Rocksday

Greenschist

A green, flaky metamorphic rock rich in chlorite, epidote and actinolite.

Greenschist specimen
Photo: No machine-readable author provided. Siim assumed (based on copyright claims)., CC BY-SA 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons

How to identify greenschist

  • Green and foliated.
  • Soft, slightly greasy flakes.
  • Often with yellow-green epidote.

Often confused with

Where it's found

  • Appalachian Mountains
  • Alps
  • Ireland

Uses

Flagstone and decorative stone.

Rock tumbling

Not suitable for tumbling.

Did you know?

Most greenschists began as basalt lava.

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