Home
Compare Rocks


Shoshonite and Lignite


Lignite and Shoshonite


Definition

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   
Lignite is a soft brownish coal which shows traces of plants and is intermediate between bituminous coal and peat   

History
  
  

Origin
Wyoming,USA   
France   

Discoverer
Iddings   
Unknown   

Etymology
From the place of origin called Shoshone riverin Wyoming   
From French, Latin lignum wood + -ite1   

Class
Igneous Rocks   
Sedimentary Rocks   

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

Family
  
  

Group
Volcanic   
Not Applicable   

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

Texture

Texture
Porphyritic   
Amorphous, Glassy   

Color
Brown- Black, Dark Brown   
Black, Brown, Dark Brown, Grey, Light to Dark Grey   

Maintenance
Less   
Less   

Durability
Durable   
Durable   

Water Resistant
Yes   
No   

Scratch Resistant
Yes   
No   

Stain Resistant
Yes   
No   

Wind Resistant
Yes   
No   

Acid Resistant
Yes   
No   

Appearance
Dull   
Veined or Pebbled   

Uses

Architecture
  
  

Interior Uses
Decorative Aggregates, Homes, Interior Decoration   
Not Yet Used   

Exterior Uses
As Building Stone, As Facing Stone   
Not Yet Used   

Other Architectural Uses
Curbing   
Not Yet Used   

Industry
  
  

Construction Industry
As Dimension Stone, Cobblestones, Rail Track Ballast, Roadstone   
for Road Aggregate, Steel Production   

Medical Industry
Not Yet Used   
Not Yet Used   

Antiquity Uses
Sculpture   
Not Yet Used   

Other Uses
  
  

Commercial Uses
Cemetery Markers, Creating Artwork   
Electricity Generation   

Types

Types
Not Available   
Xyloid Lignite or Fossil Wood and Compact Lignite or Perfect Lignite   

Features
Has High structural resistance against erosion and climate, Very fine grained rock   
Generally rough to touch, Helps in production of Heat and Electricity, Used as fossil fuel   

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   
Present   

Formation

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.   
Coal formation takes place due to accumulation of plant debris in a swamp environment. The Coal formation process continues, as peat turns into lignite brown or black coal at increasing heat and pressure.   

Composition
  
  

Mineral Content
Pyroxene   
Not Available   

Compound Content
Aluminium Oxide, Iron(III) Oxide, Potassium Oxide, Sodium Oxide, Titanium Dioxide   
Carbon, Hydrogen, Nitrogen, Oxygen, Sulphur   

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   
Biological Weathering, Chemical Weathering, Mechanical Weathering   

Erosion
Yes   
Yes   

Types of Erosion
Chemical Erosion, Coastal Erosion, Glacier Erosion   
Chemical Erosion, Water Erosion, Wind Erosion   

Properties

Physical Properties
  
  

Hardness
6   
1   

Grain Size
Medium to Fine Coarse Grained   
Medium to Fine Coarse Grained   

Fracture
Uneven   
Conchoidal   

Streak
White to Grey   
Black   

Porosity
Less Porous   
Highly Porous   

Luster
Dull   
Dull to Vitreous to Submetallic   

Cleavage
Poor   
Non-Existent   

Toughness
1.6   
Not Available   

Specific Gravity
2.98   
1.1-1.4   

Transparency
Opaque   
Opaque   

Density
2.9-3 g/cm3   
800-801 g/cm3   

Thermal Properties
  
  

Specific Heat Capacity
Not Available   
1.26 kJ/Kg K   
5

Resistance
Heat Resistant, Pressure Resistant   
Heat Resistant   

Reserves

Deposits in Eastern Continents
  
  

Asia
India, Russia   
Bangladesh, Burma, Cambodia, China, India, Indonesia, Kazakhstan, Malaysia, Mongolia, Pakistan, Turkey, Vietnam   

Africa
South Africa   
Botswana, Kenya, Morocco, Mozambique, South Africa, Tanzania   

Europe
Iceland   
Belgium, Bulgaria, England, France, Germany, Greece, Hungary, Kosovo, Netherlands, Norway, Poland, Romania, Serbia, Slovakia, Slovenia, The Czech Republic, Ukraine, United Kingdom   

Others
Not Yet Found   
Not Yet Found   

Deposits in Western Continents
  
  

North America
Canada, USA   
Canada, Mexico, USA   

South America
Brazil   
Brazil, Chile, Colombia, Venezuela   

Deposits in Oceania Continent
  
  

Australia
Not Yet Found   
New South Wales, Queensland, Victoria   

Summary >>
<< Reserves

All about Shoshonite and Lignite Properties

Know all about Shoshonite and Lignite properties here. All properties of rocks are important as they define the type of rock and its application. Shoshonite belongs to Igneous Rocks while Lignite belongs to Sedimentary Rocks.Texture of Shoshonite is Porphyritic whereas that of Lignite is Amorphous, Glassy. Shoshonite appears Dull and Lignite appears Veined or Pebbled. The luster of Shoshonite is dull while that of Lignite is dull to vitreous to submetallic. Shoshonite is available in brown- black, dark brown colors whereas Lignite is available in black, brown, dark brown, grey, light to dark grey colors. The commercial uses of Shoshonite are cemetery markers, creating artwork and that of Lignite are electricity generation.

Compare Igneous Rocks

Igneous Rocks

Igneous Rocks

» More Igneous Rocks

Compare Igneous Rocks

» More Compare Igneous Rocks