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What is Greenschist?



Definition

Definition
Greenschist is a metamorphic rock that is formed under lowest temperatures and pressures and is usually produced by regional metamorphism

History

Origin
-

Discoverer
Unknown

Etymology
From minerals such as chlorite, serpentine, and epidote, and platy minerals such as muscovite and platy serpentine which are green in color

Class
Metamorphic Rocks

Sub-Class
Durable Rock, Medium Hardness Rock

Family

Group
-

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

Texture

Texture
Foliated, Platy

Color
Dark Greenish - Grey, Green

Maintenance
Less

Durability
Durable

Water Resistant
Yes

Scratch Resistant
Yes

Stain Resistant
No

Wind Resistant
No

Acid Resistant
No

Appearance
Layered and Shiny

Uses

Architecture

Interior Uses
Bathrooms, Countertops, Decorative Aggregates, Entryways, Homes, Interior Decoration

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

Other Architectural Uses
Curbing

Industry

Construction Industry
As Dimension Stone, Building houses or walls, Cement Manufacture, Cutting Tool, for Road Aggregate, Roadstone

Medical Industry
-

Antiquity Uses
Artifacts

Other Uses

Commercial Uses
Blackboards, Manufacture of tools, Writing Slates

Types

Types
Metamorphic rock

Features
Easily splits into thin plates, Smooth to touch

Archaeological Significance

Monuments
-

Famous Monuments
-

Sculpture
-

Famous Sculptures
-

Pictographs
-

Petroglyphs
-

Figurines
-

Fossils
Absent

Formation

Formation
Greenschist is medium grade metamorphic rock, formed by the metamorphosis of mudstone or shale, or some types of igneous rock, when it is subjected to higher temperatures and pressures.

Composition

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

Compound Content
CaO, Carbon Dioxide, MgO

Transformation

Metamorphism
No

Types of Metamorphism
-

Weathering
Yes

Types of Weathering
Biological Weathering, Chemical Weathering

Erosion
Yes

Types of Erosion
Chemical Erosion, Coastal Erosion, Glacier Erosion, Sea Erosion

Properties

Physical Properties

Hardness
3.5-4

Grain Size
Medium to Fine Coarse Grained

Fracture
Conchoidal

Streak
White

Porosity
Highly Porous

Luster
Shiny

Compressive Strength
160.00 N/mm2 21

Cleavage
Slaty

Toughness
1.5

Specific Gravity
2.5-2.9

Transparency
Opaque

Density
2.8-2.9 g/cm3

Thermal Properties

Specific Heat Capacity
0.84 kJ/Kg K 15

Resistance
Impact Resistant, Pressure Resistant, Water Resistant

Reserves

Deposits in Eastern Continents

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

Africa
Egypt, Ethiopia, Morocco, Nigeria, South Africa

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

Others
-

Deposits in Western Continents

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

South America
Brazil, Colombia, Guyana

Deposits in Oceania Continent

Australia
New South Wales, New Zealand, Queensland

Summary >>
<< Reserves

Metamorphic Rocks

Learn more about Properties of Greenschist

What is Greenschist? In this section, we will learn more about properties of Greenschist i.e. physical and thermal properties. Physical properties of Greenschist include Color, Streak, Hardness, Structure, Cleavage, Fracture, Luster, Specific Gravity etc. The strength of Greenschist is 160.00 N/mm2. Streak of Greenschist is white while its cleavage is slaty. Luster of Greenschist is shiny and its fracture is conchoidal. Greenschist is opaque in nature. Know all about Greenschist, What is Greenschist, its composition, features, facts and reserves in next sections.

Know about Composition of Greenschist

What is Greenschist composed of? Get to know about composition of Greenschist here. Greenschist definition gives information about the Formation of Greenschist and its composition.The composition of Greenschist can be further divided into mineral and compound content. The mineral content of Greenschist rock includes Alusite, Amphibole, Biotite, Chlorite, Epidote, Feldspar, Garnet, Graphite, Hornblade, Kyanite, Micas, Muscovite or Illite, Porphyroblasts, Quartz, Serpentine, Sillimanite, Staurolite, Talc and The compound content of Greenschist rock includes CaO, Carbon Dioxide, MgO. Almost all rocks undergo transformation process. Know all about Greenschist rock in next section.

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