Definition
Schist is a medium grade metamorphic rock with medium to large, flat, sheet like grains in a preferred orientation
Mylonite is a metamorphic rock formed by ductile deformation during intense shearing encountered during folding and faulting, a process termed cataclastic or dynamic metamorphism
Discoverer
Unknown
Unknown
Etymology
From French schiste, Greek skhistos i.e. split
From Greek mulōn mill + -ite
Class
Metamorphic Rocks
Metamorphic Rocks
Sub-Class
Durable Rock, Medium Hardness Rock
Durable Rock, Medium Hardness Rock
Other Categories
Coarse Grained Rock, Fine Grained Rock, Medium Grained Rock, Opaque Rock
Fine Grained Rock, Opaque Rock
Texture
Foliated, Platy
Foliated
Color
Black, Blue, Brown, Dark Brown, Green, Grey, Silver
Black to Grey
Durability
Durable
Durable
Appearance
Layered and Shiny
Dull, Banded and Foilated
Interior Uses
Decorative Aggregates, Floor Tiles, Interior Decoration
Decorative Aggregates, Interior Decoration
Exterior Uses
Garden Decoration, Paving Stone
As Building Stone, As Facing Stone, Paving Stone, Garden Decoration
Other Architectural Uses
-
Curbing
Construction Industry
As Dimension Stone, Building houses or walls, Cement Manufacture, for Road Aggregate, Roadstone
for Road Aggregate, Landscaping, Roadstone
Antiquity Uses
Artifacts
Artifacts, Monuments
Commercial Uses
Used in aquariums, Writing Slates
Creating Artwork, Gemstone, Jewelry
Types
Mica Schists, Calc-Silicate Schists, Graphite Schists, Blueschists, Whiteschists, Greenschists, Hornblende Schist, Talc Schist, Chlorite Schist, Garnet Schist, Glaucophane schist.
Blastomylonites, Ultramylonites and Phyllonites
Features
Easily splits into thin plates, Smooth to touch
Surfaces are often shiny
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.
Mylonites are ductilely deformed rocks formed by the accumulation of large shear strain, in ductile fault zones.
Mineral Content
Alusite, Amphibole, Biotite, Chlorite, Epidote, Feldspar, Garnet, Graphite, Hornblade, Kyanite, Micas, Muscovite or Illite, Porphyroblasts, Quartz, Sillimanite, Staurolite, Talc
Porphyroblasts
Compound Content
CaO, Carbon Dioxide, MgO
Aluminium Oxide, Calcium Sulfate, Chromium(III) Oxide, Iron(III) Oxide, Magnesium Carbonate, Silicon Dioxide
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
Chemical Erosion, Sea Erosion, Wind Erosion
Grain Size
Medium to Fine Coarse Grained
Fine Grained
Fracture
Conchoidal
Conchoidal
Porosity
Highly Porous
Highly Porous
Cleavage
Slaty
Conchoidal
Specific Gravity
2.5-2.9
2.97-3.05
Transparency
Opaque
Opaque
Density
2.8-2.9 g/cm3
2.6-4.8 g/cm3
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, Indonesia, Saudi Arabia, South Korea
Africa
Egypt, Ethiopia, Morocco, Nigeria, South Africa
Eritrea, Ethiopia, Ghana, South Africa, Western Africa
Europe
Austria, England, France, Georgia, Germany, Italy, Liechtenstein, Monaco, Norway, Slovenia, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland
England, Finland, France, Germany, Great Britain, Greece, 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
Central Australia, Western Australia
Schist vs Mylonite 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 Mylonite characteristics assist us to distinguish and recognize rocks. Also you can check about Properties of Schist and Properties of Mylonite. Learn more about Schist vs Mylonite in the next section. The interior uses of Schist include Decorative aggregates, Floor tiles and Interior decoration whereas the interior uses of Mylonite include Decorative aggregates and Interior decoration. Due to some exceptional properties of Schist and Mylonite, 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 Mylonite include For road aggregate, Landscaping, Roadstone.
More about Schist and Mylonite
Here you can know more about Schist and Mylonite. The life cycle of a rock consists of formation of rock, composition of rock and transformation of rock. The composition of Schist and Mylonite 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 Mylonite includes Porphyroblasts. You can also check out the list of all Metamorphic Rocks. When we have to compare Schist vs Mylonite, 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, Mylonite is available in black to grey colors. Appearance of Schist is Layered and Shiny and that of Mylonite is Dull, Banded and Foilated. Properties of rock is another aspect for Schist vs Mylonite. The hardness of Schist is 3.5-4 and that of Mylonite is 3-4. 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 Mylonite are Blastomylonites, Ultramylonites and Phyllonites. Streak of rock is the color of powder produced when it is dragged across an unweathered surface. The streak of Schist and Mylonite is white. The specific heat capacity of Schist is 0.70 kJ/Kg K and that of Mylonite is 1.50 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 Mylonite is heat resistant, impact resistant, pressure resistant.