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
Charnockite is a variety of granite containing minerals like orthopyroxene, quartz, and feldspar
Origin
France
Tamil Nadu, India
Discoverer
Unknown
T. H. Holland
Etymology
From Latin varius, speckled, variegated
From Job Charnock, an administtrator of East India Company
Class
Igneous Rocks
Igneous Rocks
Sub-Class
Durable Rock, Hard Rock
Durable Rock, Hard Rock
Other Categories
Opaque Rock
Coarse Grained Rock, Opaque Rock
Texture
Glassy, Massive, Porphyritic, Scoriaceous, Vesicular
Granular
Color
Black, Brown, Light to Dark Grey
Black, Grey, Orange, Pink, White
Durability
Durable
Durable
Scratch Resistant
Yes
Yes
Appearance
Dull and Soft
Veined or Pebbled
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, Garden Decoration, Office Buildings, Resorts
Other Architectural Uses
Curbing
Curbing
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
Commercial Uses
Cemetery Markers, Creating Artwork
Curling, Gemstone, Laboratory bench tops, Tombstones
Types
Not Available
Enderbite
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
Famous Monuments
Data Not Available
Data Not Available
Famous Sculptures
Data Not Available
Data Not Available
Pictographs
Used
Not Used
Petroglyphs
Used
Not Used
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.
Charnockite is an intrusive igneous rock which is very hard and is formed due to weathering of existing rocks.
Mineral Content
Olivine, Plagioclase, Pyroxene
Amphibole, Biotite, Feldspar, Hornblade, Micas, Muscovite or Illite, Olivine, Plagioclase, Pyroxene, Quartz
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
Types of Metamorphism
Burial Metamorphism, Cataclastic Metamorphism, Contact Metamorphism, Hydrothermal Metamorphism, Impact Metamorphism, Regional Metamorphism
Burial Metamorphism, Contact Metamorphism, Regional Metamorphism
Types of Weathering
Biological Weathering, Chemical Weathering, Mechanical Weathering
Biological Weathering
Types of Erosion
Not Applicable
Chemical Erosion, Water Erosion, Wind Erosion
Grain Size
Not Applicable
Coarse Grained
Fracture
Conchoidal
Not Available
Streak
White to Grey
White
Porosity
Less Porous
Very Less Porous
Luster
Not Available
Not Available
Compressive Strength
Not Available
Cleavage
Not Available
Not Available
Toughness
2.3
Not Available
Specific Gravity
2.8-3
Not Available
Transparency
Opaque
Opaque
Density
2.9-3.1 g/cm3
2.6 g/cm3
Specific Heat Capacity
Not Available
Resistance
Heat Resistant, Pressure Resistant, Wear Resistant
Heat Resistant, Wear Resistant
Deposits in Eastern Continents
Africa
South Africa
East Africa, Ethiopia, Madagascar, Morocco, Mozambique
Europe
Iceland
Albania, Romania, Scotland, United Kingdom
Others
Not Yet Found
Not Yet Found
Deposits in Western Continents
North America
Canada, USA
USA
South America
Brazil
Brazil, Colombia, Venezuela
Deposits in Oceania Continent
Australia
Not Yet Found
Central Australia, Western Australia
Variolite vs Charnockite 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 Charnockite characteristics assist us to distinguish and recognize rocks. Also you can check about Properties of Variolite and Properties of Charnockite. Learn more about Variolite vs Charnockite in the next section. The interior uses of Variolite include Floor tiles, Flooring, Homes, Hotels and Kitchens whereas the interior uses of Charnockite include Bathrooms, Countertops, Decorative aggregates, Entryways, Floor tiles, Homes, Hotels, Kitchens and Stair treads. Due to some exceptional properties of Variolite and Charnockite, 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 Charnockite include As dimension stone.
More about Variolite and Charnockite
Here you can know more about Variolite and Charnockite. The life cycle of a rock consists of formation of rock, composition of rock and transformation of rock. The composition of Variolite and Charnockite consists of mineral content and compound content. The mineral content of Variolite includes Olivine, Plagioclase, Pyroxene and mineral content of Charnockite includes Amphibole, Biotite, Feldspar, Hornblade, Micas, Muscovite or Illite, Olivine, Plagioclase, Pyroxene, Quartz. You can also check out the list of all Igneous Rocks. When we have to compare Variolite vs Charnockite, 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, Charnockite is available in black, grey, orange, pink, white colors. Appearance of Variolite is Dull and Soft and that of Charnockite is Veined or Pebbled. Properties of rock is another aspect for Variolite vs Charnockite. The hardness of Variolite is 6 and that of Charnockite is 6-7. The types of Variolite are Not Available whereas types of Charnockite are Enderbite. 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 Charnockite is white. The specific heat capacity of Variolite is 0.84 kJ/Kg K and that of Charnockite is Not Available. 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 Charnockite is heat resistant, wear resistant.