Quartzite
| Quartzite is a metamorphosed quartz sandstone. It is a very hard,
sugary textured rock that consists of interlocking quartz grains. The original quartz sand
grains are enclosed in and bound together by quartz cement. This makes the rock
hard; when hammered, it breaks across the grains and cement as opposed to around the
grains as is the case in sandstones. Freshly broken faces have a glassy appearance.
Quartzite is generally light in colour but impurities such as mica are common and any
gradation from quartzite to schist
may occur. Quartzite may retain some of the original bedding of the sandstone. |
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Last updated May 12, 2005
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