Definition
A hydration and metamorphic transformation of ultramafic rock from the Earth's mantle is called as serpentinization, a group of minerals is formed by serpentinization compose rock 'serpentinite'.
Epidosite is a highly altered epidote and quartz bearing rock which is a type of metasomatite, essentially altered basalt
Discoverer
Unknown
Unknown
Etymology
From English word serpentinization.
Not Available
Class
Metamorphic Rocks
Igneous Rocks
Sub-Class
Durable Rock, Medium Hardness Rock
Durable Rock, Medium Hardness Rock
Group
Not Applicable
Volcanic
Other Categories
Fine Grained Rock, Opaque Rock
Coarse Grained Rock, Fine Grained Rock, Opaque Rock
Texture
Earthy
Glassy, Massive, Porphyritic, Scoriaceous, Vesicular
Color
Black, Brown, Colourless, Green, Grey, White
Black, Brown, Light to Dark Grey
Durability
Durable
Durable
Appearance
Rough and Dull
Dull and Soft
Interior Uses
Decorative Aggregates, Interior Decoration
Decorative Aggregates, Floor Tiles, Homes, Hotels, Interior Decoration
Exterior Uses
As Building Stone, Paving Stone, Garden Decoration, Office Buildings
As Facing Stone, Garden Decoration, Office Buildings, Paving Stone
Other Architectural Uses
Curbing
Curbing
Construction Industry
As Dimension Stone, Cement Manufacture, for Road Aggregate, Making natural cement
As Dimension Stone, Cobblestones, Rail Track Ballast, Roadstone
Medical Industry
Not Yet Used
Not Yet Used
Antiquity Uses
Artifacts, Jewellery, Monuments, Sculpture
Artifacts, Monuments, Sculpture, Small Figurines
Commercial Uses
Commemorative Tablets, Creating Artwork
Commemorative Tablets, Creating Artwork
Types
Jadeitite
Alkaline Basalt, Boninite, High Alumina Basalt, Mid Ocean Ridge Basalt (MORB), Tholeiitic Basalt, Basaltic trachyandesite, Mugearite and Shoshonite
Features
Host Rock for Lead
Has High structural resistance against erosion and climate, Very fine grained rock
Archaeological Significance
Famous Monuments
Data Not Available
Data Not Available
Famous Sculptures
Data Not Available
Data Not Available
Formation
Due to change in environmental conditions, rocks are heated and pressurized deep inside the Earth's surface. Serpentinite is formed from the extreme heat caused by magma or by the intense collisions and friction of tectonic plates.
Epidosite is a fine-grained, hard rock which is a type of metasomatite, essentially altered basalt. It forms with or without crystallization, either below the surface as intrusive rocks or on the surface as extrusive rocks.
Mineral Content
Carbonate, Magnetite, Pyrrhotite, Serpentine, Sulfides
Olivine, Plagioclase, Pyroxene
Compound Content
Ca, CaO, Carbon Dioxide, KCl, MgO, Sulfur Dioxide, Sulphur
Aluminium Oxide, CaO, Iron(III) Oxide, FeO, Potassium Oxide, MgO, MnO, Sodium Oxide, Phosphorus Pentoxide, Silicon Dioxide, Titanium Dioxide
Types of Metamorphism
Burial Metamorphism, Cataclastic Metamorphism, Contact Metamorphism, Hydrothermal Metamorphism, Impact Metamorphism
Burial Metamorphism, Cataclastic Metamorphism, Hydrothermal Metamorphism, Impact Metamorphism
Types of Weathering
Not Applicable
Biological Weathering, Chemical Weathering, Mechanical Weathering
Types of Erosion
Chemical Erosion, Coastal Erosion, Glacier Erosion, Sea Erosion, Wind Erosion
Not Applicable
Grain Size
Very fine-grained
Fine to Coarse Grained
Fracture
Uneven
Conchoidal
Streak
White, Greenish White or Grey
White to Grey
Porosity
Less Porous
Less Porous
Luster
Waxy and Dull
Not Available
Compressive Strength
Not Available
Cleavage
Irregular
Not Available
Specific Gravity
2.79-3
2.8-3
Transparency
Opaque
Opaque
Density
2.5-3 g/cm3
Not Available
Specific Heat Capacity
Not Available
Resistance
Heat Resistant
Heat Resistant, Pressure Resistant, Wear Resistant
Deposits in Eastern Continents
Asia
India, Saudi Arabia, Singapore, South Korea
India, Russia
Africa
Ethiopia, Western Africa
South Africa
Europe
England, Georgia, Switzerland, United Kingdom
Iceland
Others
Not Yet Found
Not Yet Found
Deposits in Western Continents
North America
Canada
Canada, USA
South America
Colombia
Brazil
Deposits in Oceania Continent
Australia
Central Australia, New South Wales, New Zealand, Western Australia
Not Yet Found
Serpentinite vs Epidosite 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. Serpentinite vs Epidosite characteristics assist us to distinguish and recognize rocks. Also you can check about Properties of Serpentinite and Properties of Epidosite. Learn more about Serpentinite vs Epidosite in the next section. The interior uses of Serpentinite include Decorative aggregates and Interior decoration whereas the interior uses of Epidosite include Decorative aggregates, Floor tiles, Homes, Hotels and Interior decoration. Due to some exceptional properties of Serpentinite and Epidosite, they have various applications in construction industry. The uses of Serpentinite in construction industry include As dimension stone, Cement manufacture, For road aggregate, Making natural cement and that of Epidosite include As dimension stone, Cobblestones, Rail track ballast, Roadstone.
More about Serpentinite and Epidosite
Here you can know more about Serpentinite and Epidosite. The life cycle of a rock consists of formation of rock, composition of rock and transformation of rock. The composition of Serpentinite and Epidosite consists of mineral content and compound content. The mineral content of Serpentinite includes Carbonate, Magnetite, Pyrrhotite, Serpentine, Sulfides and mineral content of Epidosite includes Olivine, Plagioclase, Pyroxene. You can also check out the list of all . When we have to compare Serpentinite vs Epidosite, the texture, color and appearance plays an important role in determining the type of rock. Serpentinite is available in black, brown, colourless, green, grey, white colors whereas, Epidosite is available in black, brown, light to dark grey colors. Appearance of Serpentinite is Rough and Dull and that of Epidosite is Dull and Soft. Properties of rock is another aspect for Serpentinite vs Epidosite. The hardness of Serpentinite is 3-5 and that of Epidosite is 6. The types of Serpentinite are Jadeitite whereas types of Epidosite are Alkaline Basalt, Boninite, High Alumina Basalt, Mid Ocean Ridge Basalt (MORB), Tholeiitic Basalt, Basaltic trachyandesite, Mugearite and Shoshonite. Streak of rock is the color of powder produced when it is dragged across an unweathered surface. The streak of Serpentinite is white, greenish white or grey while that of Epidosite is white to grey. The specific heat capacity of Serpentinite is 0.95 kJ/Kg K and that of Epidosite is Not Available. Depending on the properties like hardness, toughness, specific heat capacity, porosity etc., rocks are resistant to heat, wear, impact, etc.Serpentinite is heat resistant whereas Epidosite is heat resistant, pressure resistant, wear resistant.
