Definition
Schist is a medium grade metamorphic rock with medium to large, flat, sheet like grains in a preferred orientation
  
Cataclasite is a type of cataclastic rock that is formed by fracturing and comminution during faulting. It is normally cohesive and non-foliated, consisting of angular clasts in a finer-grained matrix
  
History
  
  
Origin
Unknown
  
Swiss Alps, Europe
  
Discoverer
Unknown
  
Michael Tellinger
  
Etymology
From French schiste, Greek skhistos i.e. split
  
From the Italian word cataclasi
  
Class
Metamorphic Rocks
  
Metamorphic Rocks
  
Sub-Class
Durable Rock, Medium Hardness Rock
  
Durable Rock, Medium Hardness Rock
  
Family
  
  
Group
Not Applicable
  
Not Applicable
  
Other Categories
Coarse Grained Rock, Fine Grained Rock, Medium Grained Rock, Opaque Rock
  
Fine Grained Rock, Opaque Rock
  
Texture
Foliated, Platy
  
Clastic
  
Color
Black, Blue, Brown, Dark Brown, Green, Grey, Silver
  
Brown, Green, White, Yellow
  
Maintenance
Less
  
Less
  
Durability
Durable
  
Durable
  
Water Resistant
Yes
  
Yes
  
Scratch Resistant
No
  
No
  
Stain Resistant
No
  
No
  
Wind Resistant
No
  
No
  
Acid Resistant
No
  
No
  
Appearance
Layered and Shiny
  
Dull and Banded
  
Architecture
  
  
Interior Uses
Decorative Aggregates, Floor Tiles, Interior Decoration
  
Decorative Aggregates, Homes
  
Exterior Uses
Garden Decoration, Paving Stone
  
As Building Stone, As Facing Stone, Paving Stone
  
Other Architectural Uses
Not Yet Used
  
Curbing
  
Industry
  
  
Construction Industry
As Dimension Stone, Building houses or walls, Cement Manufacture, for Road Aggregate, Roadstone
  
As Dimension Stone, Building houses or walls, Cement Manufacture, Construction Aggregate, for Road Aggregate
  
Medical Industry
Not Yet Used
  
Not Yet Used
  
Antiquity Uses
Artifacts
  
Artifacts
  
Other Uses
  
  
Commercial Uses
Used in aquariums, Writing Slates
  
Commemorative Tablets, Creating Artwork
  
Types
Mica Schists, Calc-Silicate Schists, Graphite Schists, Blueschists, Whiteschists, Greenschists, Hornblende Schist, Talc Schist, Chlorite Schist, Garnet Schist, Glaucophane schist.
  
Protocataclasite, Mesocataclasite, Ultracataclasite and Foliated cataclasite
  
Features
Easily splits into thin plates, Smooth to touch
  
Easily splits into thin plates, Is one of the oldest rock
  
Archaeological Significance
  
  
Monuments
Not Yet Used
  
Not Yet Used
  
Famous Monuments
Not Applicable
  
Not Applicable
  
Sculpture
Not Yet Used
  
Not Yet Used
  
Famous Sculptures
Not Applicable
  
Not Applicable
  
Pictographs
Used
  
Used
  
Petroglyphs
Used
  
Used
  
Figurines
Not Yet Used
  
Not Yet Used
  
Fossils
Absent
  
Absent
  
Formation
Schist formed by dynamic metamorphism at high temperatures and pressures that aligns the grains of mica, hornblende and other elongated minerals into thin layers.
  
Cataclasiste rocks mainly form by pressure deep under the Earth's surface, from the extreme heat caused by magma or by the intense collisions and friction of tectonic plates.
  
Composition
  
  
Mineral Content
Alusite, Amphibole, Biotite, Chlorite, Epidote, Feldspar, Garnet, Graphite, Hornblade, Kyanite, Micas, Muscovite or Illite, Porphyroblasts, Quartz, Sillimanite, Staurolite, Talc
  
Albite, Apatite, Augite, Biotite, Calcite, Enstatite, Epidote, Feldspar, Micas, Muscovite or Illite, Pyroxene, Quartz
  
Compound Content
CaO, Carbon Dioxide, MgO
  
Silicon Dioxide
  
Transformation
  
  
Metamorphism
No
  
No
  
Types of Metamorphism
Not Applicable
  
Not Applicable
  
Weathering
Yes
  
Yes
  
Types of Weathering
Biological Weathering, Chemical Weathering, Mechanical Weathering
  
Mechanical Weathering
  
Erosion
Yes
  
Yes
  
Types of Erosion
Chemical Erosion, Coastal Erosion, Glacier Erosion
  
Coastal Erosion, Wind Erosion
  
Physical Properties
  
  
Hardness
3.5-4
  
3-4
  
Grain Size
Medium to Fine Coarse Grained
  
Fine Grained
  
Fracture
Conchoidal
  
NA
  
Streak
White
  
Black
  
Porosity
Highly Porous
  
Less Porous
  
Luster
Shiny
  
Vitreous
  
Cleavage
Slaty
  
Not Available
  
Toughness
1.5
  
Not Available
  
Specific Gravity
2.5-2.9
  
2.1
  
Transparency
Opaque
  
Translucent to Opaque
  
Density
2.8-2.9 g/cm3
  
2.9-3.1 g/cm3
  
Thermal Properties
  
  
Resistance
Impact Resistant, Pressure Resistant, Water Resistant
  
Heat Resistant, Impact Resistant, Pressure Resistant
  
Deposits in Eastern Continents
  
  
Asia
Afghanistan, Bangladesh, Bhutan, China, India, Japan, Kazakhstan, Malaysia, Pakistan, Russia, Thailand, Turkey, Vietnam
  
China, India, Russia, Saudi Arabia, South Korea
  
Africa
Egypt, Ethiopia, Morocco, Nigeria, South Africa
  
Egypt, Ethiopia, Kenya, Madagascar, Morocco, South Africa
  
Europe
Austria, England, France, Georgia, Germany, Italy, Liechtenstein, Monaco, Norway, Slovenia, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland
  
England, Finland, France, Spain, United Kingdom
  
Others
Not Yet Found
  
Not Yet Found
  
Deposits in Western Continents
  
  
North America
Canada, Costa Rica, Cuba, Mexico, Panama, USA
  
Canada, USA
  
South America
Brazil, Colombia, Guyana
  
Argentina, Colombia
  
Deposits in Oceania Continent
  
  
Australia
New South Wales, New Zealand, Queensland
  
Central Australia, Western Australia