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Websterite and Blueschist


Blueschist and Websterite


Definition

Definition
Websterite is ultramafic and ultrabasic rock that consists of roughly equal proportions of orthopyroxene and clinopyroxene. It is a special type of pyroxenite.   
Blueschist is a metamorphic rock which is generally blue in color and is formed under conditions of high pressure and low temperature   

History
  
  

Origin
Webster, North Carolina   
USA   

Discoverer
Unknown   
Edgar Bailey   

Etymology
From the town of Webster located in North Carolina   
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
Plutonic   
Not Applicable   

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

Texture

Texture
Clastic, Granular, Phaneritic, Porphyritic   
Foliated   

Color
Black to Grey, Bluish - Grey, Dark Greenish - Grey, Green, Light Greenish Grey   
Blue, Bluish - Grey, Purple, Shades of Blue   

Maintenance
Less   
Less   

Durability
Durable   
Durable   

Water Resistant
Yes   
No   

Scratch Resistant
Yes   
No   

Stain Resistant
Yes   
No   

Wind Resistant
Yes   
No   

Acid Resistant
Yes   
No   

Appearance
Layered, Banded, Veined and Shiny   
Dull and Banded   

Uses

Architecture
  
  

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

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

Other Architectural Uses
Curbing   
Not Yet Used   

Industry
  
  

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

Medical Industry
Not Yet Used   
Not Yet Used   

Antiquity Uses
Artifacts   
Artifacts, Monuments, Sculpture   

Other Uses
  
  

Commercial Uses
Cemetery Markers, Commemorative Tablets, Creating Artwork, Laboratory bench tops, Jewelry, Sea Defence, Tombstones   
Cemetery Markers, Commemorative Tablets, Creating Artwork, Curling, Tombstones   

Types

Types
Not Available   
Not Available   

Features
Generally rough to touch, Is one of the oldest rock   
Has High structural resistance against erosion and climate, Very fine grained rock   

Archaeological Significance
  
  

Monuments
Not Yet Used   
Used   

Famous Monuments
Data Not Available   
Data Not Available   

Sculpture
Not Yet Used   
Used   

Famous Sculptures
Data Not Available   
Data Not Available   

Pictographs
Not Used   
Used   

Petroglyphs
Not Used   
Used   

Figurines
Not Yet Used   
Used   

Fossils
Absent   
Absent   

Formation

Formation
Websterite can be formed as cumulates in ultramafic intrusions by accumulation of pyroxene crystals at the base of the lava chamber.   
Blueschist forms due to the metamorphism of basalt and other rocks with similar composition at high pressures and low temperatures and approximately corresponding to a depth of 15 to 30 kilometers and 200 to 500 °C.   

Composition
  
  

Mineral Content
Amphibole, Augite, Bronzite, Chromite, Diopside, Enstatite, Garnet, Hornblende, Hypersthene, Magnetite, Pyroxene   
Albite, Chlorite, Epidote, Garnet, Glaucophane, Lawsonite, Muscovite or Illite, Quartz   

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

Transformation
  
  

Metamorphism
Yes   
No   

Types of Metamorphism
Burial Metamorphism, Impact Metamorphism   
Not Applicable   

Weathering
Yes   
Yes   

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

Erosion
Yes   
Yes   

Types of Erosion
Chemical Erosion, Coastal Erosion, Glacier Erosion, Water Erosion, Wind Erosion   
Chemical Erosion, Coastal Erosion, Water Erosion, Wind Erosion   

Properties

Physical Properties
  
  

Hardness
7   
3.5-4   

Grain Size
Coarse Grained   
Fine to Medium Grained   

Fracture
Uneven   
Conchoidal   

Streak
White, Greenish White or Grey   
White to Grey   

Porosity
Less Porous   
Highly Porous   

Luster
Dull to Vitreous to Submetallic   
Dull   

Cleavage
Irregular   
Slaty   

Toughness
Not Available   
1.5   

Specific Gravity
3.2-3.5   
3-3.2   

Transparency
Opaque   
Opaque   

Density
3.1-3.6 g/cm3   
2.8-2.9 g/cm3   

Thermal Properties
  
  

Resistance
Impact Resistant, Pressure Resistant, Wear Resistant   
Impact Resistant, Pressure Resistant   

Reserves

Deposits in Eastern Continents
  
  

Asia
India, Russia   
Japan, Turkey   

Africa
South Africa   
Egypt, Ethiopia, South Africa   

Europe
Germany, Greece, Italy, Scotland, Turkey   
France, Greece, Iceland   

Others
Greenland   
Not Yet Found   

Deposits in Western Continents
  
  

North America
Canada, USA   
USA   

South America
Brazil, Colombia, Venezuela   
Not Yet Found   

Deposits in Oceania Continent
  
  

Australia
New Zealand, Queensland   
New Zealand   

Summary >>
<< Reserves

All about Websterite and Blueschist Properties

Know all about Websterite and Blueschist properties here. All properties of rocks are important as they define the type of rock and its application. Websterite belongs to Igneous Rocks while Blueschist belongs to Metamorphic Rocks.Texture of Websterite is Clastic, Granular, Phaneritic, Porphyritic whereas that of Blueschist is Foliated. Websterite appears Layered, Banded, Veined and Shiny and Blueschist appears Dull and Banded. The luster of Websterite is dull to vitreous to submetallic while that of Blueschist is dull. Websterite is available in black to grey, bluish - grey, dark greenish - grey, green, light greenish grey colors whereas Blueschist is available in blue, bluish - grey, purple, shades of blue colors. The commercial uses of Websterite are cemetery markers, commemorative tablets, creating artwork, laboratory bench tops, jewelry, sea defence, tombstones and that of Blueschist are cemetery markers, commemorative tablets, creating artwork, curling, tombstones.

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