be defined as a granular metamorphic rock which mainly consist of hornblende and plagioclase
History
Origin
-
-
Discoverer
Unknown
Alexandre Brongniart
Etymology
From its composition, sand and stone
From Amphibole + -ite
Class
Sedimentary Rocks
Metamorphic Rocks
Sub-Class
Durable Rock, Hard Rock
Durable Rock, Hard Rock
Family
Group
-
-
Other Categories
Coarse Grained Rock, Fine Grained Rock, Opaque Rock
Coarse Grained Rock, Medium Grained Rock, Opaque Rock
Texture
Clastic, Granular, Rough
Banded, Foliated, Massive
Color
Beige, Black, Brown, Cream, Dark Brown, Green, Grey, Light Green, Light to Dark Grey, Pink, Red, White, Yellow
Black, Brown, Green, Grey
Maintenance
More
Less
Durability
Durable
Durable
Water Resistant
✔
✘
✔
✘
Scratch Resistant
✔
✘
✔
✘
Stain Resistant
✔
✘
✔
✘
Wind Resistant
✔
✘
✔
✘
Acid Resistant
✔
✘
✔
✘
Appearance
Rough
Foliated
Architecture
Interior Uses
Countertops, Decorative Aggregates, Interior Decoration
Countertops, Decorative Aggregates, Entryways, Floor Tiles, Flooring, Homes, Hotels, Kitchens
Exterior Uses
As Building Stone, As Facing Stone, Office Buildings
As Building Stone, As Facing Stone, Paving Stone, Office Buildings
Other Architectural Uses
Curbing
Curbing
Industry
Construction Industry
Cement Manufacture, Construction Aggregate, for Road Aggregate, Production of Glass and Ceramics, Raw material for the manufacture of mortar
As Dimension Stone, Building houses or walls, Cobblestones, Construction Aggregate, for Road Aggregate, Landscaping, Production of Glass and Ceramics, Roadstone
Medical Industry
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-
Antiquity Uses
Artifacts, Monuments, Sculpture
Artifacts, Sculpture, Small Figurines
Other Uses
Commercial Uses
An Oil and Gas Reservoir, In aquifers, Petroleum reservoirs, Soil Conditioner, Source of Magnesia (MgO), Tombstones, Used in aquariums
Cemetery Markers, Commemorative Tablets, Creating Artwork
Types
Grey Sandstones, Crystallized Sandstones, Hard Sandstones , Carbonate Cemented Sandstones and Ganister
Hornblendite
Features
Available in Lots of Colors and Patterns, Generally rough to touch, Very fine grained rock
Clasts are smooth to touch, Matrix variable, Surfaces are often shiny
Archaeological Significance
Monuments
-
-
Famous Monuments
Abu Simbel in Egypt, Agia Sophia in Istanbul, Turkey, Angkor Wat in Cambodia, Buland Darwaza in Agra, India, Chhatrapati Shivaji Terminus in Maharashtra, India, Dom in Berlin, Great Sphinx at Giza, Egypt, Hawa Mahal in Jaipur, India, Humayun's Tomb in Delhi, India, India Gate in Delhi, India, Jama Masjid in Delhi, India, Khajuraho Temples, India, Leh Palace in Leh, India, Lotus Temple in New Delhi, India, Luxor Temple in Egypt, Machu Picchu in Peru, Neuschwanstein in Bavaria, Petra in Jordan, Qutb Minar in India, Red Fort in Delhi, India, Sanchi Stupa in India
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Sculpture
-
-
Famous Sculptures
Ajanta Caves in Maharashtra, India, Elephanta Caves in Maharashtra, India, Mount Rushmore National Memorial in South Dakota, US
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Pictographs
-
-
Petroglyphs
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-
Figurines
-
-
Fossils
Present
Absent
Formation
Sandstone is a sedimentary rock which forms from cemented sand-sized clasts. It forms when sand layers are buried under sediments of sand.
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
Calcite, Clay, Clay Minerals, Feldspar, Micas, Quartz
Amphibole, Andalusite, Biotite, Calcite, Epidote, Garnet, Hornblade, Kyanite, Magnetite, Olivine, Plagioclase, Pyroxene, Staurolite, Wollastonite
Compound Content
Aluminium Oxide, CaO, Iron(III) Oxide, Potassium 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
-
-
Weathering
✔
✘
✔
✘
Types of Weathering
Biological Weathering, Chemical Weathering, Mechanical Weathering
Chemical Weathering, Mechanical Weathering
Erosion
✔
✘
✔
✘
Types of Erosion
Chemical Erosion, Coastal Erosion, Glacier Erosion, Sea Erosion, Water Erosion, Wind Erosion
Chemical Erosion, Glacier Erosion, Sea Erosion, Wind Erosion
Physical Properties
Hardness
6-76-7
1
7
👆🏻
Grain Size
Coarse or Fine
Medium to Coarse Grained
Fracture
Conchoidal
Irregular to Conchoidal
Streak
White
White to Grey
Porosity
Highly Porous
Less Porous
Luster
Dull
Vitreous to Dull
Compressive Strength
95.00 N/mm290.00 N/mm2
0.15
450
👆🏻
Cleavage
Perfect
-
Toughness
2.6
2.3
Specific Gravity
2.2-2.82.5
0
8.4
👆🏻
Transparency
Opaque
Opaque
Density
2.2-2.8 g/cm32.85-3.07 g/cm3
0
1400
👆🏻
Thermal Properties
Specific Heat Capacity
0.92 kJ/Kg K0.84 kJ/Kg K
0.14
3.2
👆🏻
Resistance
Heat Resistant, Impact Resistant, Pressure Resistant
Heat Resistant, Pressure Resistant, Wear Resistant
Deposits in Eastern Continents
Asia
China, India, Kazakhstan, Mongolia, Russia, Thailand, Uzbekistan
Russia, Turkey
Africa
Namibia, Nigeria, South Africa
Burundi, Djibouti, Eritrea, Ethiopia, Kenya, Madagascar, Rwanda, Somalia, South Africa, Sudan, Tanzania, Uganda
Europe
Austria, Denmark, Germany, Great Britain, Netherlands, Norway, Poland, Sweden, Switzerland, United Kingdom
Germany, Greece, Iceland, Norway, Poland
Others
Greenland
-
Deposits in Western Continents
North America
Canada, USA
Canada, USA
South America
Brazil
Brazil
Deposits in Oceania Continent
Australia
New South Wales, New Zealand
South Australia, Western Australia