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Variolite vs Hornblendite


Hornblendite 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  
Hornblendite is a type of igneous plutonic rock consisting mainly of amphibole hornblende and is a type of Amphibolite rock  

History
  
  

Origin
France  
-  

Discoverer
Unknown  
Unknown  

Etymology
From Latin varius, speckled, variegated  
From German, Horn horn + blende  

Class
Igneous Rocks  
Igneous Rocks  

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

Family
  
  

Group
Volcanic  
Plutonic  

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

Texture

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

Color
Black, Brown, Light to Dark Grey  
Black, Brown, Green, Grey  

Maintenance
Less  
Less  

Durability
Durable  
Durable  

Water Resistant
Yes  
Yes  

Scratch Resistant
Yes  
Yes  

Stain Resistant
No  
No  

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, Entryways, Flooring, Homes, Hotels, Interior Decoration, Kitchens  

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

Other Architectural Uses
Curbing  
Curbing  

Industry
  
  

Construction Industry
As Dimension Stone, Cobblestones, Rail Track Ballast, Roadstone  
As Dimension Stone, Building houses or walls, Cobblestones, Construction Aggregate, for Road Aggregate, Landscaping, Production of Glass and Ceramics, Roadstone  

Medical Industry
-  
-  

Antiquity Uses
Artifacts, Monuments, Sculpture  
Artifacts, Sculpture, Small Figurines  

Other Uses
  
  

Commercial Uses
Cemetery Markers, Creating Artwork  
Cemetery Markers, Commemorative Tablets, Creating Artwork  

Types

Types
Metamorphic rock  
Hornblende Gabbro and Hornblende Peridotite  

Features
Has High structural resistance against erosion and climate, Very fine grained rock  
Clasts are smooth to touch, Matrix variable, Surfaces are often shiny  

Archaeological Significance
  
  

Monuments
-  
-  

Famous Monuments
-  
-  

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.  
Hornblendite is a fine-grained, hard rock which is a type of metasomatite, essentially altered basalt. It forms with or without crystallization, either below the surface as intrusive rocks or on the surface as extrusive rocks.  

Composition
  
  

Mineral Content
Olivine, Plagioclase, Pyroxene  
Amphibole, Calcite, Hornblade, Magnetite, Plagioclase, Wollastonite  

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  

Transformation
  
  

Metamorphism
Yes  
No  

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

Weathering
Yes  
Yes  

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

Erosion
No  
Yes  

Types of Erosion
-  
Chemical Erosion, Water Erosion, Wind Erosion  

Properties

Physical Properties
  
  

Hardness
6  
6-7  

Grain Size
-  
Medium to Coarse Grained  

Fracture
Conchoidal  
Irregular to Conchoidal  

Streak
White to Grey  
White to Grey  

Porosity
Less Porous  
Less Porous  

Luster
-  
Vitreous to Dull  

Compressive Strength
37.50 N/mm2  
99+
250.00 N/mm2  
5

Cleavage
-  
-  

Toughness
2.3  
2.3  

Specific Gravity
2.8-3  
2.5  

Transparency
Opaque  
Opaque  

Density
2.9-3.1 g/cm3  
2.85-3.07 g/cm3  

Thermal Properties
  
  

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

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

Reserves

Deposits in Eastern Continents
  
  

Asia
India, Russia  
Russia, Turkey  

Africa
South Africa  
Burundi, Djibouti, Eritrea, Ethiopia, Kenya, Madagascar, Rwanda, Somalia, South Africa, Sudan, Tanzania, Uganda  

Europe
Iceland  
Germany, Greece, Iceland, Norway, Poland  

Others
-  
-  

Deposits in Western Continents
  
  

North America
Canada, USA  
Canada, USA  

South America
Brazil  
Brazil  

Deposits in Oceania Continent
  
  

Australia
-  
South Australia, Western Australia  

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Variolite vs Hornblendite 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 Hornblendite 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. Hornblendite is a type of igneous plutonic rock consisting mainly of amphibole hornblende and is a type of Amphibolite rock. 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 Hornblendite information and Variolite vs Hornblendite characteristics in the upcoming sections.

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Variolite vs Hornblendite 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 Hornblendite characteristics assist us to distinguish and recognize rocks. Also you can check about Properties of Variolite and Properties of Hornblendite. Learn more about Variolite vs Hornblendite in the next section. The interior uses of Variolite include Floor tiles, Flooring, Homes, Hotels and Kitchens whereas the interior uses of Hornblendite include Countertops, Decorative aggregates, Entryways, Flooring, Homes, Hotels, Interior decoration and Kitchens. Due to some exceptional properties of Variolite and Hornblendite, 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 Hornblendite include As dimension stone, Building houses or walls, Cobblestones, Construction aggregate, For road aggregate, Landscaping, Production of glass and ceramics, Roadstone.

More about Variolite and Hornblendite

Here you can know more about Variolite and Hornblendite. The life cycle of a rock consists of formation of rock, composition of rock and transformation of rock. The composition of Variolite and Hornblendite consists of mineral content and compound content. The mineral content of Variolite includes Olivine, Plagioclase, Pyroxene and mineral content of Hornblendite includes Amphibole, Calcite, Hornblade, Magnetite, Plagioclase, Wollastonite. You can also check out the list of all Igneous Rocks. When we have to compare Variolite vs Hornblendite, 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, Hornblendite is available in black, brown, green, grey colors. Appearance of Variolite is Dull and Soft and that of Hornblendite is Foliated. Properties of rock is another aspect for Variolite vs Hornblendite. The hardness of Variolite is 6 and that of Hornblendite is 6-7. The types of Variolite are Metamorphic rock whereas types of Hornblendite are Hornblende Gabbro and Hornblende Peridotite. Streak of rock is the color of powder produced when it is dragged across an unweathered surface. The streak of Variolite and Hornblendite is white to grey. The specific heat capacity of Variolite is 0.84 kJ/Kg K and that of Hornblendite is 0.84 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 Hornblendite is heat resistant, pressure resistant, wear resistant.

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