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
  
Monzonite is a granular igneous rock with composition between syenite and diorite and containing approximately equal amounts of orthoclase and plagioclase
  
History
  
  
Origin
France
  
Trento Province, Italy
  
Discoverer
Unknown
  
Unknown
  
Etymology
From Latin varius, speckled, variegated
  
From Mount Monzoni in the Tyrol, Italy, + -ite1
  
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, Fine Grained Rock, Medium Grained Rock, Opaque Rock
  
Texture
Glassy, Massive, Porphyritic, Scoriaceous, Vesicular
  
Phaneritic
  
Color
Black, Brown, Light to Dark Grey
  
Black, Brown, Light to Dark Grey, White
  
Maintenance
Less
  
Less
  
Durability
Durable
  
Durable
  
Water Resistant
Yes
  
Yes
  
Scratch Resistant
Yes
  
Yes
  
Stain Resistant
No
  
Yes
  
Wind Resistant
No
  
No
  
Acid Resistant
Yes
  
Yes
  
Appearance
Dull and Soft
  
Shiny
  
Architecture
  
  
Interior Uses
Floor Tiles, Flooring, Homes, Hotels, Kitchens
  
Decorative Aggregates, Flooring, Interior Decoration
  
Exterior Uses
Garden Decoration, Office Buildings
  
As Building Stone, As Facing Stone, Office Buildings, 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
  
Medical Industry
Not Yet Used
  
Not Yet Used
  
Antiquity Uses
Artifacts, Monuments, Sculpture
  
Artifacts, Monuments, Sculpture
  
Other Uses
  
  
Commercial Uses
Cemetery Markers, Creating Artwork
  
Creating Artwork
  
Types
Not Available
  
Quartz Monzonite, Mangerite, Syenite and Diorite
  
Features
Has High structural resistance against erosion and climate, Very fine grained rock
  
Available in lots of colors, Is one of the oldest rock
  
Archaeological Significance
  
  
Monuments
Used
  
Used
  
Famous Monuments
Data Not Available
  
Data Not Available
  
Sculpture
Used
  
Used
  
Famous Sculptures
Data Not Available
  
Data Not Available
  
Pictographs
Used
  
Not Used
  
Petroglyphs
Used
  
Not Used
  
Figurines
Used
  
Used
  
Fossils
Absent
  
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.
  
Monzonite 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, Apatite, Biotite, Feldspar, Hornblade, Ilmenite, Magnetite, Muscovite or Illite, Olivine, Plagioclase, Pyroxene, Quartz, Sulfides, Titanite, Zircon
  
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
Not Applicable
  
Chemical Erosion, Coastal Erosion, Glacier Erosion, Water Erosion
  
Physical Properties
  
  
Hardness
6
  
6-7
  
Grain Size
Not Applicable
  
Medium to Fine Coarse Grained
  
Fracture
Conchoidal
  
Not Available
  
Streak
White to Grey
  
White
  
Porosity
Less Porous
  
Less Porous
  
Luster
Not Available
  
Subvitreous to Dull
  
Compressive Strength
37.50 N/mm2
  
27
310.00 N/mm2
  
2
Cleavage
Not Available
  
Not Available
  
Toughness
2.3
  
Not Available
  
Specific Gravity
2.8-3
  
2.8-3
  
Transparency
Opaque
  
Opaque
  
Density
2.9-3.1 g/cm3
  
2.9-2.91 g/cm3
  
Thermal Properties
  
  
Specific Heat Capacity
0.84 kJ/Kg K
  
15
0.92 kJ/Kg K
  
10
Resistance
Heat Resistant, Pressure Resistant, Wear Resistant
  
Heat Resistant, Impact Resistant, Pressure Resistant
  
Deposits in Eastern Continents
  
  
Asia
India, Russia
  
China, India, Iran, Saudi Arabia, Sri Lanka, Taiwan, Thailand, Turkey, Vietnam
  
Africa
South Africa
  
Angola, Egypt, Ethiopia, Madagascar, Namibia, Nigeria, South Africa
  
Europe
Iceland
  
Bulgaria, England, Germany, Norway, Romania, Switzerland
  
Others
Not Yet Found
  
Not Yet Found
  
Deposits in Western Continents
  
  
North America
Canada, USA
  
USA
  
South America
Brazil
  
Argentina, Bolivia, Brazil, Chile, Colombia, Ecuador, Peru
  
Deposits in Oceania Continent
  
  
Australia
Not Yet Found
  
New South Wales, New Zealand, Queensland, South Australia, Western Australia
  
Variolite vs Monzonite 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 Monzonite characteristics assist us to distinguish and recognize rocks. Also you can check about Properties of Variolite and Properties of Monzonite. Learn more about Variolite vs Monzonite in the next section. The interior uses of Variolite include Floor tiles, Flooring, Homes, Hotels and Kitchens whereas the interior uses of Monzonite include Decorative aggregates, Flooring and Interior decoration. Due to some exceptional properties of Variolite and Monzonite, 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 Monzonite include As dimension stone, Cement manufacture, Construction aggregate, For road aggregate.
More about Variolite and Monzonite
Here you can know more about Variolite and Monzonite. The life cycle of a rock consists of formation of rock, composition of rock and transformation of rock. The composition of Variolite and Monzonite consists of mineral content and compound content. The mineral content of Variolite includes Olivine, Plagioclase, Pyroxene and mineral content of Monzonite includes Albite, Amphibole, Apatite, Biotite, Feldspar, Hornblade, Ilmenite, Magnetite, Muscovite or Illite, Olivine, Plagioclase, Pyroxene, Quartz, Sulfides, Titanite, Zircon. You can also check out the list of all Igneous Rocks. When we have to compare Variolite vs Monzonite, 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, Monzonite is available in black, brown, light to dark grey, white colors. Appearance of Variolite is Dull and Soft and that of Monzonite is Shiny. Properties of rock is another aspect for Variolite vs Monzonite. The hardness of Variolite is 6 and that of Monzonite is 6-7. The types of Variolite are Not Available whereas types of Monzonite are Quartz Monzonite, Mangerite, Syenite and Diorite. 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 Monzonite is white. The specific heat capacity of Variolite is 0.84 kJ/Kg K and that of Monzonite is 0.92 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 Monzonite is heat resistant, impact resistant, pressure resistant.