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Variolite vs Kenyte


Kenyte 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  
Kenyte is a variety of porphyritic phonolite or trachyte rock with rhomb shaped phenocrysts of anorthoclase with variable olivine and augite in a glassy matrix  

History
  
  

Origin
France  
Mount Kenya  

Discoverer
Unknown  
J. W. Gregory  

Etymology
From Latin varius, speckled, variegated  
From the mountain ranges- Mount Kenya and is named by J. W. Gregory in 1900  

Class
Igneous Rocks  
Igneous Rocks  

Sub-Class
Durable Rock, Hard Rock  
Durable Rock, Medium Hardness Rock  

Family
  
  

Group
Volcanic  
-  

Other Categories
Opaque Rock  
Fine Grained Rock, Opaque Rock  

Texture

Texture
Glassy, Massive, Porphyritic, Scoriaceous, Vesicular  
Glassy, Granular  

Color
Black, Brown, Light to Dark Grey  
Brown, Buff, Cream, Green, Grey, Pink, White  

Maintenance
Less  
More  

Durability
Durable  
Durable  

Water Resistant
Yes  
Yes  

Scratch Resistant
Yes  
Yes  

Stain Resistant
No  
No  

Wind Resistant
No  
No  

Acid Resistant
Yes  
No  

Appearance
Dull and Soft  
Banded and Foilated  

Uses

Architecture
  
  

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

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

Other Architectural Uses
Curbing  
Curbing  

Industry
  
  

Construction Industry
As Dimension Stone, Cobblestones, Rail Track Ballast, Roadstone  
As Dimension Stone, Cement Manufacture, Construction Aggregate, for Road Aggregate, Landscaping, Making natural cement, Manufacture of Magnesium and Dolomite Refractories, Production of Glass and Ceramics  

Medical Industry
-  
-  

Antiquity Uses
Artifacts, Monuments, Sculpture  
Artifacts, Monuments, Sculpture  

Other Uses
  
  

Commercial Uses
Cemetery Markers, Creating Artwork  
Cemetery Markers, Creating Artwork  

Types

Types
Metamorphic rock  
Foidolite  

Features
Has High structural resistance against erosion and climate, Very fine grained rock  
Application of acids on the surface causes cloudy frosting, Available in Lots of Colors and Patterns, Dissolves in hydrochloric acid, Is one of the oldest rock  

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.  
Kenyte 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  
Albite, Amphibole, Biotite, Cancrinite, Feldspar, Hornblende, Plagioclase, Pyroxene, Sodalite  

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  
Yes  

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

Weathering
Yes  
Yes  

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

Erosion
No  
Yes  

Types of Erosion
-  
Chemical Erosion, Coastal Erosion  

Properties

Physical Properties
  
  

Hardness
6  
5.5-6  

Grain Size
-  
Fine Grained  

Fracture
Conchoidal  
Conchoidal to Uneven  

Streak
White to Grey  
White, Greenish White or Grey  

Porosity
Less Porous  
Highly Porous  

Luster
-  
Greasy to Dull  

Compressive Strength
37.50 N/mm2  
99+
150.00 N/mm2  
22

Cleavage
-  
-  

Toughness
2.3  
-  

Specific Gravity
2.8-3  
2.6  

Transparency
Opaque  
Translucent to Opaque  

Density
2.9-3.1 g/cm3  
2.6 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, Impact Resistant, Wear Resistant  

Reserves

Deposits in Eastern Continents
  
  

Asia
India, Russia  
Indonesia, Iran, Russia, Saudi Arabia, Sri Lanka, Taiwan, Thailand, Turkey, Turkmenistan, Vietnam  

Africa
South Africa  
Angola, Egypt, Madagascar, Namibia, Nigeria, South Africa  

Europe
Iceland  
Andorra, Finland, France, Germany, Great Britain, Italy, Norway, Portugal, Spain, Sweden  

Others
-  
Greenland  

Deposits in Western Continents
  
  

North America
Canada, USA  
Canada, USA  

South America
Brazil  
Brazil, Chile, Colombia, Uruguay, Venezuela  

Deposits in Oceania Continent
  
  

Australia
-  
New Zealand, Queensland, South Australia, Tasmania, Western Australia  

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Variolite vs Kenyte 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 Kenyte 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. Kenyte is a variety of porphyritic phonolite or trachyte rock with rhomb shaped phenocrysts of anorthoclase with variable olivine and augite in a glassy matrix. 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 Kenyte information and Variolite vs Kenyte characteristics in the upcoming sections.

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Variolite vs Kenyte 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 Kenyte characteristics assist us to distinguish and recognize rocks. Also you can check about Properties of Variolite and Properties of Kenyte. Learn more about Variolite vs Kenyte in the next section. The interior uses of Variolite include Floor tiles, Flooring, Homes, Hotels and Kitchens whereas the interior uses of Kenyte include Decorative aggregates, Entryways, Homes, Interior decoration and Kitchens. Due to some exceptional properties of Variolite and Kenyte, 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 Kenyte include As dimension stone, Cement manufacture, Construction aggregate, For road aggregate, Landscaping, Making natural cement, Manufacture of magnesium and dolomite refractories, Production of glass and ceramics.

More about Variolite and Kenyte

Here you can know more about Variolite and Kenyte. The life cycle of a rock consists of formation of rock, composition of rock and transformation of rock. The composition of Variolite and Kenyte consists of mineral content and compound content. The mineral content of Variolite includes Olivine, Plagioclase, Pyroxene and mineral content of Kenyte includes Albite, Amphibole, Biotite, Cancrinite, Feldspar, Hornblende, Plagioclase, Pyroxene, Sodalite. You can also check out the list of all Igneous Rocks. When we have to compare Variolite vs Kenyte, 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, Kenyte is available in brown, buff, cream, green, grey, pink, white colors. Appearance of Variolite is Dull and Soft and that of Kenyte is Banded and Foilated. Properties of rock is another aspect for Variolite vs Kenyte. The hardness of Variolite is 6 and that of Kenyte is 5.5-6. The types of Variolite are Metamorphic rock whereas types of Kenyte are Foidolite. 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 Kenyte is white, greenish white or grey. The specific heat capacity of Variolite is 0.84 kJ/Kg K and that of Kenyte 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 Kenyte is heat resistant, impact resistant, wear resistant.

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