Definition
Whiteschist is an uncommon rock type belonging to a class of metamorphic rock, this is formed at high-ultra-high pressures
Metapelite is an old and currently not widely used field geological term for a clay rich fine-grained clastic sediment or sedimentary rock, i.e. mud or a mudstone
History
Origin
Tasmania
-
Discoverer
Unknown
Unknown
Etymology
From French schiste, Greek skhistos i.e. split
From Pelos or clay in Greek
Class
Metamorphic Rocks
Metamorphic Rocks
Sub-Class
Durable Rock, Soft Rock
Durable Rock, Medium Hardness Rock
Family
Group
-
-
Other Categories
Fine Grained Rock, Medium Grained Rock, Opaque Rock
Coarse Grained Rock, Fine Grained Rock, Medium Grained Rock, Opaque Rock
Texture
Foliated
Foliated
Color
Green, Grey, White
Dark Greenish - Grey, Green, Light Green, Light Greenish Grey
Maintenance
Less
Less
Durability
Durable
Durable
Water Resistant
✔
✘
✔
✘
Scratch Resistant
✔
✘
✔
✘
Stain Resistant
✔
✘
✔
✘
Wind Resistant
✔
✘
✔
✘
Acid Resistant
✔
✘
✔
✘
Appearance
Banded and Foilated
Banded
Architecture
Interior Uses
Decorative Aggregates, Interior Decoration
Decorative Aggregates, Interior Decoration
Exterior Uses
Garden Decoration, Paving Stone
As Building Stone, As Facing Stone
Other Architectural Uses
Curbing
Curbing
Industry
Construction Industry
for Road Aggregate
Cement Manufacture, Construction Aggregate, for Road Aggregate
Medical Industry
-
-
Antiquity Uses
Artifacts, Monuments, Sculpture, Small Figurines
Artifacts
Other Uses
Commercial Uses
Creating Artwork, Gemstone, Jewelry, Production of Lime
Commemorative Tablets, Creating Artwork
Types
-
Metamorphic rock
Features
High percentage of mica, Host Rock for Lead
Easily splits into thin plates, It is One of the Oldest, Strongest and Hardest Rock
Archaeological Significance
Monuments
-
-
Famous Monuments
-
-
Sculpture
-
-
Famous Sculptures
-
-
Pictographs
-
-
Petroglyphs
-
-
Figurines
-
-
Fossils
Absent
Absent
Formation
Whiteschist is formed by dynamic metamorphism at high temperatures and pressures that aligns the grains of mica, hornblende and other elongated minerals into thin layers.
Due to change in environmental conditions, rocks are heated and pressurized deep inside the Earth's surface. Metapelite is formed from the extreme heat caused by magma or by the intense collisions and friction of tectonic plates.
Composition
Mineral Content
Carbonate, Coesite, Quartz, Silica
Albite, Chlorite, Quartz
Compound Content
CaO, Mg, MgO, Silicon Dioxide
Aluminium Oxide, CaO, MgO
Transformation
Metamorphism
✔
✘
✔
✘
Types of Metamorphism
-
-
Weathering
✔
✘
✔
✘
Types of Weathering
Biological Weathering, Chemical Weathering, Mechanical Weathering
Biological Weathering, Chemical Weathering, Mechanical Weathering
Erosion
✔
✘
✔
✘
Types of Erosion
Chemical Erosion, Coastal Erosion, Glacier Erosion
Chemical Erosion, Coastal Erosion, Water Erosion, Wind Erosion
Physical Properties
Hardness
1.55-6
1
7
👆🏻
Grain Size
Fine to Medium Grained
Medium to Fine Coarse Grained
Fracture
Conchoidal
Fibrous
Streak
White
-
Porosity
Less Porous
Highly Porous
Luster
Subvitreous to Dull
Earthy
Compressive Strength
200.00 N/mm240.00 N/mm2
0.15
450
👆🏻
Cleavage
Perfect
-
Toughness
1
-
Specific Gravity
2.863.4-3.7
0
8.4
👆🏻
Transparency
Opaque
Opaque
Density
2.8-2.9 g/cm30-300 g/cm3
0
1400
👆🏻
Thermal Properties
Specific Heat Capacity
0.92 kJ/Kg K0.72 kJ/Kg K
0.14
3.2
👆🏻
Resistance
Heat Resistant
Heat Resistant, Impact Resistant, Pressure Resistant
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
Western Africa
Europe
Austria, England, France, Georgia, Germany, Italy, Liechtenstein, Monaco, Norway, Slovenia, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland
United Kingdom
Others
-
-
Deposits in Western Continents
North America
Canada, Costa Rica, Cuba, Mexico, Panama, USA
-
South America
Brazil, Colombia, Guyana
Brazil, Colombia, Ecuador
Deposits in Oceania Continent
Australia
New South Wales, New Zealand, Queensland
Central Australia, Western Australia