Quartzite
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Quartzite is a hard, non-foliated metamorphic rock which was originally pure quartz sandstone.[1][2] Sandstone is converted into quartzite through heating and pressure usually related to tectonic compression within orogenic belts. Pure quartzite is usually white to grey, though quartzites often occur in various shades of pink and red due to varying amounts of hematite. Other colors, such as yellow, green, blue and orange, are due to other minerals.
The term quartzite is also sometimes used for very hard but unmetamorphosed
Quartzite is very resistant to chemical
Quartzite has been used since prehistoric times for stone tools. It is presently used for decorative dimension stone, as crushed stone in highway construction, and as a source of
Characteristics and origin
Quartzite is a very hard rock composed predominantly of an interlocking mosaic of quartz crystals. The grainy, sandpaper-like surface is glassy in appearance. Minor amounts of former cementing materials, iron oxide, silica, carbonate and clay, often migrate during recrystallization, causing streaks and lenses to form within the quartzite.[1] To be classified as a quartzite by the British Geological Survey, a metamorphic rock must contain at least 80% quartz by volume.[5]
Quartzite is commonly regarded as metamorphic in origin.[6][4] When sandstone is subjected to the great heat and pressure associated with regional metamorphism, the individual quartz grains recrystallize along with the former cementing material. Most or all of the original texture and sedimentary structures of the sandstone are erased by the metamorphism.[1] The recrystallized quartz grains are roughly equal in size, forming what is called a granoblastic texture, and they also show signs of metamorphic annealing, in which the grains become coarser and acquire a more polygonal texture.[6] The grains are so tightly interlocked that when the rock is broken, it fractures through the grains to form an irregular or conchoidal fracture.[7]
Geologists had recognized by 1941 that some rocks show the macroscopic characteristics of quartzite, even though they have not undergone metamorphism at high pressure and temperature. These rocks have been subject only to the much lower temperatures and pressures associated with
The typical distinction between a true orthoquartzite and an ordinary quartz sandstone is that an orthoquartzite is so highly cemented that it will fracture across grains, not around them.
Occurrence
In the United States, formations of quartzite can be found in some parts of Pennsylvania, the Washington DC area, eastern South Dakota, Central Texas,[9] southwest Minnesota,[10] Devil's Lake State Park in the Baraboo Range in Wisconsin,[11] the Wasatch Range in Utah,[12] near Salt Lake City, Utah and as resistant ridges in the Appalachians[13] and other mountain regions. Quartzite is also found in the Morenci Copper Mine in Arizona.[14] The town of Quartzsite in western Arizona derives its name from the quartzites in the nearby mountains in both Arizona and Southeastern California. A glassy vitreous quartzite has been described from the Belt Supergroup in the Coeur d’Alene district of northern Idaho.[15]
In Canada, the La Cloche Mountains in Ontario are composed primarily of white quartzite. Vast areas of Nova Scotia are underlain by quartzite.
In Ireland areas of quartzite are found across the west and northwest, with Errigal in County Donegal as the most prominent outcrop. A good example of a quartzite area is on the Corraun Peninsula in County Mayo, which has a very thin layer of Irish Atlantic Bog covering it.
In the United Kingdom, a craggy ridge of quartzite called the
In
The highest mountain in Mozambique, Monte Binga (2436 m), as well as the rest of the surrounding Chimanimani Plateau are composed of very hard, pale grey, Precambrian quartzite. Quartzite is also mined in Brazil for use in kitchen countertops.
Uses
Quartzite is a decorative stone and may be used to cover walls, as roofing tiles, as flooring, and stairsteps. Its use for countertops in kitchens is expanding rapidly. It is harder and more resistant to stains than granite. Crushed quartzite is sometimes used in road construction. During the
Safety
As quartzite is a form of silica, it is a possible cause for concern in various workplaces. Cutting, grinding, chipping, sanding, drilling, and polishing natural and manufactured stone products can release hazardous levels of very small, crystalline silica dust particles into the air that workers breathe.[25] Crystalline silica of respirable size is a recognized human carcinogen and may lead to other diseases of the lungs such as silicosis and pulmonary fibrosis.[26][27]
Etymology
The term quartzite is derived from German: Quarzit.[28]
Gallery
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The quartzite of theDoso Doyabi in White Pine County, Nevada
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Quartzite fromstrainregimes
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Thin section of quartzite from Salangen, South Troms, Norway, showing elongate crystals associated with high strain regimes
See also
References
- ^ a b c Essentials of Geology, 3rd Edition, Stephen Marshak, p 182
- ^ a b Powell, Darryl. "Quartzite". Mineral Information Institute. Archived from the original on 2009-03-02. Retrieved 2009-09-09.
- ^ ISBN 0922152349.
- ^ ISBN 9780199653065.
- ^ Robertson, S. (1999). "BGS Rock Classification Scheme, Volume 2: Classification of metamorphic rocks" (PDF). British Geological Survey Research Report. RR 99-02. Retrieved 27 February 2021.
- ^ ISBN 0716724383.
- ^ S2CID 128463511.
- .
- ^ Holm, E. H.; Cline Jr., T.; Nelson, M.R. "SOUTH DAKOTA – 2002 Mineral Summary: Production, Exploration and Environmental Issues" (PDF). www.state.sd.us. Archived from the original (PDF) on May 12, 2007.
- ^ Natural history – Minnesota's geology – SNAs: Minnesota DNR Archived March 9, 2010, at the Wayback Machine. Dnr.state.mn.us (2000-02-17). Retrieved on 2011-06-05.
- ^ Geology by Lightplane. Geology.wisc.edu (1923-07-13). Retrieved on 2011-06-05.
- ISBN 0-915272-23-7
- .
- ^ Kennedy, B. A. (ed.). Surface Mining, Chapter 9.4: Case Studies: Morenci/Metcalf Archived 2007-06-25 at the Wayback Machine Society for Mining, Metallurgy, and Exploration, Undated Accessed May 28, 2007
- ^ White, B.G. and Winston, D., 1982, The Revett/St Regis "transition zone" near the Bunker Hill mine, Coeur d’Alene district, Idaho: Idaho Bureau of Mines and Geology Bulletin 24
- .
- ISBN 978-81-8356-461-8. Retrieved 5 June 2011.
- ^ John Blunden, (1975), The mineral resources of Britain: a study in exploitation and planning, p. 281.
- ^ "LNS use Caterpillar 775G trucks at Austertana quarry, Norway". Aggregates Business Europe. 2013-06-11. Retrieved 2021-08-01.
- ^ "Elkem ASA". Mining in the Nordics. Retrieved 2021-08-01.
- ^ Egil Wanvik, Jan (2019-02-26). "Quartz Resources in Norway - A Varied Spectrum" (PDF). NGU Focus. No. 11. The Geological Survey of Norway. Archived from the original (PDF) on 2022-05-19. Retrieved 2021-08-01.
- ^ "The Colossal Statue of Tutankhamun". Discovery, Collection, Memory: The Oriental Institute at 100. University of Chicago Library. 2019. Retrieved 12 September 2023.
- ISBN 0-87335-233-5.
- S2CID 161224840. Retrieved 27 March 2022.
- ^ Hazard Alert - Worker Exposure to Silica during Countertop Manufacturing, Finishing and Installation (PDF). DHHS (NIOSH). p. 2. Retrieved 27 November 2019.
- ^ "Silica (crystalline, respirable)". OEHHA. California Office of Environmental Health Hazard Assessment. Retrieved 27 November 2019.
- ISBN 978-92-832-1320-8. Retrieved 27 November 2019.
- ^ "German Loan Words in English". German.about.com. 2010-06-22. Archived from the original on 2011-06-07. Retrieved 2011-06-05.
External links
- R. V. Dietrich's GemRocks: Quartzite
- CSU Pomona Geology: Quartzite
- Cowen's "The First Geologists" (chapter on Stone Age/Homo habilis use of quartzite) Archived 2008-10-13 at the Wayback Machine
- Minnesota Department of Natural Resources : Natural History: Minnesota's geology
- Wisconsin's Baraboo Syncline (map and aerial photos of Baraboo quartzite quarries)
- South Dakota 2002 Mineral Summary: Production, Exploration and Environmental Issues (including 2002 quartzite production)
- Big Sioux River: History of Sioux Falls and Quartzite Photos
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