Variolite

Icelandite

Variolite vs Icelandite

Variolite

Icelandite

Add ⊕

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

Icelandite belongs to volcanic igneous rocks which is rich in iron and belongs to andesite rock

History

Origin

France

Iceland

Discoverer

Unknown

Ian S. E. Carmichael

Etymology

From Latin varius, speckled, variegated

From its origin place near Cenozoic volcano near the parsonage Þingmúli in East Iceland

Class

Igneous Rocks

Sub-Class

Durable Rock, Hard Rock

Family

Group

Volcanic

Other Categories

Opaque Rock

Fine Grained Rock, Opaque Rock

Texture

Glassy, Massive, Porphyritic, Scoriaceous, Vesicular

Aphanitic to Porphyritic

Color

Black, Brown, Light to Dark Grey

Bluish - Grey, Grey, Pink, Yellow

Maintenance

Less

Durability

Durable

Water Resistant

✔ ✘

Scratch Resistant

✔ ✘

Stain Resistant

✔ ✘

Wind Resistant

✔ ✘

Acid Resistant

✔ ✘

Appearance

Dull and Soft

Uses

Architecture

Interior Uses

Floor Tiles, Flooring, Homes, Hotels, Kitchens

Decorative Aggregates, Floor Tiles, Homes, Interior Decoration, Kitchens

Exterior Uses

Garden Decoration, Office Buildings

Office Buildings, Roof Tiles

Other Architectural Uses

Curbing

Industry

Construction Industry

As Dimension Stone, Cobblestones, Rail Track Ballast, Roadstone

Cobblestones, Construction Aggregate, for Road Aggregate

Medical Industry

Antiquity Uses

Artifacts, Monuments, Sculpture

Artifacts, Jewellery, Sculpture, Small Figurines

Other Uses

Commercial Uses

Cemetery Markers, Creating Artwork

Types

Metamorphic rock

Intermediate volcanic rock

Features

Has High structural resistance against erosion and climate, Very fine grained rock

Generally rough to touch, High silica content, Is one of the oldest rock

Archaeological Significance

Monuments

Famous Monuments

Sculpture

Famous Sculptures

Pictographs

Petroglyphs

Figurines

Fossils

Absent

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.

Icelandite 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, Apatite, Biotite, Feldspar, Garnet, Hornblade, Ilmenite, Magnetite, Plagioclase, Pyroxene, Quartz, Zircon

Compound Content

Aluminium Oxide, CaO, Iron(III) Oxide, FeO, Potassium Oxide, MgO, MnO, Sodium Oxide, Phosphorus Pentoxide, Silicon Dioxide, Titanium Dioxide

Silicon Dioxide

Transformation

Metamorphism

✔ ✘

Types of Metamorphism

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

Weathering

✔ ✘

Types of Weathering

Biological Weathering, Chemical Weathering, Mechanical Weathering

Biological Weathering

Erosion

✔ ✘

Types of Erosion

Chemical Erosion, Coastal Erosion, Sea Erosion, Water Erosion, Wind Erosion

Properties

Physical Properties

Hardness

1 7

👆🏻

Grain Size

Very fine-grained

Fracture

Conchoidal

Uneven

Streak

White to Grey

White

Porosity

Less Porous

Luster

Vitreous

Compressive Strength

37.50 N/mm²200.00 N/mm²

0.15 450

👆🏻

Cleavage

Toughness

2.3

1.1

Specific Gravity

2.8-32.5-2.8

0 8.4

👆🏻

Transparency

Opaque

Density

2.9-3.1 g/cm³2.11-2.36 g/cm³

0 1400

👆🏻

Thermal Properties

Specific Heat Capacity

0.84 kJ/Kg K2.39 kJ/Kg K

0.14 3.2

👆🏻

Resistance

Heat Resistant, Pressure Resistant, Wear Resistant

Heat Resistant, Pressure Resistant, Scratch Resistant, Wear Resistant

Reserves

Deposits in Eastern Continents

Asia

India, Russia

India, Indonesia, Japan, Nepal, South Korea

Africa

South Africa

Egypt, Ethiopia, Morocco, Namibia, South Africa, Tanzania

Europe

Iceland

Austria, Finland, Germany, Italy, Romania, Turkey, United Kingdom

Others

Deposits in Western Continents

North America

Canada, USA

Mexico, USA

South America

Brazil

Argentina, Bolivia, Chile, Colombia, Ecuador, Peru, Venezuela

Deposits in Oceania Continent

Australia

New South Wales, New Zealand, Western Australia

Variolite vs Icelandite 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 Icelandite 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. Icelandite belongs to volcanic igneous rocks which is rich in iron and belongs to andesite 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 Icelandite information and Variolite vs Icelandite characteristics in the upcoming sections.

Compare Igneous Rocks » More

Variolite vs Rhomb Porphyry

Variolite vs Felsite

Variolite vs Epidosite

» More Compare Igneous Rocks

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

More about Variolite and Icelandite

Here you can know more about Variolite and Icelandite. The life cycle of a rock consists of formation of rock, composition of rock and transformation of rock. The composition of Variolite and Icelandite consists of mineral content and compound content. The mineral content of Variolite includes Olivine, Plagioclase, Pyroxene and mineral content of Icelandite includes Amphibole, Apatite, Biotite, Feldspar, Garnet, Hornblade, Ilmenite, Magnetite, Plagioclase, Pyroxene, Quartz, Zircon. You can also check out the list of all Igneous Rocks. When we have to compare Variolite vs Icelandite, 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, Icelandite is available in bluish - grey, grey, pink, yellow colors. Appearance of Variolite is Dull and Soft and that of Icelandite is Dull and Soft. Properties of rock is another aspect for Variolite vs Icelandite. The hardness of Variolite is 6 and that of Icelandite is 7. The types of Variolite are Metamorphic rock whereas types of Icelandite are Intermediate volcanic rock. 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 Icelandite is white. The specific heat capacity of Variolite is 0.84 kJ/Kg K and that of Icelandite is 2.39 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 Icelandite is heat resistant, pressure resistant, scratch resistant, wear resistant.