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
Very fine grained fault rock which is composed of glassy matrix that often contains inclusions of wall-rock fragments.
Discoverer
Iddings
Unknown
Etymology
From the place of origin called Shoshone riverin Wyoming
From pseudo- + tachylite, a glassy rock generated by frictional heat within faults.
Class
Igneous Rocks
Metamorphic Rocks
Sub-Class
Durable Rock, Medium Hardness Rock
Durable Rock, Hard Rock
Other Categories
Coarse Grained Rock, Fine Grained Rock, Medium Grained Rock, Opaque Rock
Fine Grained Rock, Opaque Rock
Texture
Porphyritic
Quench
Color
Brown- Black, Dark Brown
Black, Brown, Green, Grey, Pink, White
Durability
Durable
Durable
Scratch Resistant
Yes
Yes
Appearance
Dull
Dull and Soft
Interior Uses
Decorative Aggregates, Homes, Interior Decoration
Decorative Aggregates, Entryways, Interior Decoration
Exterior Uses
As Building Stone, As Facing Stone
As Building Stone, As Facing Stone, Garden Decoration
Other Architectural Uses
Curbing
Curbing
Construction Industry
As Dimension Stone, Cobblestones, Rail Track Ballast, Roadstone
As Dimension Stone, Cement Manufacture, for Road Aggregate, Making natural cement
Antiquity Uses
Sculpture
Artifacts, Monuments
Commercial Uses
Cemetery Markers, Creating Artwork
Creating Artwork, Gemstone
Types
Intermediate volcanic rock
Cataclastic rock
Features
Has High structural resistance against erosion and climate, Very fine grained rock
Host Rock for Lead
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.
Due to change in environmental conditions, rocks are heated and pressurized deep inside the Earth's surface. Pseudotachylite is formed from the extreme heat caused by magma or by the intense collisions and friction of tectonic plates.
Mineral Content
Pyroxene
Iron Oxides, Pyroxene, Quartz, Stishovite, Sulfides
Compound Content
Aluminium Oxide, Iron(III) Oxide, Potassium Oxide, Sodium Oxide, Titanium Dioxide
Carbon Dioxide, Silicon Dioxide, Sulfur Dioxide, Sulphur
Types of Metamorphism
Burial Metamorphism, Cataclastic Metamorphism, Contact 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
-
Grain Size
Medium to Fine Coarse Grained
Very fine-grained
Streak
White to Grey
Light to dark brown
Porosity
Less Porous
Less Porous
Specific Gravity
2.98
2.46-2.86
Transparency
Opaque
Transparent to Translucent
Density
2.9-3 g/cm3
2.7-2.9 g/cm3
Resistance
Heat Resistant, Pressure Resistant
Heat Resistant
Deposits in Eastern Continents
Asia
India, Russia
South Korea
Africa
South Africa
Western Africa
Europe
Iceland
Great Britain, Switzerland
Deposits in Western Continents
North America
Canada, USA
-
Deposits in Oceania Continent
Australia
-
Central Australia, Western Australia
All about Shoshonite and Pseudotachylite Properties
Know all about Shoshonite and Pseudotachylite properties here. All properties of rocks are important as they define the type of rock and its application. Shoshonite belongs to Igneous Rocks while Pseudotachylite belongs to Metamorphic Rocks.Texture of Shoshonite is Porphyritic whereas that of Pseudotachylite is Quench. Shoshonite appears Dull and Pseudotachylite appears Dull and Soft. The luster of Shoshonite is dull while that of Pseudotachylite is vitreous. Shoshonite is available in brown- black, dark brown colors whereas Pseudotachylite is available in black, brown, green, grey, pink, white colors. The commercial uses of Shoshonite are cemetery markers, creating artwork and that of Pseudotachylite are creating artwork, gemstone.