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Variolite and Adamellite


Adamellite and Variolite


Definition

Definition
Variolites are a group of dark green basic igneous rocks which exhibit pale colored spots, or spherules, especially on weathered surfaces, that give them a pockmarked appearance   
Adamellite is a coarse-grained porphyritic igneous rock, a variety of Monzogranite and dominated by phenocrysts of orthoclase in a granular groundmass of perthite, plagioclase and quartz   

History
  
  

Origin
France   
Italy   

Discoverer
Unknown   
Unknown   

Etymology
From Latin varius, speckled, variegated   
From German adamellit and from Monte Adamello, a mountain in Italy, its locality   

Class
Igneous Rocks   
Igneous Rocks   

Sub-Class
Durable Rock, Hard Rock   
Durable Rock, Hard Rock   

Family
  
  

Group
Volcanic   
Plutonic   

Other Categories
Opaque Rock   
Coarse Grained Rock, Opaque Rock   

Texture

Texture
Glassy, Massive, Porphyritic, Scoriaceous, Vesicular   
Porphyritic   

Color
Black, Brown, Light to Dark Grey   
Black, Grey, Orange, Pink, White   

Maintenance
Less   
More   

Durability
Durable   
Durable   

Water Resistant
Yes   
Yes   

Scratch Resistant
Yes   
Yes   

Stain Resistant
No   
Yes   

Wind Resistant
No   
Yes   

Acid Resistant
Yes   
Yes   

Appearance
Dull and Soft   
Veined or Pebbled   

Uses

Architecture
  
  

Interior Uses
Floor Tiles, Flooring, Homes, Hotels, Kitchens   
Bathrooms, Countertops, Decorative Aggregates, Entryways, Floor Tiles, Homes, Hotels, Kitchens, Stair Treads   

Exterior Uses
Garden Decoration, Office Buildings   
As Building Stone, As Facing Stone, Bridges, Paving Stone, Near Swimming Pools, Office Buildings, Resorts   

Other Architectural Uses
Curbing   
Curbing   

Industry
  
  

Construction Industry
As Dimension Stone, Cobblestones, Rail Track Ballast, Roadstone   
As Dimension Stone   

Medical Industry
Not Yet Used   
Not Yet Used   

Antiquity Uses
Artifacts, Monuments, Sculpture   
Artifacts, Monuments, Sculpture, Small Figurines   

Other Uses
  
  

Commercial Uses
Cemetery Markers, Creating Artwork   
Curling, Gemstone, Laboratory bench tops, Tombstones   

Types

Types
Not Available   
Not Available   

Features
Has High structural resistance against erosion and climate, Very fine grained rock   
Available in Lots of Colors and Patterns, It is One of the Oldest, Strongest and Hardest Rock   

Archaeological Significance
  
  

Monuments
Used   
Used   

Famous Monuments
Data Not Available   
Data Not Available   

Sculpture
Used   
Used   

Famous Sculptures
Data Not Available   
Data Not Available   

Pictographs
Used   
Not Used   

Petroglyphs
Used   
Not Used   

Figurines
Used   
Used   

Fossils
Absent   
Absent   

Formation

Formation
Variolites are a group of dark green basic igneous rocks that exhibit pale colored spots on weathered surfaces that give them a pockmarked appearance.   
Adamellite is a type of Igneous rock which is formed through the cooling and solidification of lava or magma and is a variety of Monzogranite.   

Composition
  
  

Mineral Content
Olivine, Plagioclase, Pyroxene   
Apatite, Biotite, Chlorite, Orthoclase, Perthite, Plagioclase, Quartz, Titanite, Zircon   

Compound Content
Aluminium Oxide, CaO, Iron(III) Oxide, FeO, Potassium Oxide, MgO, MnO, Sodium Oxide, Phosphorus Pentoxide, Silicon Dioxide, Titanium Dioxide   
Aluminium Oxide, CaO, Iron(III) Oxide, FeO, Potassium Oxide, MgO, MnO, Sodium Oxide, Phosphorus Pentoxide, Silicon Dioxide, Titanium Dioxide   

Transformation
  
  

Metamorphism
Yes   
Yes   

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   

Weathering
Yes   
Yes   

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

Erosion
No   
Yes   

Types of Erosion
Not Applicable   
Chemical Erosion, Glacier Erosion, Wind Erosion   

Properties

Physical Properties
  
  

Hardness
6   
6-7   

Grain Size
Not Applicable   
Coarse Grained   

Fracture
Conchoidal   
Not Available   

Streak
White to Grey   
White   

Porosity
Less Porous   
Less Porous   

Luster
Not Available   
Dull to Grainy with Sporadic parts Pearly and Vitreous   

Compressive Strength
37.50 N/mm2   
27
175.00 N/mm2   
13

Cleavage
Not Available   
Not Available   

Toughness
2.3   
Not Available   

Specific Gravity
2.8-3   
2.6-2.7   

Transparency
Opaque   
Opaque   

Density
2.9-3.1 g/cm3   
2.6-2.8 g/cm3   

Thermal Properties
  
  

Specific Heat Capacity
0.84 kJ/Kg K   
15
0.79 kJ/Kg K   
16

Resistance
Heat Resistant, Pressure Resistant, Wear Resistant   
Heat Resistant, Wear Resistant   

Reserves

Deposits in Eastern Continents
  
  

Asia
India, Russia   
China, India, Iran, Saudi Arabia, Sri Lanka, Taiwan, Thailand, Turkey, Vietnam   

Africa
South Africa   
Angola, Egypt, Madagascar, Namibia, Nigeria, South Africa   

Europe
Iceland   
Austria, Belgium, Finland, France, Germany, Italy, Norway, Sardinia, Spain, Switzerland, The Czech Republic, Venezuela   

Others
Not Yet Found   
Not Yet Found   

Deposits in Western Continents
  
  

North America
Canada, USA   
Canada, USA   

South America
Brazil   
Not Yet Found   

Deposits in Oceania Continent
  
  

Australia
Not Yet Found   
Not Yet Found   

Summary >>
<< Reserves

All about Variolite and Adamellite Properties

Know all about Variolite and Adamellite properties here. All properties of rocks are important as they define the type of rock and its application. Variolite and Adamellite belong to Igneous Rocks.Texture of Variolite is Glassy, Massive, Porphyritic, Scoriaceous, Vesicular whereas that of Adamellite is Porphyritic. Variolite appears Dull and Soft and Adamellite appears Veined or Pebbled. The luster of Variolite is not available while that of Adamellite is dull to grainy with sporadic parts pearly and vitreous. Variolite is available in black, brown, light to dark grey colors whereas Adamellite is available in black, grey, orange, pink, white colors. The commercial uses of Variolite are cemetery markers, creating artwork and that of Adamellite are curling, gemstone, laboratory bench tops, tombstones.

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