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Variolite vs Schist


Schist 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  
Schist is a medium grade metamorphic rock with medium to large, flat, sheet like grains in a preferred orientation  

History
  
  

Origin
France  
-  

Discoverer
Unknown  
Unknown  

Etymology
From Latin varius, speckled, variegated  
From French schiste, Greek skhistos i.e. split  

Class
Igneous Rocks  
Metamorphic Rocks  

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

Family
  
  

Group
Volcanic  
-  

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

Texture

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

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

Maintenance
Less  
Less  

Durability
Durable  
Durable  

Water Resistant
Yes  
Yes  

Scratch Resistant
Yes  
No  

Stain Resistant
No  
No  

Wind Resistant
No  
No  

Acid Resistant
Yes  
No  

Appearance
Dull and Soft  
Layered and Shiny  

Uses

Architecture
  
  

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

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

Other Architectural Uses
Curbing  
-  

Industry
  
  

Construction Industry
As Dimension Stone, Cobblestones, Rail Track Ballast, Roadstone  
As Dimension Stone, Building houses or walls, Cement Manufacture, for Road Aggregate, Roadstone  

Medical Industry
-  
-  

Antiquity Uses
Artifacts, Monuments, Sculpture  
Artifacts  

Other Uses
  
  

Commercial Uses
Cemetery Markers, Creating Artwork  
Used in aquariums, Writing Slates  

Types

Types
Metamorphic rock  
Mica Schists, Calc-Silicate Schists, Graphite Schists, Blueschists, Whiteschists, Greenschists, Hornblende Schist, Talc Schist, Chlorite Schist, Garnet Schist, Glaucophane schist.  

Features
Has High structural resistance against erosion and climate, Very fine grained rock  
Easily splits into thin plates, Smooth to touch  

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.  
Schist formed by dynamic metamorphism at high temperatures and pressures that aligns the grains of mica, hornblende and other elongated minerals into thin layers.  

Composition
  
  

Mineral Content
Olivine, Plagioclase, Pyroxene  
Alusite, Amphibole, Biotite, Chlorite, Epidote, Feldspar, Garnet, Graphite, Hornblade, Kyanite, Micas, Muscovite or Illite, Porphyroblasts, Quartz, Sillimanite, Staurolite, Talc  

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

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, Coastal Erosion, Glacier Erosion  

Properties

Physical Properties
  
  

Hardness
6  
3.5-4  

Grain Size
-  
Medium to Fine Coarse Grained  

Fracture
Conchoidal  
Conchoidal  

Streak
White to Grey  
White  

Porosity
Less Porous  
Highly Porous  

Luster
-  
Shiny  

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

Cleavage
-  
Slaty  

Toughness
2.3  
1.5  

Specific Gravity
2.8-3  
2.5-2.9  

Transparency
Opaque  
Opaque  

Density
2.9-3.1 g/cm3  
2.8-2.9 g/cm3  

Thermal Properties
  
  

Specific Heat Capacity
0.84 kJ/Kg K  
15
0.70 kJ/Kg K  
24

Resistance
Heat Resistant, Pressure Resistant, Wear Resistant  
Impact Resistant, Pressure Resistant, Water Resistant  

Reserves

Deposits in Eastern Continents
  
  

Asia
India, Russia  
Afghanistan, Bangladesh, Bhutan, China, India, Japan, Kazakhstan, Malaysia, Pakistan, Russia, Thailand, Turkey, Vietnam  

Africa
South Africa  
Egypt, Ethiopia, Morocco, Nigeria, South Africa  

Europe
Iceland  
Austria, England, France, Georgia, Germany, Italy, Liechtenstein, Monaco, Norway, Slovenia, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland  

Others
-  
-  

Deposits in Western Continents
  
  

North America
Canada, USA  
Canada, Costa Rica, Cuba, Mexico, Panama, USA  

South America
Brazil  
Brazil, Colombia, Guyana  

Deposits in Oceania Continent
  
  

Australia
-  
New South Wales, New Zealand, Queensland  

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Variolite vs Schist 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 Schist 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. Schist is a medium grade metamorphic rock with medium to large, flat, sheet like grains in a preferred orientation. 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 Schist information and Variolite vs Schist characteristics in the upcoming sections.

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

More about Variolite and Schist

Here you can know more about Variolite and Schist. The life cycle of a rock consists of formation of rock, composition of rock and transformation of rock. The composition of Variolite and Schist consists of mineral content and compound content. The mineral content of Variolite includes Olivine, Plagioclase, Pyroxene and mineral content of Schist includes Alusite, Amphibole, Biotite, Chlorite, Epidote, Feldspar, Garnet, Graphite, Hornblade, Kyanite, Micas, Muscovite or Illite, Porphyroblasts, Quartz, Sillimanite, Staurolite, Talc. You can also check out the list of all Igneous Rocks. When we have to compare Variolite vs Schist, 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, Schist is available in black, blue, brown, dark brown, green, grey, silver colors. Appearance of Variolite is Dull and Soft and that of Schist is Layered and Shiny. Properties of rock is another aspect for Variolite vs Schist. The hardness of Variolite is 6 and that of Schist is 3.5-4. The types of Variolite are Metamorphic rock whereas types of Schist are Mica Schists, Calc-Silicate Schists, Graphite Schists, Blueschists, Whiteschists, Greenschists, Hornblende Schist, Talc Schist, Chlorite Schist, Garnet Schist, Glaucophane schist.. 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 Schist is white. The specific heat capacity of Variolite is 0.84 kJ/Kg K and that of Schist is 0.70 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 Schist is impact resistant, pressure resistant, water resistant.

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