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
Diamictite is a sedimentary rock that consists of non-sorted to poorly sorted terrigenous sediment containing particles that range in size from clay to boulders, suspended in a matrix of mudstone or sandstone
Origin
Wyoming,USA
Southern Mongolia
Discoverer
Iddings
Unknown
Etymology
From the place of origin called Shoshone riverin Wyoming
From Greek dia through and meiktós or mixed
Class
Igneous Rocks
Sedimentary Rocks
Sub-Class
Durable Rock, Medium Hardness Rock
Durable Rock, Soft Rock
Other Categories
Coarse Grained Rock, Fine Grained Rock, Medium Grained Rock, Opaque Rock
Coarse Grained Rock, Opaque Rock
Texture
Porphyritic
Clastic
Color
Brown- Black, Dark Brown
Brown, Buff
Durability
Durable
Durable
Interior Uses
Decorative Aggregates, Homes, Interior Decoration
Decorative Aggregates, Interior Decoration
Exterior Uses
As Building Stone, As Facing Stone
As Building Stone, Paving Stone
Other Architectural Uses
Curbing
Curbing
Construction Industry
As Dimension Stone, Cobblestones, Rail Track Ballast, Roadstone
As Dimension Stone, Construction Aggregate, for Road Aggregate, Landscaping, Roadstone
Antiquity Uses
Sculpture
Artifacts
Commercial Uses
Cemetery Markers, Creating Artwork
Commemorative Tablets, Creating Artwork, Production of Lime
Types
Intermediate volcanic rock
Bedded Diamictite and Laminated Diamictite
Features
Has High structural resistance against erosion and climate, Very fine grained rock
Host Rock for Lead, Is one of the oldest rock
Archaeological Significance
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.
Diamictite is unevenly sorted terrigenous, non-calcareous sedimentary rock which forms due to weathering of mudstone and sandstone.
Mineral Content
Pyroxene
Calcite, Clay, Feldspar, Micas, Quartz
Compound Content
Aluminium Oxide, Iron(III) Oxide, Potassium Oxide, Sodium Oxide, Titanium Dioxide
-
Types of Metamorphism
Burial Metamorphism, Cataclastic Metamorphism, Contact Metamorphism
-
Types of Weathering
Biological Weathering, Chemical Weathering, Mechanical Weathering
Biological Weathering, Chemical Weathering
Types of Erosion
Chemical Erosion, Coastal Erosion, Glacier Erosion
Chemical Erosion, Coastal Erosion, Water Erosion
Grain Size
Medium to Fine Coarse Grained
Coarse Grained
Fracture
Uneven
Conchoidal to Uneven
Streak
White to Grey
Light to dark brown
Porosity
Less Porous
Highly Porous
Luster
Dull
Grainy, Pearly and Vitreous
Specific Gravity
2.98
4.3-5.0
Transparency
Opaque
Opaque
Density
2.9-3 g/cm3
2.2-2.35 g/cm3
Resistance
Heat Resistant, Pressure Resistant
Heat Resistant, Impact Resistant
Deposits in Eastern Continents
Asia
India, Russia
China, India, Kazakhstan, Mongolia, Russia
Africa
South Africa
Namibia, Nigeria, South Africa
Europe
Iceland
Austria, Denmark, Germany, Great Britain, Netherlands, Norway, Poland, Sweden, Switzerland, United Kingdom
Deposits in Western Continents
North America
Canada, USA
Canada, USA
South America
Brazil
Brazil, Venezuela
Deposits in Oceania Continent
Australia
-
New South Wales, New Zealand