Variolite

Mugearite

Variolite and Mugearite

Variolite

Mugearite

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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

Mugearite is a type of oligoclase bearing basalt, also comprising of olivine, apatite, and opaque oxides

History

Origin

France

Skye, Scotland

Discoverer

Unknown

Alfred Harker

Etymology

From Latin varius, speckled, variegated

From mugear +‎ -ite

Class

Igneous Rocks

Sub-Class

Durable Rock, Hard Rock

Durable Rock, Medium Hardness Rock

Family

Group

Volcanic

Other Categories

Opaque Rock

Texture

Glassy, Massive, Porphyritic, Scoriaceous, Vesicular

Color

Black, Brown, Light to Dark Grey

Maintenance

Less

Durability

Durable

Water Resistant

✔ ✘

Scratch Resistant

✔ ✘

Stain Resistant

✔ ✘

Wind Resistant

✔ ✘

Acid Resistant

✔ ✘

Appearance

Dull and Soft

Uses

Architecture

Interior Uses

Floor Tiles, Flooring, Homes, Hotels, Kitchens

Floor Tiles, Flooring, Homes, Hotels

Exterior Uses

Garden Decoration, Office Buildings

As Building Stone, Garden Decoration

Other Architectural Uses

Curbing

Industry

Construction Industry

As Dimension Stone, Cobblestones, Rail Track Ballast, Roadstone

Medical Industry

Antiquity Uses

Artifacts, Monuments, Sculpture

Other Uses

Commercial Uses

Cemetery Markers, Creating Artwork

Creating Artwork

Types

Metamorphic rock

Alkaline Basalt, Boninite, High Alumina Basalt, Mid Ocean Ridge Basalt (MORB), Tholeiitic Basalt, Basaltic trachyandesite, Mugearite and Shoshonite

Features

Has High structural resistance against erosion and climate, Very fine grained rock

Archaeological Significance

Monuments

Famous Monuments

Sculpture

Famous Sculptures

Pictographs

Petroglyphs

Figurines

Fossils

Absent

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.

Mugearite forms when lava reaches the Earth's surface near an active volcano. The temperature of lava is between 1100 to 1250° C when it gets to the surface.

Composition

Mineral Content

Olivine, Plagioclase, Pyroxene

Compound Content

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

Transformation

Metamorphism

✔ ✘

Types of Metamorphism

Burial Metamorphism, Cataclastic Metamorphism, Contact Metamorphism, Hydrothermal Metamorphism, Impact Metamorphism, Regional Metamorphism

Burial Metamorphism, Impact Metamorphism

Weathering

✔ ✘

Types of Weathering

Biological Weathering, Chemical Weathering, Mechanical Weathering

Biological Weathering, Chemical Weathering

Erosion

✔ ✘

Types of Erosion

Properties

Physical Properties

Hardness

1 7

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Grain Size

Fracture

Conchoidal

Streak

White to Grey

Porosity

Less Porous

Luster

Compressive Strength

37.50 N/mm²37.50 N/mm²

0.15 450

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Cleavage

Toughness

2.3

Specific Gravity

2.8-32.8-3

0 8.4

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Transparency

Opaque

Density

2.9-3.1 g/cm³2.9-3.1 g/cm³

0 1400

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Thermal Properties

Specific Heat Capacity

0.84 kJ/Kg K0.84 kJ/Kg K

0.14 3.2

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Resistance

Heat Resistant, Pressure Resistant, Wear Resistant

Reserves

Deposits in Eastern Continents

Asia

India, Russia

Africa

South Africa

Europe

Iceland

Others

Deposits in Western Continents

North America

Canada, USA

South America

Brazil

Deposits in Oceania Continent

Australia

All about Variolite and Mugearite Properties

Know all about Variolite and Mugearite properties here. All properties of rocks are important as they define the type of rock and its application. Variolite and Mugearite belong to Igneous Rocks.Texture of Variolite is Glassy, Massive, Porphyritic, Scoriaceous, Vesicular whereas that of Mugearite is Glassy, Massive, Porphyritic, Scoriaceous, Vesicular. Variolite appears Dull and Soft and Mugearite appears Dull and Soft. The luster of Variolite and Mugearite is . Variolite and Mugearite are available in black, brown, light to dark grey colors. The commercial uses of Variolite and Mugearite are cemetery markers, creating artwork.