Definition
Schist is a medium grade metamorphic rock with medium to large, flat, sheet like grains in a preferred orientation
Coquina is a sedimentary rock that is composed either wholly or almost entirely of the transported, abraded, and mechanically-sorted fragments of the shells of molluscs, trilobites, brachiopods, or other invertebrates
Origin
-
European Foreland Basins
Discoverer
Unknown
Unknown
Etymology
From French schiste, Greek skhistos i.e. split
From Concha (Latin)+ Coquina(Spanish) +conch(English)= Couquina (mid 19th century)
Class
Metamorphic Rocks
Sedimentary Rocks
Sub-Class
Durable Rock, Medium Hardness Rock
Durable Rock, Soft Rock
Other Categories
Coarse Grained Rock, Fine Grained Rock, Medium Grained Rock, Opaque Rock
Coarse Grained Rock, Opaque Rock
Texture
Foliated, Platy
Clastic
Color
Black, Blue, Brown, Dark Brown, Green, Grey, Silver
Beige, Buff, Orange
Durability
Durable
Non-Durable
Appearance
Layered and Shiny
Layered, Banded, Veined and Shiny
Interior Uses
Decorative Aggregates, Floor Tiles, Interior Decoration
Decorative Aggregates, Homes, Hotels, Interior Decoration
Exterior Uses
Garden Decoration, Paving Stone
Garden Decoration, Office Buildings
Other Architectural Uses
-
Curbing
Construction Industry
As Dimension Stone, Building houses or walls, Cement Manufacture, for Road Aggregate, Roadstone
Building houses or walls, Construction Aggregate
Antiquity Uses
Artifacts
Artifacts, Monuments, Sculpture, Small Figurines
Commercial Uses
Used in aquariums, Writing Slates
Creating Artwork
Types
Mica Schists, Calc-Silicate Schists, Graphite Schists, Blueschists, Whiteschists, Greenschists, Hornblende Schist, Talc Schist, Chlorite Schist, Garnet Schist, Glaucophane schist.
Sedimentary rock
Features
Easily splits into thin plates, Smooth to touch
Available in Lots of Colors and Patterns, Is one of the oldest rock
Archaeological Significance
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.
Coquina is a sedimentary rock which is formed when billions of small clam-like seashell, called Coquina, or cockleshell are die and hence are deposited, buried and turns into a rock when pressure is applied.
Mineral Content
Alusite, Amphibole, Biotite, Chlorite, Epidote, Feldspar, Garnet, Graphite, Hornblade, Kyanite, Micas, Muscovite or Illite, Porphyroblasts, Quartz, Sillimanite, Staurolite, Talc
Apatite, Augite, Bronzite, Calcite, Chert, Chlorite, Clay Minerals, Epidote, Feldspar, Garnet, Micas, Muscovite or Illite
Compound Content
CaO, Carbon Dioxide, MgO
CaO, Carbon Dioxide, Iron(III) Oxide, MgO
Types of Metamorphism
-
-
Types of Weathering
Biological Weathering, Chemical Weathering, Mechanical Weathering
Biological Weathering, Chemical Weathering, Mechanical Weathering
Types of Erosion
Chemical Erosion, Coastal Erosion, Glacier Erosion
Coastal Erosion, Sea Erosion, Water Erosion, Wind Erosion
Grain Size
Medium to Fine Coarse Grained
Coarse Grained
Fracture
Conchoidal
Irregular
Porosity
Highly Porous
Highly Porous
Luster
Shiny
Dull to Vitreous to Submetallic
Specific Gravity
2.5-2.9
1.10-2.24
Transparency
Opaque
Opaque
Density
2.8-2.9 g/cm3
2.8-2.9 g/cm3
Resistance
Impact Resistant, Pressure Resistant, Water Resistant
Heat Resistant, Impact Resistant, Pressure Resistant, Wear Resistant
Deposits in Eastern Continents
Asia
Afghanistan, Bangladesh, Bhutan, China, India, Japan, Kazakhstan, Malaysia, Pakistan, Russia, Thailand, Turkey, Vietnam
-
Africa
Egypt, Ethiopia, Morocco, Nigeria, South Africa
-
Europe
Austria, England, France, Georgia, Germany, Italy, Liechtenstein, Monaco, Norway, Slovenia, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland
United Kingdom
Deposits in Western Continents
North America
Canada, Costa Rica, Cuba, Mexico, Panama, USA
USA
South America
Brazil, Colombia, Guyana
-
Deposits in Oceania Continent
Australia
New South Wales, New Zealand, Queensland
-
Schist vs Coquina 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. Schist vs Coquina characteristics assist us to distinguish and recognize rocks. Also you can check about Properties of Schist and Properties of Coquina. Learn more about Schist vs Coquina in the next section. The interior uses of Schist include Decorative aggregates, Floor tiles and Interior decoration whereas the interior uses of Coquina include Decorative aggregates, Homes, Hotels and Interior decoration. Due to some exceptional properties of Schist and Coquina, they have various applications in construction industry. The uses of Schist in construction industry include As dimension stone, Building houses or walls, Cement manufacture, For road aggregate, Roadstone and that of Coquina include Building houses or walls, Construction aggregate.
More about Schist and Coquina
Here you can know more about Schist and Coquina. The life cycle of a rock consists of formation of rock, composition of rock and transformation of rock. The composition of Schist and Coquina consists of mineral content and compound content. The mineral content of Schist includes Alusite, Amphibole, Biotite, Chlorite, Epidote, Feldspar, Garnet, Graphite, Hornblade, Kyanite, Micas, Muscovite or Illite, Porphyroblasts, Quartz, Sillimanite, Staurolite, Talc and mineral content of Coquina includes Apatite, Augite, Bronzite, Calcite, Chert, Chlorite, Clay Minerals, Epidote, Feldspar, Garnet, Micas, Muscovite or Illite. You can also check out the list of all Metamorphic Rocks. When we have to compare Schist vs Coquina, the texture, color and appearance plays an important role in determining the type of rock. Schist is available in black, blue, brown, dark brown, green, grey, silver colors whereas, Coquina is available in beige, buff, orange colors. Appearance of Schist is Layered and Shiny and that of Coquina is Layered, Banded, Veined and Shiny. Properties of rock is another aspect for Schist vs Coquina. The hardness of Schist is 3.5-4 and that of Coquina is 1-2. The types of Schist are Mica Schists, Calc-Silicate Schists, Graphite Schists, Blueschists, Whiteschists, Greenschists, Hornblende Schist, Talc Schist, Chlorite Schist, Garnet Schist, Glaucophane schist. whereas types of Coquina are Sedimentary rock. Streak of rock is the color of powder produced when it is dragged across an unweathered surface. The streak of Schist and Coquina is white. The specific heat capacity of Schist is 0.70 kJ/Kg K and that of Coquina 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.Schist is impact resistant, pressure resistant, water resistant whereas Coquina is heat resistant, impact resistant, pressure resistant, wear resistant.