Definition
Shoshonite is a basaltic rock, properly a potassic trachyandesite, composed of olivine, augite and plagioclase phenocrysts in a groundmass with calcic plagioclase and sanidine and some dark-colored volcanic glass
  
Cataclasite is a type of cataclastic rock that is formed by fracturing and comminution during faulting. It is normally cohesive and non-foliated, consisting of angular clasts in a finer-grained matrix
  
History
  
  
Origin
Wyoming,USA
  
Swiss Alps, Europe
  
Discoverer
Iddings
  
Michael Tellinger
  
Etymology
From the place of origin called Shoshone riverin Wyoming
  
From the Italian word cataclasi
  
Class
Igneous Rocks
  
Metamorphic Rocks
  
Sub-Class
Durable Rock, Medium Hardness Rock
  
Durable Rock, Medium Hardness Rock
  
Family
  
  
Group
Volcanic
  
Not Applicable
  
Other Categories
Coarse Grained Rock, Fine Grained Rock, Medium Grained Rock, Opaque Rock
  
Fine Grained Rock, Opaque Rock
  
Texture
Porphyritic
  
Clastic
  
Color
Brown- Black, Dark Brown
  
Brown, Green, White, Yellow
  
Maintenance
Less
  
Less
  
Durability
Durable
  
Durable
  
Water Resistant
Yes
  
Yes
  
Scratch Resistant
Yes
  
No
  
Stain Resistant
Yes
  
No
  
Wind Resistant
Yes
  
No
  
Acid Resistant
Yes
  
No
  
Appearance
Dull
  
Dull and Banded
  
Architecture
  
  
Interior Uses
Decorative Aggregates, Homes, Interior Decoration
  
Decorative Aggregates, Homes
  
Exterior Uses
As Building Stone, As Facing Stone
  
As Building Stone, As Facing Stone, Paving Stone
  
Other Architectural Uses
Curbing
  
Curbing
  
Industry
  
  
Construction Industry
As Dimension Stone, Cobblestones, Rail Track Ballast, Roadstone
  
As Dimension Stone, Building houses or walls, Cement Manufacture, Construction Aggregate, for Road Aggregate
  
Medical Industry
Not Yet Used
  
Not Yet Used
  
Antiquity Uses
Sculpture
  
Artifacts
  
Other Uses
  
  
Commercial Uses
Cemetery Markers, Creating Artwork
  
Commemorative Tablets, Creating Artwork
  
Types
Not Available
  
Protocataclasite, Mesocataclasite, Ultracataclasite and Foliated cataclasite
  
Features
Has High structural resistance against erosion and climate, Very fine grained rock
  
Easily splits into thin plates, Is one of the oldest rock
  
Archaeological Significance
  
  
Monuments
Not Yet Used
  
Not Yet Used
  
Famous Monuments
Not Applicable
  
Not Applicable
  
Sculpture
Used
  
Not Yet Used
  
Famous Sculptures
Data Not Available
  
Not Applicable
  
Pictographs
Used
  
Used
  
Petroglyphs
Used
  
Used
  
Figurines
Used
  
Not Yet Used
  
Fossils
Absent
  
Absent
  
Formation
Shoshonite 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.
  
Cataclasiste rocks mainly form by pressure deep under the Earth's surface, from the extreme heat caused by magma or by the intense collisions and friction of tectonic plates.
  
Composition
  
  
Mineral Content
Pyroxene
  
Albite, Apatite, Augite, Biotite, Calcite, Enstatite, Epidote, Feldspar, Micas, Muscovite or Illite, Pyroxene, Quartz
  
Compound Content
Aluminium Oxide, Iron(III) Oxide, Potassium Oxide, Sodium Oxide, Titanium Dioxide
  
Silicon Dioxide
  
Transformation
  
  
Metamorphism
Yes
  
No
  
Types of Metamorphism
Burial Metamorphism, Cataclastic Metamorphism, Contact Metamorphism
  
Not Applicable
  
Weathering
Yes
  
Yes
  
Types of Weathering
Biological Weathering, Chemical Weathering, Mechanical Weathering
  
Mechanical Weathering
  
Erosion
Yes
  
Yes
  
Types of Erosion
Chemical Erosion, Coastal Erosion, Glacier Erosion
  
Coastal Erosion, Wind Erosion
  
Physical Properties
  
  
Hardness
6
  
3-4
  
Grain Size
Medium to Fine Coarse Grained
  
Fine Grained
  
Fracture
Uneven
  
NA
  
Streak
White to Grey
  
Black
  
Porosity
Less Porous
  
Less Porous
  
Luster
Dull
  
Vitreous
  
Cleavage
Poor
  
Not Available
  
Toughness
1.6
  
Not Available
  
Specific Gravity
2.98
  
2.1
  
Transparency
Opaque
  
Translucent to Opaque
  
Density
2.9-3 g/cm3
  
2.9-3.1 g/cm3
  
Thermal Properties
  
  
Resistance
Heat Resistant, Pressure Resistant
  
Heat Resistant, Impact Resistant, Pressure Resistant
  
Deposits in Eastern Continents
  
  
Asia
India, Russia
  
China, India, Russia, Saudi Arabia, South Korea
  
Africa
South Africa
  
Egypt, Ethiopia, Kenya, Madagascar, Morocco, South Africa
  
Europe
Iceland
  
England, Finland, France, Spain, United Kingdom
  
Others
Not Yet Found
  
Not Yet Found
  
Deposits in Western Continents
  
  
North America
Canada, USA
  
Canada, USA
  
South America
Brazil
  
Argentina, Colombia
  
Deposits in Oceania Continent
  
  
Australia
Not Yet Found
  
Central Australia, Western Australia