Home
Compare Rocks


Soapstone and Turbidite


Turbidite and Soapstone


Definition

Definition
It is a metamorphic magnesium rich rock because it is composed of the mineral talc  
A sedimentary rock, deposit of a submarine turbidity currents and are composed of layered particles  

History
  
  

Origin
USA  
European Foreland Basins  

Discoverer
Unknown  
Arnold H. Bouma  

Etymology
From 17th century, because of its greasy feel and use like a soap  
From Medieval Latin turbiditas, from Latin turbidus (turbid). Turbidity current is from 1939  

Class
Metamorphic Rocks  
Sedimentary Rocks  

Sub-Class
Durable Rock, Soft Rock  
Durable Rock, Soft Rock  

Family
  
  

Group
-  
-  

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

Texture

Texture
Polished  
Mud-rich, Sandy  

Color
Black, Black to Grey, Green, Grey  
Black, Brown, Green, Grey, Pink  

Maintenance
Less  
Less  

Durability
Durable  
Durable  

Water Resistant
Yes  
Yes  

Scratch Resistant
No  
Yes  

Stain Resistant
No  
No  

Wind Resistant
No  
Yes  

Acid Resistant
No  
No  

Appearance
Dull, Banded and Foilated  
Dull and Banded  

Uses

Architecture
  
  

Interior Uses
Bathrooms, Decorative Aggregates, Homes, Interior Decoration  
Bathrooms, Countertops, Decorative Aggregates, Flooring, Homes, Interior Decoration  

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

Other Architectural Uses
Curbing  
Curbing  

Industry
  
  

Construction Industry
Manufacture of Magnesium and Dolomite Refractories  
As Dimension Stone, Cement Manufacture, Construction Aggregate, for Road Aggregate, Making natural cement  

Medical Industry
Taken as a Supplement for Calcium or Magnesium  
-  

Antiquity Uses
Artifacts, Jewellery, Monuments, Sculpture  
Artifacts, Monuments, Sculpture  

Other Uses
  
  

Commercial Uses
Cemetery Markers, Creating Artwork, Gemstone, Jewelry, Manufacture of Soap, Solvents, Dyes, Plastics and Fibres, Production of Lime, Source of Magnesia (MgO)  
Cemetery Markers, Creating Artwork  

Types

Types
Metamorphic rock  
Sedimentary rock  

Features
Host Rock for Lead  
High silica content, Host Rock for Lead  

Archaeological Significance
  
  

Monuments
-  
-  

Famous Monuments
Christ the Redeemer in Rio de Janeiro, Stonehenge in English county of Wiltshire  
-  

Sculpture
-  
-  

Famous Sculptures
-  
-  

Pictographs
-  
-  

Petroglyphs
-  
-  

Figurines
-  
-  

Fossils
Absent  
Present  

Formation

Formation
Soapstone is a talc-schist, which is a type of metamorphic rock and it is largely composed of the mineral talc and is thus rich inmagnesium.   
Turbidite is a type of sedimentary rock formed when a river carries or transports pieces of broken rock as it flows. These particles then settle down and are subjected to high temperature and pressures hence forming Turbidite.  

Composition
  
  

Mineral Content
Albite, Apatite, Biotite, Calcite, Carbonate, Clay Minerals, Hornblende, Ilmenite, Micas, Plagioclase, Pyroxene, Quartz  
Coesite, Quartz, Sand  

Compound Content
CaO, Mg, MgO  
CaO, Carbon Dioxide, MgO  

Transformation
  
  

Metamorphism
Yes  
No  

Types of Metamorphism
Burial Metamorphism, Cataclastic Metamorphism, Contact Metamorphism, Hydrothermal Metamorphism, Impact Metamorphism, Regional Metamorphism  
-  

Weathering
No  
Yes  

Types of Weathering
-  
Biological Weathering, Chemical Weathering, Mechanical Weathering  

Erosion
No  
Yes  

Types of Erosion
-  
Chemical Erosion, Coastal Erosion, Sea Erosion, Water Erosion, Wind Erosion  

Properties

Physical Properties
  
  

Hardness
1  
3  

Grain Size
Fine Grained  
Fine to Coarse Grained  

Fracture
Conchoidal  
Splintery  

Streak
Black  
White, Greenish White or Grey  

Porosity
Less Porous  
Very Less Porous  

Luster
Greasy  
Metallic  

Compressive Strength
225.00 N/mm2  
8
200.00 N/mm2  
13

Cleavage
Perfect  
Disjunctive  

Toughness
1  
2.4  

Specific Gravity
2.86  
2.46-2.73  

Transparency
Opaque  
Opaque  

Density
2.8-2.9 g/cm3  
1.6-2.5 g/cm3  

Thermal Properties
  
  

Specific Heat Capacity
0.88 kJ/Kg K  
13
0.92 kJ/Kg K  
10

Resistance
Heat Resistant, Pressure Resistant  
Heat Resistant  

Reserves

Deposits in Eastern Continents
  
  

Asia
China, India, Indonesia, Japan, North Korea, Russia, Saudi Arabia, Singapore, South Korea, Sri Lanka, Tajikistan, Thailand  
-  

Africa
Egypt, Ethiopia, Ghana, South Africa, Western Africa  
Western Africa  

Europe
Austria, England, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland, United Kingdom  
Austria, Belarus, Romania, Switzerland, United Kingdom  

Others
-  
-  

Deposits in Western Continents
  
  

North America
Canada, USA  
Canada, USA  

South America
Colombia  
Brazil, Colombia  

Deposits in Oceania Continent
  
  

Australia
Central Australia, New Zealand, Queensland  
New Zealand, Western Australia  

Summary >>
<< Reserves

All about Soapstone and Turbidite Properties

Know all about Soapstone and Turbidite properties here. All properties of rocks are important as they define the type of rock and its application. Soapstone belongs to Metamorphic Rocks while Turbidite belongs to Sedimentary Rocks.Texture of Soapstone is Polished whereas that of Turbidite is Mud-rich, Sandy. Soapstone appears Dull, Banded and Foilated and Turbidite appears Dull and Banded. The luster of Soapstone is greasy while that of Turbidite is metallic. Soapstone is available in black, black to grey, green, grey colors whereas Turbidite is available in black, brown, green, grey, pink colors. The commercial uses of Soapstone and Turbidite are cemetery markers, creating artwork, gemstone, jewelry, manufacture of soap, solvents, dyes, plastics and fibres, production of lime, source of magnesia (mgo).

Compare Metamorphic Rocks

Metamorphic Rocks

Metamorphic Rocks

» More Metamorphic Rocks

Compare Metamorphic Rocks

» More Compare Metamorphic Rocks