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Schist vs Variolite


Variolite vs Schist


Definition

Definition
Schist is a medium grade metamorphic rock with medium to large, flat, sheet like grains in a preferred orientation  
Variolites are a group of dark green basic igneous rocks which exhibit pale colored spots, or spherules, especially on weathered surfaces, that give them a pockmarked appearance  

History
  
  

Origin
-  
France  

Discoverer
Unknown  
Unknown  

Etymology
From French schiste, Greek skhistos i.e. split  
From Latin varius, speckled, variegated  

Class
Metamorphic Rocks  
Igneous Rocks  

Sub-Class
Durable Rock, Medium Hardness Rock  
Durable Rock, Hard Rock  

Family
  
  

Group
-  
Volcanic  

Other Categories
Coarse Grained Rock, Fine Grained Rock, Medium Grained Rock, Opaque Rock  
Opaque Rock  

Texture

Texture
Foliated, Platy  
Glassy, Massive, Porphyritic, Scoriaceous, Vesicular  

Color
Black, Blue, Brown, Dark Brown, Green, Grey, Silver  
Black, Brown, Light to Dark Grey  

Maintenance
Less  
Less  

Durability
Durable  
Durable  

Water Resistant
Yes  
Yes  

Scratch Resistant
No  
Yes  

Stain Resistant
No  
No  

Wind Resistant
No  
No  

Acid Resistant
No  
Yes  

Appearance
Layered and Shiny  
Dull and Soft  

Uses

Architecture
  
  

Interior Uses
Decorative Aggregates, Floor Tiles, Interior Decoration  
Floor Tiles, Flooring, Homes, Hotels, Kitchens  

Exterior Uses
Garden Decoration, Paving Stone  
Garden Decoration, Office Buildings  

Other Architectural Uses
-  
Curbing  

Industry
  
  

Construction Industry
As Dimension Stone, Building houses or walls, Cement Manufacture, for Road Aggregate, Roadstone  
As Dimension Stone, Cobblestones, Rail Track Ballast, Roadstone  

Medical Industry
-  
-  

Antiquity Uses
Artifacts  
Artifacts, Monuments, Sculpture  

Other Uses
  
  

Commercial Uses
Used in aquariums, Writing Slates  
Cemetery Markers, Creating Artwork  

Types

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

Features
Easily splits into thin plates, Smooth to touch  
Has High structural resistance against erosion and climate, Very fine grained rock  

Archaeological Significance
  
  

Monuments
-  
-  

Famous Monuments
-  
-  

Sculpture
-  
-  

Famous Sculptures
-  
-  

Pictographs
-  
-  

Petroglyphs
-  
-  

Figurines
-  
-  

Fossils
Absent  
Absent  

Formation

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.  
Variolites are a group of dark green basic igneous rocks that exhibit pale colored spots on weathered surfaces that give them a pockmarked appearance.  

Composition
  
  

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

Compound Content
CaO, Carbon Dioxide, MgO  
Aluminium Oxide, CaO, Iron(III) Oxide, FeO, Potassium Oxide, MgO, MnO, Sodium Oxide, Phosphorus Pentoxide, Silicon Dioxide, Titanium Dioxide  

Transformation
  
  

Metamorphism
No  
Yes  

Types of Metamorphism
-  
Burial Metamorphism, Cataclastic Metamorphism, Contact Metamorphism, Hydrothermal Metamorphism, Impact Metamorphism, Regional Metamorphism  

Weathering
Yes  
Yes  

Types of Weathering
Biological Weathering, Chemical Weathering, Mechanical Weathering  
Biological Weathering, Chemical Weathering, Mechanical Weathering  

Erosion
Yes  
No  

Types of Erosion
Chemical Erosion, Coastal Erosion, Glacier Erosion  
-  

Properties

Physical Properties
  
  

Hardness
3.5-4  
6  

Grain Size
Medium to Fine Coarse Grained  
-  

Fracture
Conchoidal  
Conchoidal  

Streak
White  
White to Grey  

Porosity
Highly Porous  
Less Porous  

Luster
Shiny  
-  

Compressive Strength
150.00 N/mm2  
22
37.50 N/mm2  
99+

Cleavage
Slaty  
-  

Toughness
1.5  
2.3  

Specific Gravity
2.5-2.9  
2.8-3  

Transparency
Opaque  
Opaque  

Density
2.8-2.9 g/cm3  
2.9-3.1 g/cm3  

Thermal Properties
  
  

Specific Heat Capacity
0.70 kJ/Kg K  
24
0.84 kJ/Kg K  
15

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  
India, Russia  

Africa
Egypt, Ethiopia, Morocco, Nigeria, South Africa  
South Africa  

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

Others
-  
-  

Deposits in Western Continents
  
  

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

South America
Brazil, Colombia, Guyana  
Brazil  

Deposits in Oceania Continent
  
  

Australia
New South Wales, New Zealand, Queensland  
-  

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Schist vs Variolite Information

Earth’s outer layer is covered by rocks and these rocks have different physical and chemical properties. As two rocks are not same, it’s fun to compare them. You can also know more about Schist and Variolite Reserves. Schist is a medium grade metamorphic rock with medium to large, flat, sheet like grains in a preferred orientation. Variolites are a group of dark green basic igneous rocks which exhibit pale colored spots, or spherules, especially on weathered surfaces, that give them a pockmarked appearance. These rocks are composed of many distinct minerals. The process of formation of rocks is different for various rocks. Rocks are quarried from many years for various purposes. You can check out Schist vs Variolite information and Schist vs Variolite characteristics in the upcoming sections.

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Schist vs Variolite 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 Variolite characteristics assist us to distinguish and recognize rocks. Also you can check about Properties of Schist and Properties of Variolite. Learn more about Schist vs Variolite in the next section. The interior uses of Schist include Decorative aggregates, Floor tiles and Interior decoration whereas the interior uses of Variolite include Floor tiles, Flooring, Homes, Hotels and Kitchens. Due to some exceptional properties of Schist and Variolite, 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 Variolite include As dimension stone, Cobblestones, Rail track ballast, Roadstone.

More about Schist and Variolite

Here you can know more about Schist and Variolite. The life cycle of a rock consists of formation of rock, composition of rock and transformation of rock. The composition of Schist and Variolite 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 Variolite includes Olivine, Plagioclase, Pyroxene. You can also check out the list of all Metamorphic Rocks. When we have to compare Schist vs Variolite, 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, Variolite is available in black, brown, light to dark grey colors. Appearance of Schist is Layered and Shiny and that of Variolite is Dull and Soft. Properties of rock is another aspect for Schist vs Variolite. The hardness of Schist is 3.5-4 and that of Variolite is 6. 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 Variolite are Metamorphic rock. Streak of rock is the color of powder produced when it is dragged across an unweathered surface. The streak of Schist is white while that of Variolite is white to grey. The specific heat capacity of Schist is 0.70 kJ/Kg K and that of Variolite 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 Variolite is heat resistant, pressure resistant, wear resistant.

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