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Shoshonite and Schist


Schist 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   
Schist is a medium grade metamorphic rock with medium to large, flat, sheet like grains in a preferred orientation   

History
  
  

Origin
Wyoming,USA   
Unknown   

Discoverer
Iddings   
Unknown   

Etymology
From the place of origin called Shoshone riverin Wyoming   
From French schiste, Greek skhistos i.e. split   

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   
Coarse Grained Rock, Fine Grained Rock, Medium Grained Rock, Opaque Rock   

Texture

Texture
Porphyritic   
Foliated, Platy   

Color
Brown- Black, Dark Brown   
Black, Blue, Brown, Dark Brown, Green, Grey, Silver   

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   
Layered and Shiny   

Uses

Architecture
  
  

Interior Uses
Decorative Aggregates, Homes, Interior Decoration   
Decorative Aggregates, Floor Tiles, Interior Decoration   

Exterior Uses
As Building Stone, As Facing Stone   
Garden Decoration, Paving Stone   

Other Architectural Uses
Curbing   
Not Yet Used   

Industry
  
  

Construction Industry
As Dimension Stone, Cobblestones, Rail Track Ballast, Roadstone   
As Dimension Stone, Building houses or walls, Cement Manufacture, for Road Aggregate, Roadstone   

Medical Industry
Not Yet Used   
Not Yet Used   

Antiquity Uses
Sculpture   
Artifacts   

Other Uses
  
  

Commercial Uses
Cemetery Markers, Creating Artwork   
Used in aquariums, Writing Slates   

Types

Types
Not Available   
Mica Schists, Calc-Silicate Schists, Graphite Schists, Blueschists, Whiteschists, Greenschists, Hornblende Schist, Talc Schist, Chlorite Schist, Garnet Schist, Glaucophane schist.   

Features
Has High structural resistance against erosion and climate, Very fine grained rock   
Easily splits into thin plates, Smooth to touch   

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

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.   
Schist formed by dynamic metamorphism at high temperatures and pressures that aligns the grains of mica, hornblende and other elongated minerals into thin layers.   

Composition
  
  

Mineral Content
Pyroxene   
Alusite, Amphibole, Biotite, Chlorite, Epidote, Feldspar, Garnet, Graphite, Hornblade, Kyanite, Micas, Muscovite or Illite, Porphyroblasts, Quartz, Sillimanite, Staurolite, Talc   

Compound Content
Aluminium Oxide, Iron(III) Oxide, Potassium Oxide, Sodium Oxide, Titanium Dioxide   
CaO, Carbon Dioxide, MgO   

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, Coastal Erosion, Glacier Erosion   

Properties

Physical Properties
  
  

Hardness
6   
3.5-4   

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

Fracture
Uneven   
Conchoidal   

Streak
White to Grey   
White   

Porosity
Less Porous   
Highly Porous   

Luster
Dull   
Shiny   

Cleavage
Poor   
Slaty   

Toughness
1.6   
1.5   

Specific Gravity
2.98   
2.5-2.9   

Transparency
Opaque   
Opaque   

Density
2.9-3 g/cm3   
2.8-2.9 g/cm3   

Thermal Properties
  
  

Resistance
Heat Resistant, Pressure Resistant   
Impact Resistant, Pressure Resistant, Water Resistant   

Reserves

Deposits in Eastern Continents
  
  

Asia
India, Russia   
Afghanistan, Bangladesh, Bhutan, China, India, Japan, Kazakhstan, Malaysia, Pakistan, Russia, Thailand, Turkey, Vietnam   

Africa
South Africa   
Egypt, Ethiopia, Morocco, Nigeria, South Africa   

Europe
Iceland   
Austria, England, France, Georgia, Germany, Italy, Liechtenstein, Monaco, Norway, Slovenia, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland   

Others
Not Yet Found   
Not Yet Found   

Deposits in Western Continents
  
  

North America
Canada, USA   
Canada, Costa Rica, Cuba, Mexico, Panama, USA   

South America
Brazil   
Brazil, Colombia, Guyana   

Deposits in Oceania Continent
  
  

Australia
Not Yet Found   
New South Wales, New Zealand, Queensland   

Summary >>
<< Reserves

All about Shoshonite and Schist Properties

Know all about Shoshonite and Schist properties here. All properties of rocks are important as they define the type of rock and its application. Shoshonite belongs to Igneous Rocks while Schist belongs to Metamorphic Rocks.Texture of Shoshonite is Porphyritic whereas that of Schist is Foliated, Platy. Shoshonite appears Dull and Schist appears Layered and Shiny. The luster of Shoshonite is dull while that of Schist is shiny. Shoshonite is available in brown- black, dark brown colors whereas Schist is available in black, blue, brown, dark brown, green, grey, silver colors. The commercial uses of Shoshonite are cemetery markers, creating artwork and that of Schist are used in aquariums, writing slates.

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