Definition
Sovite is a coarse-grained variety of carbonatite which belongs to intrusive igneous rock
Ignimbrite is a volcanic rock consisting mainly of pumice fragments, formed by the consolidation of material deposited by pyroclastic flows
Discoverer
Unknown
Patrick Marshall
Etymology
-
From Latin ignis fire + imber, imbr- shower of rain, storm cloud + -ite
Class
Igneous Rocks
Igneous Rocks
Sub-Class
Durable Rock, Soft Rock
Durable Rock, Medium Hardness Rock
Other Categories
Coarse Grained Rock, Fine Grained Rock, Medium Grained Rock, Opaque Rock
Fine Grained Rock, Opaque Rock
Texture
Granular, Poikiloblastic
Aphanitic
Color
Black, Brown, Green, Grey, Pink, White
Beige, Black, Brown, Grey, Pink, White
Durability
Durable
Durable
Scratch Resistant
Yes
Yes
Appearance
Dull, Banded and Foilated
Dull, Vesicular and Foilated
Interior Uses
Decorative Aggregates, Homes
Decorative Aggregates, Floor Tiles, Homes, Interior Decoration
Exterior Uses
As Building Stone, Garden Decoration, Office Buildings
As Building Stone, Garden Decoration, Office Buildings, Paving Stone
Other Architectural Uses
Curbing
Curbing
Construction Industry
As a Flux in the Production of Steel and Pig Iron, As a Sintering Agent in Steel Industry to process Iron Ore, As Dimension Stone, Cement Manufacture, for Road Aggregate, Making natural cement, Manufacture of Magnesium and Dolomite Refractories
Building houses or walls, Construction Aggregate
Medical Industry
Taken as a Supplement for Calcium or Magnesium
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Antiquity Uses
Artifacts
Artifacts, Monuments, Sculpture, Small Figurines
Commercial Uses
An Oil and Gas Reservoir, As a Feed Additive for Livestock, Creating Artwork, Gemstone, Metallurgical Flux, Production of Lime, Soil Conditioner, Source of Magnesia (MgO)
Cemetery Markers, Commemorative Tablets, Creating Artwork
Types
Carbonatite
Pyroclastic rock
Features
Available in lots of colors, Generally rough to touch, Is one of the oldest rock
Always found as volcanic pipes over deep continental crust
Archaeological Significance
Formation
Sovites are formed due to low degrees of partial melting of rocks.
Ignimbrites are formed from very poorly sorted mixture of volcanic ash or tuff and pumice lapilli, commonly with scattered lithic fragments.
Mineral Content
Ancylite, Apatite, Barite, Fluorite, Magnetite, Natrolite, Sodalite
Apatite, Biotite, Calcite, Chlorite, Feldspar, Hematite, Hornblade, Ilmenite, Magnetite, Olivine, Pyroxene, Quartz
Compound Content
CaO, Carbon Dioxide, Sodium Oxide
Ca, NaCl
Types of Metamorphism
Burial Metamorphism, Cataclastic Metamorphism, Contact Metamorphism, Hydrothermal Metamorphism, Impact Metamorphism, Regional Metamorphism
Burial Metamorphism, Contact Metamorphism, Hydrothermal Metamorphism, Impact Metamorphism, Regional Metamorphism
Types of Weathering
Biological Weathering, Chemical Weathering, Mechanical Weathering
Biological Weathering, Chemical Weathering
Types of Erosion
Chemical Erosion, Coastal Erosion, Glacier Erosion, Sea Erosion, Water Erosion, Wind Erosion
Chemical Erosion, Coastal Erosion
Grain Size
Medium to Fine Coarse Grained
Fine Grained
Fracture
Conchoidal
Uneven
Porosity
Less Porous
Highly Porous
Luster
Subvitreous to Dull
Vitreous to Dull
Specific Gravity
2.86-2.87
2.73
Transparency
Opaque
Opaque
Density
2.84-2.86 g/cm3
1-1.8 g/cm3
Resistance
Heat Resistant, Pressure Resistant
Heat Resistant, Impact Resistant, Pressure Resistant, Wear Resistant
Deposits in Eastern Continents
Asia
China, India, Kazakhstan, Mongolia, Russia, Uzbekistan
Afghanistan, Armenia, Azerbaijan, Burma, Cambodia, China, India, Indonesia, Iran, Japan, Malaysia, Mongolia, Nepal, North Korea, Pakistan, Saudi Arabia, Syria, Taiwan, Thailand, Turkey, Vietnam, Yemen
Africa
Namibia, Nigeria, South Africa
Cameroon, Cape Verde, Chad, Djibouti, Eritrea, Ethiopia, Kenya, Libya, Madagascar, Nigeria, Rwanda, South Africa, Sudan, Tanzania, Uganda
Europe
Austria, Denmark, Germany, Great Britain, Netherlands, Norway, Poland, Sweden, Switzerland, United Kingdom
France, Georgia, Germany, Greece, Iceland, Italy, Netherlands, Poland, Portugal, Spain, United Kingdom
Others
Greenland
Antarctica, Hawaii Islands
Deposits in Western Continents
North America
Canada, USA
Canada, Costa Rica, Panama, USA
South America
Brazil
Argentina, Bolivia, Brazil, Chile, Colombia, Ecuador
Deposits in Oceania Continent
Australia
New South Wales, New Zealand
Central Australia, Western Australia
All about Sovite and Ignimbrite Properties
Know all about Sovite and Ignimbrite properties here. All properties of rocks are important as they define the type of rock and its application. Sovite and Ignimbrite belong to Igneous Rocks.Texture of Sovite is Granular, Poikiloblastic whereas that of Ignimbrite is Aphanitic. Sovite appears Dull, Banded and Foilated and Ignimbrite appears Dull, Vesicular and Foilated. The luster of Sovite is subvitreous to dull while that of Ignimbrite is vitreous to dull. Sovite is available in black, brown, green, grey, pink, white colors whereas Ignimbrite is available in beige, black, brown, grey, pink, white colors. The commercial uses of Sovite are an oil and gas reservoir, as a feed additive for livestock, creating artwork, gemstone, metallurgical flux, production of lime, soil conditioner, source of magnesia (mgo) and that of Ignimbrite are cemetery markers, commemorative tablets, creating artwork.