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Variolite vs Gneiss


Gneiss 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  
Gneiss is a common and widely distributed type of rock formed by high-grade regional metamorphic processes from pre-existing formations that were originally either igneous or sedimentary rocks  

History
  
  

Origin
France  
-  

Discoverer
Unknown  
Unknown  

Etymology
From Latin varius, speckled, variegated  
From the Middle High German verb gneist (to spark; so called because the rock glitters)  

Class
Igneous Rocks  
Metamorphic Rocks  

Sub-Class
Durable Rock, Hard Rock  
Durable Rock, Hard Rock  

Family
  
  

Group
Volcanic  
-  

Other Categories
Opaque Rock  
Coarse Grained Rock, Medium Grained Rock, Opaque Rock  

Texture

Texture
Glassy, Massive, Porphyritic, Scoriaceous, Vesicular  
Banded, Foliated, Platy  

Color
Black, Brown, Light to Dark Grey  
Black, Brown, Pink, Red, White  

Maintenance
Less  
More  

Durability
Durable  
Durable  

Water Resistant
Yes  
Yes  

Scratch Resistant
Yes  
Yes  

Stain Resistant
No  
Yes  

Wind Resistant
No  
Yes  

Acid Resistant
Yes  
No  

Appearance
Dull and Soft  
Foliated  

Uses

Architecture
  
  

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

Exterior Uses
Garden Decoration, Office Buildings  
As Building Stone, As Facing Stone, Garden Decoration, Paving Stone  

Other Architectural Uses
Curbing  
Curbing  

Industry
  
  

Construction Industry
As Dimension Stone, Cobblestones, Rail Track Ballast, Roadstone  
As Dimension Stone  

Medical Industry
-  
-  

Antiquity Uses
Artifacts, Monuments, Sculpture  
Artifacts  

Other Uses
  
  

Commercial Uses
Cemetery Markers, Creating Artwork  
Cemetery Markers, Jewelry, Tombstones, Used in aquariums  

Types

Types
Metamorphic rock  
Augen Gneiss, Henderson Gneiss, Lewisian Gneiss, Archean and Proterozoic Gneiss.  

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

Archaeological Significance
  
  

Monuments
-  
-  

Famous Monuments
-  
Konark Sun Temple in India, Washington Monument, US  

Sculpture
-  
-  

Famous Sculptures
-  
-  

Pictographs
-  
-  

Petroglyphs
-  
-  

Figurines
-  
-  

Fossils
Absent  
Absent  

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.  
Gneiss is a high grade metamorphic rock i.e. it has been subjected to higher temperatures and pressures than schist. It is formed by the metamorphosis of Gneiss forms from volcanic rock, shale or granitie.   

Composition
  
  

Mineral Content
Olivine, Plagioclase, Pyroxene  
Biotite, Chlorite, Feldspar, Garnet, Graphite, Hornblade, Micas, Muscovite or Illite, Quartz, Quartzite, Silica, Zircon  

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

Transformation
  
  

Metamorphism
Yes  
Yes  

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

Weathering
Yes  
Yes  

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

Erosion
No  
Yes  

Types of Erosion
-  
Chemical Erosion, Coastal Erosion, Sea Erosion  

Properties

Physical Properties
  
  

Hardness
6  
7  

Grain Size
-  
Medium to Coarse Grained  

Fracture
Conchoidal  
Irregular  

Streak
White to Grey  
White  

Porosity
Less Porous  
Very Less Porous  

Luster
-  
Dull  

Compressive Strength
37.50 N/mm2  
99+
125.00 N/mm2  
25

Cleavage
-  
-  

Toughness
2.3  
1.2  

Specific Gravity
2.8-3  
2.5-2.7  

Transparency
Opaque  
Translucent to Opaque  

Density
2.9-3.1 g/cm3  
2.6-2.9 g/cm3  

Thermal Properties
  
  

Specific Heat Capacity
0.84 kJ/Kg K  
15
0.70 kJ/Kg K  
24

Resistance
Heat Resistant, Pressure Resistant, Wear Resistant  
Heat Resistant, Pressure Resistant, Scratch Resistant, Wear Resistant  

Reserves

Deposits in Eastern Continents
  
  

Asia
India, Russia  
China, India, Iran, Iraq, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Mongolia, Russia  

Africa
South Africa  
Cameroon, Ethiopia, Ghana, Kenya, Madagascar, Morocco, Mozambique, Namibia, Nigeria, Tanzania, Togo  

Europe
Iceland  
Albania, Austria, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Finland, France, Georgia, Germany, Hungary, Italy, Kosovo, Monaco, Norway, Poland, Romania, Serbia, Slovakia, Slovenia, Switzerland, Ukraine, United Kingdom  

Others
-  
-  

Deposits in Western Continents
  
  

North America
Canada, USA  
Canada, Costa Rica, Cuba, Mexico, Panama, USA  

South America
Brazil  
Argentina, Bolivia, Brazil, Chile, Colombia, Ecuador, Peru, Venezuela  

Deposits in Oceania Continent
  
  

Australia
-  
New South Wales, New Zealand, Queensland, Victoria  

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Variolite vs Gneiss 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 Gneiss 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. Gneiss is a common and widely distributed type of rock formed by high-grade regional metamorphic processes from pre-existing formations that were originally either igneous or sedimentary rocks. 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 Gneiss information and Variolite vs Gneiss characteristics in the upcoming sections.

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Variolite vs Gneiss 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 Gneiss characteristics assist us to distinguish and recognize rocks. Also you can check about Properties of Variolite and Properties of Gneiss. Learn more about Variolite vs Gneiss in the next section. The interior uses of Variolite include Floor tiles, Flooring, Homes, Hotels and Kitchens whereas the interior uses of Gneiss include Countertops, Decorative aggregates, Flooring and Interior decoration. Due to some exceptional properties of Variolite and Gneiss, 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 Gneiss include As dimension stone.

More about Variolite and Gneiss

Here you can know more about Variolite and Gneiss. The life cycle of a rock consists of formation of rock, composition of rock and transformation of rock. The composition of Variolite and Gneiss consists of mineral content and compound content. The mineral content of Variolite includes Olivine, Plagioclase, Pyroxene and mineral content of Gneiss includes Biotite, Chlorite, Feldspar, Garnet, Graphite, Hornblade, Micas, Muscovite or Illite, Quartz, Quartzite, Silica, Zircon. You can also check out the list of all Igneous Rocks. When we have to compare Variolite vs Gneiss, 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, Gneiss is available in black, brown, pink, red, white colors. Appearance of Variolite is Dull and Soft and that of Gneiss is Foliated. Properties of rock is another aspect for Variolite vs Gneiss. The hardness of Variolite is 6 and that of Gneiss is 7. The types of Variolite are Metamorphic rock whereas types of Gneiss are Augen Gneiss, Henderson Gneiss, Lewisian Gneiss, Archean and Proterozoic Gneiss.. 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 Gneiss is white. The specific heat capacity of Variolite is 0.84 kJ/Kg K and that of Gneiss is 0.70 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 Gneiss is heat resistant, pressure resistant, scratch resistant, wear resistant.

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