Schist and Dolomite

Schist

Dolomite

Dolomite and Schist

Definition

Schist is a medium grade metamorphic rock with medium to large, flat, sheet like grains in a preferred orientation

Dolomite is a sedimentary rock containing more than 50 percent of the mineral dolomite by weight

History

Origin

Unknown

Southern Alps, France

Discoverer

Unknown

Dolomieu

Etymology

From French schiste, Greek skhistos i.e. split

From French, from the name of Dolomieu (1750–1801), the French geologist who discovered the rock

Class

Metamorphic Rocks

Sedimentary Rocks

Sub-Class

Durable Rock, Medium Hardness Rock

Family

Group

Not Applicable

Other Categories

Coarse Grained Rock, Fine Grained Rock, Medium Grained Rock, Opaque Rock

Texture

Foliated, Platy

Earthy

Color

Black, Blue, Brown, Dark Brown, Green, Grey, Silver

Black, Brown, Colourless, Green, Grey, Pink, White

Maintenance

Less

Durability

Durable

Water Resistant

Yes

Scratch Resistant

Yes

Stain Resistant

Wind Resistant

Acid Resistant

Appearance

Layered and Shiny

Glassy or Pearly

Uses

Architecture

Interior Uses

Decorative Aggregates, Floor Tiles, Interior Decoration

Decorative Aggregates, Homes, Interior Decoration

Exterior Uses

Garden Decoration, Paving Stone

Garden Decoration, Office Buildings

Other Architectural Uses

Not Yet Used

Industry

Construction Industry

As Dimension Stone, Building houses or walls, Cement Manufacture, for Road Aggregate, Roadstone

As a Flux in the Production of Steel and Pig Iron, As a Sintering Agent in Steel Industry to process Iron Ore, As Dimension Stone, Cement Manufacture, for Road Aggregate, Making natural cement, Manufacture of Magnesium and Dolomite Refractories, Production of Glass and Ceramics, Serves as an Oil and Gas Reservoir rock

Medical Industry

Not Yet Used

Taken as a Supplement for Calcium or Magnesium

Antiquity Uses

Artifacts

Artifacts, Jewellery, Monuments, Sculpture, Small Figurines

Other Uses

Commercial Uses

Used in aquariums, Writing Slates

An Oil and Gas Reservoir, As a Feed Additive for Livestock, Gemstone, Metallurgical Flux, Production of Lime, Soil Conditioner, Source of Magnesia (MgO)

Types

Mica Schists, Calc-Silicate Schists, Graphite Schists, Blueschists, Whiteschists, Greenschists, Hornblende Schist, Talc Schist, Chlorite Schist, Garnet Schist, Glaucophane schist.

Boninite and Jasperoid

Features

Easily splits into thin plates, Smooth to touch

Host Rock for Lead, Traps for subsurface fluids like Oil and Natural Gas., Zinc and Copper Deposits

Archaeological Significance

Monuments

Not Yet Used

Used

Famous Monuments

Not Applicable

Data Not Available

Sculpture

Not Yet Used

Used

Famous Sculptures

Not Applicable

Data Not Available

Pictographs

Used

Petroglyphs

Used

Figurines

Not Yet Used

Used

Fossils

Absent

Present

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.

Dolomite rocks are originally deposited as calcite or aragonite rich limestone, but during diagenesis process, the calcite or aragonite is transformed into dolomite.

Composition

Mineral Content

Alusite, Amphibole, Biotite, Chlorite, Epidote, Feldspar, Garnet, Graphite, Hornblade, Kyanite, Micas, Muscovite or Illite, Porphyroblasts, Quartz, Sillimanite, Staurolite, Talc

Clay Minerals, Pyrite, Quartz, Sulfides

Compound Content

CaO, Carbon Dioxide, MgO

NaCl, CaO, Carbon Dioxide, Magnesium Carbonate, MgO

Transformation

Metamorphism

Yes

Types of Metamorphism

Not Applicable

Burial Metamorphism, Cataclastic Metamorphism, Contact Metamorphism

Weathering

Yes

Types of Weathering

Biological Weathering, Chemical Weathering, Mechanical Weathering

Not Applicable

Erosion

Yes

Types of Erosion

Chemical Erosion, Coastal Erosion, Glacier Erosion

Not Applicable

Properties

Physical Properties

Hardness

3.5-4

Grain Size

Medium to Fine Coarse Grained

Fracture

Conchoidal

Streak

White

Porosity

Highly Porous

Less Porous

Luster

Shiny

Vitreous and Pearly

Compressive Strength

Not Available

140.00 N/mm²

Cleavage

Slaty

Perfect

Toughness

1.5

Specific Gravity

2.5-2.9

2.8-3

Transparency

Opaque

Transparent to Translucent

Density

2.8-2.9 g/cm³

Thermal Properties

Specific Heat Capacity

Not Available

0.92 kJ/Kg K

Resistance

Impact Resistant, Pressure Resistant, Water Resistant

Heat Resistant, Pressure Resistant, Wear Resistant

Reserves

Deposits in Eastern Continents

Asia

Afghanistan, Bangladesh, Bhutan, China, India, Japan, Kazakhstan, Malaysia, Pakistan, Russia, Thailand, Turkey, Vietnam

China, India

Africa

Egypt, Ethiopia, Morocco, Nigeria, South Africa

Morocco, Namibia

Europe

Austria, England, France, Georgia, Germany, Italy, Liechtenstein, Monaco, Norway, Slovenia, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland

Austria, Italy, Romania, Spain, Switzerland

Others

Not Yet Found

Deposits in Western Continents

North America

Canada, Costa Rica, Cuba, Mexico, Panama, USA

Mexico, USA

South America

Brazil, Colombia, Guyana

Brazil, Colombia

Deposits in Oceania Continent

Australia

New South Wales, New Zealand, Queensland

New South Wales, Queensland, Yorke Peninsula

Summary >>

<< Reserves

All about Schist and Dolomite Properties

Know all about Schist and Dolomite properties here. All properties of rocks are important as they define the type of rock and its application. Schist belongs to Metamorphic Rocks while Dolomite belongs to Sedimentary Rocks.Texture of Schist is Foliated, Platy whereas that of Dolomite is Earthy. Schist appears Layered and Shiny and Dolomite appears Glassy or Pearly. The luster of Schist is shiny while that of Dolomite is vitreous and pearly. Schist is available in black, blue, brown, dark brown, green, grey, silver colors whereas Dolomite is available in black, brown, colourless, green, grey, pink, white colors. The commercial uses of Schist are used in aquariums, writing slates and that of Dolomite are an oil and gas reservoir, as a feed additive for livestock, gemstone, metallurgical flux, production of lime, soil conditioner, source of magnesia (mgo).