Definition
Scoria is a dark-colored extrusive igneous rock with abundant round bubble-like cavities
Flint is a hard type of sedimentary rock that produces a small piece of burning material when hit by steel
Discoverer
Unknown
Unknown
Etymology
From late Middle English (denoting slag from molten metal), from Greek skōria refuse, from skōr dung
From Old English flint - a type of rock mainly known for high hardness and for giving off sparks when struck
Class
Igneous Rocks
Sedimentary Rocks
Sub-Class
Durable Rock, Medium Hardness Rock
Durable Rock, Hard Rock
Other Categories
Fine Grained Rock, Opaque Rock
Fine Grained Rock, Opaque Rock
Texture
Vesicular
Banded, Rough
Color
Black, Brown, Dark Grey to Black, Red
Black, Brown, Green, Grey, Red, White
Durability
Durable
Durable
Scratch Resistant
Yes
Yes
Appearance
Glassy and Vesicular
Glassy or Pearly
Interior Uses
Decorative Aggregates, Interior Decoration
Decorative Aggregates, Homes, Interior Decoration
Exterior Uses
Garden Decoration, Paving Stone
As Building Stone, As Facing Stone, Garden Decoration, Office Buildings, Paving Stone
Other Architectural Uses
Curbing
Curbing
Construction Industry
Cement Manufacture, Construction Aggregate, for Road Aggregate, In landscaping and drainage works
Arrowheads, Cutting Tool, Spear Points
Antiquity Uses
Artifacts, Monuments, Sculpture
Artifacts
Commercial Uses
As a traction material on snow-covered roads, Creating Artwork, High-temperature insulation, In gas barbecue grills
Creating Artwork, Gemstone, In fire-starting tools, Manufacture of tools, Metallurgical Flux, Jewelry, To ignite fire, Used in flintlock firearms
Types
Basaltic Scoria and Andesitic Scoria
Chert and Jasper
Features
Available in Lots of Colors and Patterns, Generally rough to touch, Surfaces are often shiny
Clasts are smooth to touch, Easily splits into thin plates, Has High structural resistance against erosion and climate
Archaeological Significance
Formation
Scoria forms when magma containing huge amount of dissolved gas flows from a volcano during an eruption.
Flint is formed by the decomposition and compaction of various organisms such as sponges and diatoms under the water.
Mineral Content
Apatite, Biotite, Calcite, Feldspar, Hematite, Hornblade, Ilmenite, Magnetite, Olivine, Pyroxene, Quartz, Silica
Silicon
Compound Content
Ca, NaCl
Silicon Dioxide
Types of Metamorphism
Burial Metamorphism, Cataclastic Metamorphism, Contact Metamorphism
-
Types of Weathering
Biological Weathering, Chemical Weathering, Mechanical Weathering
-
Types of Erosion
Chemical Erosion, Coastal Erosion, Glacier Erosion
Chemical Erosion, Coastal Erosion, Water Erosion
Grain Size
Fine Grained
Very fine-grained
Fracture
Conchoidal
Conchoidal
Porosity
Highly Porous
Highly Porous
Luster
Subvitreous to Dull
Vitreous
Specific Gravity
-9999
2.5-2.8
Transparency
Opaque
Translucent to Opaque
Density
-9999 g/cm3
2.7-2.71 g/cm3
Resistance
Heat Resistant, Impact Resistant, Pressure Resistant, Wear Resistant
Heat Resistant, Impact Resistant, Pressure Resistant, Wear Resistant
Deposits in Eastern Continents
Asia
Afghanistan, Indonesia, Japan, Russia
Azerbaijan, China, Russia
Africa
Ethiopia, Kenya, Tanzania
-
Europe
Greece, Hungary, Iceland, Italy, Turkey
Austria, Belgium, Cyprus, Denmark, France, Germany, Italy, Malta, Netherlands, Poland, Portugal, Romania, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland, Turkey, Ukraine, United Kingdom
Deposits in Western Continents
North America
Bahamas, Barbados, Canada, Costa Rica, Cuba, Jamaica, Mexico, USA
USA
South America
Argentina, Chile, Ecuador, Peru
Bolivia
Deposits in Oceania Continent
Australia
New Zealand, Western Australia
New Zealand, South Australia
Scoria vs Flint 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. Scoria vs Flint characteristics assist us to distinguish and recognize rocks. Also you can check about Properties of Scoria and Properties of Flint. Learn more about Scoria vs Flint in the next section. The interior uses of Scoria include Decorative aggregates and Interior decoration whereas the interior uses of Flint include Decorative aggregates, Homes and Interior decoration. Due to some exceptional properties of Scoria and Flint, they have various applications in construction industry. The uses of Scoria in construction industry include Cement manufacture, Construction aggregate, For road aggregate, In landscaping and drainage works and that of Flint include Arrowheads, Cutting tool, Spear points.
More about Scoria and Flint
Here you can know more about Scoria and Flint. The life cycle of a rock consists of formation of rock, composition of rock and transformation of rock. The composition of Scoria and Flint consists of mineral content and compound content. The mineral content of Scoria includes Apatite, Biotite, Calcite, Feldspar, Hematite, Hornblade, Ilmenite, Magnetite, Olivine, Pyroxene, Quartz, Silica and mineral content of Flint includes Silicon. You can also check out the list of all Igneous Rocks. When we have to compare Scoria vs Flint, the texture, color and appearance plays an important role in determining the type of rock. Scoria is available in black, brown, dark grey to black, red colors whereas, Flint is available in black, brown, green, grey, red, white colors. Appearance of Scoria is Glassy and Vesicular and that of Flint is Glassy or Pearly. Properties of rock is another aspect for Scoria vs Flint. The hardness of Scoria is 5-6 and that of Flint is 7. The types of Scoria are Basaltic Scoria and Andesitic Scoria whereas types of Flint are Chert and Jasper. Streak of rock is the color of powder produced when it is dragged across an unweathered surface. The streak of Scoria and Flint is white. The specific heat capacity of Scoria is 0.84 kJ/Kg K and that of Flint is 0.74 kJ/Kg K. Depending on the properties like hardness, toughness, specific heat capacity, porosity etc., rocks are resistant to heat, wear, impact, etc.Scoria is heat resistant, impact resistant, pressure resistant, wear resistant whereas Flint is heat resistant, impact resistant, pressure resistant, wear resistant.