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
Carbonatite is intrusive or extrusive igneous rock which is defined by mineralogic composition, consisting of greater than 50 percent carbonate minerals
Discoverer
Unknown
Unknown
Etymology
From Latin varius, speckled, variegated
From any intrusive igneous rock, having a majority of carbonate minerals
Class
Igneous Rocks
Igneous Rocks
Sub-Class
Durable Rock, Hard Rock
Durable Rock, Soft Rock
Other Categories
Opaque Rock
Coarse Grained Rock, Fine Grained Rock, Medium Grained Rock, Opaque Rock
Texture
Glassy, Massive, Porphyritic, Scoriaceous, Vesicular
Granular, Poikiloblastic
Color
Black, Brown, Light to Dark Grey
Black, Brown, Green, Grey, Pink, White
Durability
Durable
Durable
Appearance
Dull and Soft
Dull, Banded and Foilated
Interior Uses
Floor Tiles, Flooring, Homes, Hotels, Kitchens
Decorative Aggregates, Interior Decoration
Exterior Uses
Garden Decoration, Office Buildings
As Facing Stone, Garden Decoration
Other Architectural Uses
Curbing
Curbing
Construction Industry
As Dimension Stone, Cobblestones, Rail Track Ballast, Roadstone
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
Medical Industry
-
Taken as a Supplement for Calcium or Magnesium
Antiquity Uses
Artifacts, Monuments, Sculpture
Artifacts
Commercial Uses
Cemetery Markers, Creating Artwork
An Oil and Gas Reservoir, As a Feed Additive for Livestock, Gemstone, Metallurgical Flux
Types
Metamorphic rock
Carbonatite
Features
Has High structural resistance against erosion and climate, Very fine grained rock
Available in lots of colors, Generally rough to touch, Is one of the oldest rock
Archaeological Significance
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.
Carbonatites are intrusive or extrusive igneous rocks which are defined by mineralogic composition consisting of greater than 50 percent carbonate minerals and are formed due to low degrees of partial melting of rocks.
Mineral Content
Olivine, Plagioclase, Pyroxene
Ancylite, Apatite, Barite, Fluorite, Magnetite, Natrolite, Sodalite
Compound Content
Aluminium Oxide, CaO, Iron(III) Oxide, FeO, Potassium Oxide, MgO, MnO, Sodium Oxide, Phosphorus Pentoxide, Silicon Dioxide, Titanium Dioxide
CaO, Carbon Dioxide, Sodium Oxide
Types of Metamorphism
Burial Metamorphism, Cataclastic Metamorphism, Contact Metamorphism, Hydrothermal Metamorphism, Impact Metamorphism, Regional Metamorphism
Burial Metamorphism, Contact Metamorphism
Types of Weathering
Biological Weathering, Chemical Weathering, Mechanical Weathering
Biological Weathering, Chemical Weathering, Mechanical Weathering
Types of Erosion
-
Chemical Erosion, Wind Erosion
Grain Size
-
Medium to Fine Coarse Grained
Fracture
Conchoidal
Conchoidal
Streak
White to Grey
White
Porosity
Less Porous
Less Porous
Luster
-
Subvitreous to Dull
Specific Gravity
2.8-3
2.86-2.87
Transparency
Opaque
Opaque
Density
2.9-3.1 g/cm3
2.84-2.86 g/cm3
Resistance
Heat Resistant, Pressure Resistant, Wear Resistant
Heat Resistant, Pressure Resistant, Water Resistant
Deposits in Eastern Continents
Asia
India, Russia
China, India, Kazakhstan, Mongolia, Russia, Uzbekistan
Africa
South Africa
Namibia, Nigeria, South Africa
Europe
Iceland
Austria, Denmark, Germany, Great Britain, Netherlands, Norway, Poland, Sweden, Switzerland, United Kingdom
Deposits in Western Continents
North America
Canada, USA
Canada, USA
South America
Brazil
Brazil
Deposits in Oceania Continent
Australia
-
New South Wales, New Zealand
Variolite vs Carbonatite 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 Carbonatite characteristics assist us to distinguish and recognize rocks. Also you can check about Properties of Variolite and Properties of Carbonatite. Learn more about Variolite vs Carbonatite in the next section. The interior uses of Variolite include Floor tiles, Flooring, Homes, Hotels and Kitchens whereas the interior uses of Carbonatite include Decorative aggregates and Interior decoration. Due to some exceptional properties of Variolite and Carbonatite, 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 Carbonatite include 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.
More about Variolite and Carbonatite
Here you can know more about Variolite and Carbonatite. The life cycle of a rock consists of formation of rock, composition of rock and transformation of rock. The composition of Variolite and Carbonatite consists of mineral content and compound content. The mineral content of Variolite includes Olivine, Plagioclase, Pyroxene and mineral content of Carbonatite includes Ancylite, Apatite, Barite, Fluorite, Magnetite, Natrolite, Sodalite. You can also check out the list of all Igneous Rocks. When we have to compare Variolite vs Carbonatite, 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, Carbonatite is available in black, brown, green, grey, pink, white colors. Appearance of Variolite is Dull and Soft and that of Carbonatite is Dull, Banded and Foilated. Properties of rock is another aspect for Variolite vs Carbonatite. The hardness of Variolite is 6 and that of Carbonatite is 3. The types of Variolite are Metamorphic rock whereas types of Carbonatite are Carbonatite. 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 Carbonatite is white. The specific heat capacity of Variolite is 0.84 kJ/Kg K and that of Carbonatite is 0.51 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 Carbonatite is heat resistant, pressure resistant, water resistant.