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
Granulite is fine to medium grained metamorphic rock with a granular of polygonal crystals.
Origin
France
Central Europe
Discoverer
Unknown
Unknown
Etymology
From Latin varius, speckled, variegated
From Latin granulum, a little grain or fine grained
Class
Igneous Rocks
Metamorphic Rocks
Sub-Class
Durable Rock, Hard Rock
Durable Rock, Hard Rock
Group
Volcanic
Not Applicable
Other Categories
Opaque Rock
Coarse Grained Rock, Medium Grained Rock, Opaque Rock
Texture
Glassy, Massive, Porphyritic, Scoriaceous, Vesicular
Granoblastic
Color
Black, Brown, Light to Dark Grey
Black, Brown
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, Flooring, Homes, Hotels, Interior Decoration, Kitchens, Stair Treads
Exterior Uses
Garden Decoration, Office Buildings
As Building Stone, As Facing Stone, Garden Decoration, Office Buildings, Paving Stone
Other Architectural Uses
Curbing
Curbing
Construction Industry
As Dimension Stone, Cobblestones, Rail Track Ballast, Roadstone
As Dimension Stone, Building houses or walls
Medical Industry
Not Yet Used
Not Yet Used
Antiquity Uses
Artifacts, Monuments, Sculpture
Artifacts, Monuments, Sculpture
Commercial Uses
Cemetery Markers, Creating Artwork
Curling, Gemstone, Laboratory bench tops, Soil Conditioner, Tombstones
Types
Not Available
Not Available
Features
Has High structural resistance against erosion and climate, Very fine grained rock
Clasts are smooth to touch
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.
Granulite is a fine-grained granular metamorphic rock in which the main component minerals are feldspars and quartz and forms at high temperature and pressure conditions.
Mineral Content
Olivine, Plagioclase, Pyroxene
Amphibole, Biotite, Feldspar, Hornblade, Micas, Muscovite or Illite, Plagioclase, 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, Carbon Dioxide, Iron(III) Oxide, FeO, Potassium Oxide, MgO, MnO, Sodium Oxide, Phosphorus Pentoxide, Sulfur Dioxide, Titanium Dioxide
Types of Metamorphism
Burial Metamorphism, Cataclastic Metamorphism, Contact Metamorphism, Hydrothermal Metamorphism, Impact Metamorphism, Regional Metamorphism
Not Applicable
Types of Weathering
Biological Weathering, Chemical Weathering, Mechanical Weathering
Biological Weathering, Chemical Weathering
Types of Erosion
Not Applicable
Chemical Erosion, Water Erosion, Wind Erosion
Grain Size
Not Applicable
Medium to Coarse Grained
Fracture
Conchoidal
Not Available
Streak
White to Grey
White
Porosity
Less Porous
Very Less Porous
Luster
Not Available
Vitreous
Cleavage
Not Available
Imperfect
Toughness
2.3
Not Available
Specific Gravity
2.8-3
2.8-3.0
Transparency
Opaque
Opaque
Density
2.9-3.1 g/cm3
3.06-3.33 g/cm3
Resistance
Heat Resistant, Pressure Resistant, Wear Resistant
Heat Resistant, Wear Resistant
Deposits in Eastern Continents
Asia
India, Russia
China, India, Iran, Saudi Arabia, Sri Lanka, Taiwan, Thailand, Turkey, Vietnam
Africa
South Africa
Angola, Egypt, Madagascar, Nigeria, South Africa
Europe
Iceland
Austria, Belgium, Finland, France, Germany, Italy, Norway, Sardinia, Spain, Switzerland, The Czech Republic, Venezuela
Others
Not Yet Found
Not Yet Found
Deposits in Western Continents
North America
Canada, USA
Canada, USA
South America
Brazil
Not Yet Found
Deposits in Oceania Continent
Australia
Not Yet Found
Not Yet Found
Variolite vs Granulite 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 Granulite characteristics assist us to distinguish and recognize rocks. Also you can check about Properties of Variolite and Properties of Granulite. Learn more about Variolite vs Granulite in the next section. The interior uses of Variolite include Floor tiles, Flooring, Homes, Hotels and Kitchens whereas the interior uses of Granulite include Bathrooms, Countertops, Decorative aggregates, Entryways, Flooring, Homes, Hotels, Interior decoration, Kitchens and Stair treads. Due to some exceptional properties of Variolite and Granulite, 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 Granulite include As dimension stone, Building houses or walls.
More about Variolite and Granulite
Here you can know more about Variolite and Granulite. The life cycle of a rock consists of formation of rock, composition of rock and transformation of rock. The composition of Variolite and Granulite consists of mineral content and compound content. The mineral content of Variolite includes Olivine, Plagioclase, Pyroxene and mineral content of Granulite includes Amphibole, Biotite, Feldspar, Hornblade, Micas, Muscovite or Illite, Plagioclase, Quartz. You can also check out the list of all Igneous Rocks. When we have to compare Variolite vs Granulite, 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, Granulite is available in black, brown colors. Appearance of Variolite is Dull and Soft and that of Granulite is Veined or Pebbled. Properties of rock is another aspect for Variolite vs Granulite. The hardness of Variolite is 6 and that of Granulite is 6-7. The types of Variolite are Not Available whereas types of Granulite are Not Available. 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 Granulite is white. The specific heat capacity of Variolite is 0.84 kJ/Kg K and that of Granulite is 0.14 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 Granulite is heat resistant, wear resistant.