Variolite

Serpentinite

Variolite vs Serpentinite

Variolite

Serpentinite

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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

A hydration and metamorphic transformation of ultramafic rock from the Earth's mantle is called as serpentinization, a group of minerals is formed by serpentinization compose rock 'serpentinite'.

History

Origin

France

USA

Discoverer

Unknown

Etymology

From Latin varius, speckled, variegated

From English word serpentinization.

Class

Igneous Rocks

Metamorphic 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

Glassy, Massive, Porphyritic, Scoriaceous, Vesicular

Earthy

Color

Black, Brown, Light to Dark Grey

Black, Brown, Green, Grey, White

Maintenance

Less

Durability

Durable

Water Resistant

✔ ✘

Scratch Resistant

✔ ✘

Stain Resistant

✔ ✘

Wind Resistant

✔ ✘

Acid Resistant

✔ ✘

Appearance

Dull and Soft

Rough and Dull

Uses

Architecture

Interior Uses

Floor Tiles, Flooring, Homes, Hotels, Kitchens

Decorative Aggregates, Interior Decoration

Exterior Uses

Garden Decoration, Office Buildings

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

Other Architectural Uses

Curbing

Industry

Construction Industry

As Dimension Stone, Cobblestones, Rail Track Ballast, Roadstone

As Dimension Stone, Cement Manufacture, for Road Aggregate, Making natural cement

Medical Industry

Antiquity Uses

Artifacts, Monuments, Sculpture

Artifacts, Jewellery, Monuments, Sculpture

Other Uses

Commercial Uses

Cemetery Markers, Creating Artwork

Commemorative Tablets, Creating Artwork

Types

Metamorphic rock

Jadeitite

Features

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

Host Rock for Lead

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.

Due to change in environmental conditions, rocks are heated and pressurized deep inside the Earth's surface. Serpentinite is formed from the extreme heat caused by magma or by the intense collisions and friction of tectonic plates.

Composition

Mineral Content

Olivine, Plagioclase, Pyroxene

Carbonate, Magnetite, Pyrrhotite, Serpentine, Sulfides

Compound Content

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

Ca, CaO, Carbon Dioxide, KCl, MgO, Sulfur Dioxide, Sulphur

Transformation

Metamorphism

✔ ✘

Types of Metamorphism

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

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

Weathering

✔ ✘

Types of Weathering

Biological Weathering, Chemical Weathering, Mechanical Weathering

Erosion

✔ ✘

Types of Erosion

Chemical Erosion, Coastal Erosion, Glacier Erosion, Sea Erosion, Wind Erosion

Properties

Physical Properties

Hardness

63-5

1 7

👆🏻

Grain Size

Very fine-grained

Fracture

Conchoidal

Uneven

Streak

White to Grey

White, Greenish White or Grey

Porosity

Less Porous

Luster

Waxy and Dull

Compressive Strength

37.50 N/mm²310.00 N/mm²

0.15 450

👆🏻

Cleavage

Toughness

2.3

Specific Gravity

2.8-32.79-3

0 8.4

👆🏻

Transparency

Opaque

Density

2.9-3.1 g/cm³2.5-3 g/cm³

0 1400

👆🏻

Thermal Properties

Specific Heat Capacity

0.84 kJ/Kg K0.95 kJ/Kg K

0.14 3.2

👆🏻

Resistance

Heat Resistant, Pressure Resistant, Wear Resistant

Heat Resistant

Reserves

Deposits in Eastern Continents

Asia

India, Russia

India, Saudi Arabia, Singapore, South Korea

Africa

South Africa

Ethiopia, Western Africa

Europe

Iceland

England, Georgia, Switzerland, United Kingdom

Others

Deposits in Western Continents

North America

Canada, USA

Canada

South America

Brazil

Colombia

Deposits in Oceania Continent

Australia

Central Australia, New South Wales, New Zealand, Western Australia

Variolite vs Serpentinite 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 Serpentinite 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. A hydration and metamorphic transformation of ultramafic rock from the Earth's mantle is called as serpentinization, a group of minerals is formed by serpentinization compose rock 'serpentinite'.. 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 Serpentinite information and Variolite vs Serpentinite characteristics in the upcoming sections.

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

More about Variolite and Serpentinite

Here you can know more about Variolite and Serpentinite. The life cycle of a rock consists of formation of rock, composition of rock and transformation of rock. The composition of Variolite and Serpentinite consists of mineral content and compound content. The mineral content of Variolite includes Olivine, Plagioclase, Pyroxene and mineral content of Serpentinite includes Carbonate, Magnetite, Pyrrhotite, Serpentine, Sulfides. You can also check out the list of all Igneous Rocks. When we have to compare Variolite vs Serpentinite, 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, Serpentinite is available in black, brown, green, grey, white colors. Appearance of Variolite is Dull and Soft and that of Serpentinite is Rough and Dull. Properties of rock is another aspect for Variolite vs Serpentinite. The hardness of Variolite is 6 and that of Serpentinite is 3-5. The types of Variolite are Metamorphic rock whereas types of Serpentinite are Jadeitite. 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 Serpentinite is white, greenish white or grey. The specific heat capacity of Variolite is 0.84 kJ/Kg K and that of Serpentinite is 0.95 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 Serpentinite is heat resistant.