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Websterite and Chalk


Chalk 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.   
Chalk is a soft, white, powdery limestone consisting mainly of fossil shells of foraminifers   

History
  
  

Origin
Webster, North Carolina   
Unknown   

Discoverer
Unknown   
Unknown   

Etymology
From the town of Webster located in North Carolina   
From old English cealc chalk, lime, plaster; pebble, from Greek khalix small pebble, in English transferred to the opaque, white, soft limestone   

Class
Igneous Rocks   
Sedimentary Rocks   

Sub-Class
Durable Rock, Hard Rock   
Durable Rock, Soft Rock   

Family
  
  

Group
Plutonic   
Not Applicable   

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

Texture

Texture
Clastic, Granular, Phaneritic, Porphyritic   
Clastic or Non-Clastic   

Color
Black to Grey, Bluish - Grey, Dark Greenish - Grey, Green, Light Greenish Grey   
Grey, White, Yellow   

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   
Soft   

Uses

Architecture
  
  

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

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

Other Architectural Uses
Curbing   
Powder   

Industry
  
  

Construction Industry
As Dimension Stone, Building houses or walls, Cement Manufacture, Construction Aggregate, for Road Aggregate   
As Dimension Stone, Cement Manufacture, Construction Aggregate, for Road Aggregate, Making natural cement, raw material for manufacture of quicklime and slaked lime, Source of calcium   

Medical Industry
Not Yet Used   
Not Yet Used   

Antiquity Uses
Artifacts   
Artifacts, Monuments, Sculpture, Small Figurines   

Other Uses
  
  

Commercial Uses
Cemetery Markers, Commemorative Tablets, Creating Artwork, Laboratory bench tops, Jewelry, Sea Defence, Tombstones   
Alumina Refineries, Creating Artwork, Drawing on blackboards, Gymnasts, athletes and mountain climbers use for grip, In aquifers, Paper Industry, Production of Lime, Raw material for manufacture of quicklime, slaked lime, Soil Conditioner, Whiting, Whiting material in toothpaste, paint and paper   

Types

Types
Not Available   
Not Available   

Features
Generally rough to touch, Is one of the oldest rock   
Clasts are smooth to touch, Is one of the oldest rock, Smooth to touch, 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   
Present   

Formation

Formation
Websterite can be formed as cumulates in ultramafic intrusions by accumulation of pyroxene crystals at the base of the lava chamber.   
Chalk is formed from lime mud, which accumulates on the sea floor which is then transformed into rock by geological processes.   

Composition
  
  

Mineral Content
Amphibole, Augite, Bronzite, Chromite, Diopside, Enstatite, Garnet, Hornblende, Hypersthene, Magnetite, Pyroxene   
Calcite, Clay, Clay Minerals, Quartz, Sand   

Compound Content
Aluminium Oxide, CaO, Chromium(III) Oxide, Iron(III) Oxide, Potassium Oxide, MgO, Sodium Oxide, Silicon Dioxide, Sulfur Trioxide   
Ca, NaCl, CaO   

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   
Biological Weathering, Chemical Weathering   

Erosion
Yes   
Yes   

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

Properties

Physical Properties
  
  

Hardness
7   
1   

Grain Size
Coarse Grained   
Very fine-grained   

Fracture
Uneven   
Not Available   

Streak
White, Greenish White or Grey   
White   

Porosity
Less Porous   
Highly Porous   

Luster
Dull to Vitreous to Submetallic   
Dull   

Cleavage
Irregular   
Non-Existent   

Toughness
Not Available   
1   

Specific Gravity
3.2-3.5   
2.3-2.4   

Transparency
Opaque   
Opaque   

Density
3.1-3.6 g/cm3   
2.49-2.50 g/cm3   

Thermal Properties
  
  

Specific Heat Capacity
Not Available   
0.90 kJ/Kg K   
12

Resistance
Impact Resistant, Pressure Resistant, Wear Resistant   
Heat Resistant   

Reserves

Deposits in Eastern Continents
  
  

Asia
India, Russia   
Brunei, India, Indonesia, Malaysia, Singapore, Thailand, Vietnam   

Africa
South Africa   
Cameroon, Chad, Ghana, Kenya, Malawi, Sudan, Tanzania, Togo, Zambia, Zimbabwe   

Europe
Germany, Greece, Italy, Scotland, Turkey   
England, France, Germany, Spain, United Kingdom   

Others
Greenland   
Not Yet Found   

Deposits in Western Continents
  
  

North America
Canada, USA   
Canada, USA   

South America
Brazil, Colombia, Venezuela   
Colombia   

Deposits in Oceania Continent
  
  

Australia
New Zealand, Queensland   
Adelaide, New Zealand, Queensland, Tonga, Victoria, Yorke Peninsula   

Summary >>
<< Reserves

All about Websterite and Chalk Properties

Know all about Websterite and Chalk properties here. All properties of rocks are important as they define the type of rock and its application. Websterite belongs to Igneous Rocks while Chalk belongs to Sedimentary Rocks.Texture of Websterite is Clastic, Granular, Phaneritic, Porphyritic whereas that of Chalk is Clastic or Non-Clastic. Websterite appears Layered, Banded, Veined and Shiny and Chalk appears Soft. The luster of Websterite is dull to vitreous to submetallic while that of Chalk is dull. Websterite is available in black to grey, bluish - grey, dark greenish - grey, green, light greenish grey colors whereas Chalk is available in grey, white, yellow colors. The commercial uses of Websterite are cemetery markers, commemorative tablets, creating artwork, laboratory bench tops, jewelry, sea defence, tombstones and that of Chalk are alumina refineries, creating artwork, drawing on blackboards, gymnasts, athletes and mountain climbers use for grip, in aquifers, paper industry, production of lime, raw material for manufacture of quicklime, slaked lime, soil conditioner, whiting, whiting material in toothpaste, paint and paper.

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