Home
Compare Rocks


Variolite vs Banded iron formation


Banded iron formation vs 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   
Banded iron formation are distinctive units of sedimentary rock that are almost always of Precambrian age   

History
  
  

Origin
France   
Western Australia, Minnesota   

Discoverer
Unknown   
Unknown   

Etymology
From Latin varius, speckled, variegated   
From its formation process   

Class
Igneous Rocks   
Sedimentary Rocks   

Sub-Class
Durable Rock, Hard Rock   
Durable Rock, Medium Hardness Rock   

Family
  
  

Group
Volcanic   
Not Applicable   

Other Categories
Opaque Rock   
Coarse Grained Rock, Opaque Rock   

Texture

Texture
Glassy, Massive, Porphyritic, Scoriaceous, Vesicular   
Banded, Trellis   

Color
Black, Brown, Light to Dark Grey   
Red, Reddish Brown   

Maintenance
Less   
Less   

Durability
Durable   
Durable   

Water Resistant
Yes   
No   

Scratch Resistant
Yes   
Yes   

Stain Resistant
No   
Yes   

Wind Resistant
No   
No   

Acid Resistant
Yes   
No   

Appearance
Dull and Soft   
Layered, Banded, Veined and Shiny   

Uses

Architecture
  
  

Interior Uses
Floor Tiles, Flooring, Homes, Hotels, Kitchens   
Decorative Aggregates, Homes   

Exterior Uses
Garden Decoration, Office Buildings   
Paving Stone, Office Buildings   

Other Architectural Uses
Curbing   
Curbing, Whetstones   

Industry
  
  

Construction Industry
As Dimension Stone, Cobblestones, Rail Track Ballast, Roadstone   
As Dimension Stone, Used for flooring, stair treads, borders and window sills.   

Medical Industry
Not Yet Used   
Not Yet Used   

Antiquity Uses
Artifacts, Monuments, Sculpture   
Artifacts   

Other Uses
  
  

Commercial Uses
Cemetery Markers, Creating Artwork   
As a touchstone, Cemetery Markers, Creating Artwork   

Types

Types
Not Available   
Algoma-type , Lake Superior-type, Superior-type and Taconite   

Features
Has High structural resistance against erosion and climate, Very fine grained rock   
Is one of the oldest rock   

Archaeological Significance
  
  

Monuments
Used   
Not Yet Used   

Famous Monuments
Data Not Available   
Not Applicable   

Sculpture
Used   
Not Yet Used   

Famous Sculptures
Data Not Available   
Not Applicable   

Pictographs
Used   
Not Used   

Petroglyphs
Used   
Not Used   

Figurines
Used   
Not Yet Used   

Fossils
Absent   
Present   

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.   
The banded iron layers are formed in sea water when oxygen is released by photosynthetic cyano-bacteria. The oxygen then combines with dissolved iron in ocean to form insoluble iron oxides, which precipitated out, forming a thin layer of banded iron formation on ocean floor.   

Composition
  
  

Mineral Content
Olivine, Plagioclase, Pyroxene   
Hematite, Magnetite, Quartz   

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

Transformation
  
  

Metamorphism
Yes   
No   

Types of Metamorphism
Burial Metamorphism, Cataclastic Metamorphism, Contact Metamorphism, Hydrothermal Metamorphism, Impact Metamorphism, Regional Metamorphism   
Not Applicable   

Weathering
Yes   
Yes   

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

Erosion
No   
Yes   

Types of Erosion
Not Applicable   
Coastal Erosion, Wind Erosion   

Properties

Physical Properties
  
  

Hardness
6   
5.5-6   

Grain Size
Not Applicable   
Large and Coarse Grained   

Fracture
Conchoidal   
Uneven, Splintery or Conchoidal   

Streak
White to Grey   
White   

Porosity
Less Porous   
Highly Porous   

Luster
Not Available   
Earthy   

Compressive Strength
37.50 N/mm2   
27
Not Available   

Cleavage
Not Available   
Imperfect   

Toughness
2.3   
1.5   

Specific Gravity
2.8-3   
5.0-5.3   

Transparency
Opaque   
Translucent to Opaque   

Density
2.9-3.1 g/cm3   
Not Available   

Thermal Properties
  
  

Specific Heat Capacity
0.84 kJ/Kg K   
15
3.20 kJ/Kg K   
1

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

Reserves

Deposits in Eastern Continents
  
  

Asia
India, Russia   
China, India, Iran, Iraq, Oman, Russia, Saudi Arabia, Taiwan, Thailand, Vietnam   

Africa
South Africa   
Kenya, Morocco, South Africa, Tanzania   

Europe
Iceland   
Austria, France, Greece, Italy, Malta, Poland, Portugal, Serbia, Spain, Sweden, United Kingdom   

Others
Not Yet Found   
Greenland, Mid-Atlantic Ridge   

Deposits in Western Continents
  
  

North America
Canada, USA   
Canada, Mexico, USA   

South America
Brazil   
Bolivia, Brazil   

Deposits in Oceania Continent
  
  

Australia
Not Yet Found   
New South Wales, Queensland, South Australia, Western Australia   

Definition >>
<< All

Variolite vs Banded iron formation 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 Banded iron formation 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. Banded iron formation are distinctive units of sedimentary rock that are almost always of Precambrian age. 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 Banded iron formation information and Variolite vs Banded iron formation characteristics in the upcoming sections.

Compare Igneous Rocks

Variolite vs Banded iron formation 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 Banded iron formation characteristics assist us to distinguish and recognize rocks. Also you can check about Properties of Variolite and Properties of Banded iron formation. Learn more about Variolite vs Banded iron formation in the next section. The interior uses of Variolite include Floor tiles, Flooring, Homes, Hotels and Kitchens whereas the interior uses of Banded iron formation include Decorative aggregates and Homes. Due to some exceptional properties of Variolite and Banded iron formation, 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 Banded iron formation include As dimension stone, Used for flooring, stair treads, borders and window sills..

More about Variolite and Banded iron formation

Here you can know more about Variolite and Banded iron formation. The life cycle of a rock consists of formation of rock, composition of rock and transformation of rock. The composition of Variolite and Banded iron formation consists of mineral content and compound content. The mineral content of Variolite includes Olivine, Plagioclase, Pyroxene and mineral content of Banded iron formation includes Hematite, Magnetite, Quartz. You can also check out the list of all Igneous Rocks. When we have to compare Variolite vs Banded iron formation, 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, Banded iron formation is available in red, reddish brown colors. Appearance of Variolite is Dull and Soft and that of Banded iron formation is Layered, Banded, Veined and Shiny. Properties of rock is another aspect for Variolite vs Banded iron formation. The hardness of Variolite is 6 and that of Banded iron formation is 5.5-6. The types of Variolite are Not Available whereas types of Banded iron formation are Algoma-type , Lake Superior-type, Superior-type and Taconite. 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 Banded iron formation is white. The specific heat capacity of Variolite is 0.84 kJ/Kg K and that of Banded iron formation is 3.20 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 Banded iron formation is heat resistant, impact resistant, pressure resistant, wear resistant.

Igneous Rocks

Igneous Rocks

» More Igneous Rocks

Compare Igneous Rocks

» More Compare Igneous Rocks