Variolite

Andesite

Variolite vs Andesite

Variolite

Andesite

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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

Andesite is a dark, fine-grained, brown or greyish intermediate volcanic rock which is a commonly found in lava

History

Origin

France

North America

Discoverer

Unknown

Theodor von Gümbel

Etymology

From Latin varius, speckled, variegated

From Andes mountains, where it is found in abundance

Class

Igneous Rocks

Sub-Class

Durable Rock, Hard Rock

Family

Group

Volcanic

Other Categories

Opaque Rock

Fine Grained Rock, Opaque Rock

Texture

Glassy, Massive, Porphyritic, Scoriaceous, Vesicular

Aphanitic to Porphyritic

Color

Black, Brown, Light to Dark Grey

Bluish - Grey, Grey, Pink, Yellow

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

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

Exterior Uses

Garden Decoration, Office Buildings

Office Buildings, Roof Tiles

Other Architectural Uses

Curbing

Industry

Construction Industry

As Dimension Stone, Cobblestones, Rail Track Ballast, Roadstone

Cobblestones, Construction Aggregate, for Road Aggregate

Medical Industry

Antiquity Uses

Artifacts, Monuments, Sculpture

Artifacts, Monuments, Sculpture, Small Figurines

Other Uses

Commercial Uses

Cemetery Markers, Creating Artwork

Commemorative Tablets, Creating Artwork

Types

Metamorphic rock

Icelandite

Features

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

Generally rough to touch, High silica content, Is one of the oldest rock

Archaeological Significance

Monuments

Famous Monuments

Middle of the Earth in Ecuador

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.

Andesite is a fine-grained igneous rock that forms when the magma is erupted onto the surface and is crystallized quickly.

Composition

Mineral Content

Olivine, Plagioclase, Pyroxene

Amphibole, Apatite, Biotite, Feldspar, Garnet, Hornblade, Ilmenite, Magnetite, Plagioclase, Pyroxene, Zircon

Compound Content

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

Silicon Dioxide

Transformation

Metamorphism

✔ ✘

Types of Metamorphism

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

Weathering

✔ ✘

Types of Weathering

Biological Weathering, Chemical Weathering, Mechanical Weathering

Erosion

✔ ✘

Types of Erosion

Chemical Erosion, Coastal Erosion, Glacier Erosion

Properties

Physical Properties

Hardness

1 7

👆🏻

Grain Size

Very fine-grained

Fracture

Conchoidal

Uneven

Streak

White to Grey

White

Porosity

Less Porous

Luster

Vitreous

Compressive Strength

37.50 N/mm²225.00 N/mm²

0.15 450

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Cleavage

Toughness

2.3

1.1

Specific Gravity

2.8-32.5-2.8

0 8.4

👆🏻

Transparency

Opaque

Density

2.9-3.1 g/cm³2.11-2.36 g/cm³

0 1400

👆🏻

Thermal Properties

Specific Heat Capacity

0.84 kJ/Kg K2.39 kJ/Kg K

0.14 3.2

👆🏻

Resistance

Heat Resistant, Pressure Resistant, Wear Resistant

Reserves

Deposits in Eastern Continents

Asia

India, Russia

India, Indonesia, Japan, Nepal, South Korea

Africa

South Africa

Egypt, Ethiopia, Morocco, Namibia, South Africa, Tanzania

Europe

Iceland

Austria, Finland, Germany, Italy, Romania, Turkey, United Kingdom

Others

Deposits in Western Continents

North America

Canada, USA

Mexico, USA

South America

Brazil

Argentina, Bolivia, Chile, Colombia, Ecuador, Peru, Venezuela

Deposits in Oceania Continent

Australia

New South Wales, New Zealand, Western Australia

Variolite vs Andesite Information

Earth’s outer layer is covered by rocks and these rocks have different physical and chemical properties. As two rocks are not same, it’s fun to compare them. You can also know more about Variolite and Andesite Reserves. 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. Andesite is a dark, fine-grained, brown or greyish intermediate volcanic rock which is a commonly found in lava. These rocks are composed of many distinct minerals. The process of formation of rocks is different for various rocks. Rocks are quarried from many years for various purposes. You can check out Variolite vs Andesite information and Variolite vs Andesite characteristics in the upcoming sections.

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Variolite vs Andesite Characteristics

Though some rocks look identical, they have certain characteristics which distinguish them from others. Characteristics of rocks include texture, appearance, color, fracture, streak, hardness etc. Variolite vs Andesite characteristics assist us to distinguish and recognize rocks. Also you can check about Properties of Variolite and Properties of Andesite. Learn more about Variolite vs Andesite in the next section. The interior uses of Variolite include Floor tiles, Flooring, Homes, Hotels and Kitchens whereas the interior uses of Andesite include Decorative aggregates, Floor tiles, Homes, Interior decoration and Kitchens. Due to some exceptional properties of Variolite and Andesite, they have various applications in construction industry. The uses of Variolite in construction industry include As dimension stone, Cobblestones, Rail track ballast, Roadstone and that of Andesite include Cobblestones, Construction aggregate, For road aggregate.

More about Variolite and Andesite

Here you can know more about Variolite and Andesite. The life cycle of a rock consists of formation of rock, composition of rock and transformation of rock. The composition of Variolite and Andesite consists of mineral content and compound content. The mineral content of Variolite includes Olivine, Plagioclase, Pyroxene and mineral content of Andesite includes Amphibole, Apatite, Biotite, Feldspar, Garnet, Hornblade, Ilmenite, Magnetite, Plagioclase, Pyroxene, Zircon. You can also check out the list of all Igneous Rocks. When we have to compare Variolite vs Andesite, the texture, color and appearance plays an important role in determining the type of rock. Variolite is available in black, brown, light to dark grey colors whereas, Andesite is available in bluish - grey, grey, pink, yellow colors. Appearance of Variolite is Dull and Soft and that of Andesite is Dull and Soft. Properties of rock is another aspect for Variolite vs Andesite. The hardness of Variolite is 6 and that of Andesite is 7. The types of Variolite are Metamorphic rock whereas types of Andesite are Icelandite. Streak of rock is the color of powder produced when it is dragged across an unweathered surface. The streak of Variolite is white to grey while that of Andesite is white. The specific heat capacity of Variolite is 0.84 kJ/Kg K and that of Andesite is 2.39 kJ/Kg K. Depending on the properties like hardness, toughness, specific heat capacity, porosity etc., rocks are resistant to heat, wear, impact, etc.Variolite is heat resistant, pressure resistant, wear resistant whereas Andesite is heat resistant, pressure resistant, wear resistant.