Definition
Adakite is an intermediate to felsic volcanic rock that has geochemical characteristics of magma which is said to be formed by partial melting of altered basalt that is subducted below volcanic arcs
Anorthosite is a granular igneous rock composed largely of labradorite or plagioclase
Origin
Adak, Aleutian Islands
Unknown
Discoverer
Defant and Drummond
Unknown
Etymology
From Adak, Aleutian Islands
From French anorthose plagioclase + -ite1
Class
Igneous Rocks
Igneous Rocks
Sub-Class
Durable Rock, Medium Hardness Rock
Durable Rock, Medium Hardness Rock
Other Categories
Fine Grained Rock, Medium Grained Rock, Opaque Rock
Coarse Grained Rock, Opaque Rock
Texture
Porphyritic
Foliated, Glassy
Color
Black, Brown, Light to Dark Grey
Black, Bluish - Grey, Brown, Green, Grey, Light Greenish Grey, Pink, White
Durability
Durable
Durable
Appearance
Dull and Soft
Layered, Banded, Veined and Shiny
Interior Uses
Decorative Aggregates, Floor Tiles, Homes, Hotels, Kitchens
Decorative Aggregates, Floor Tiles, Homes, Interior Decoration
Exterior Uses
As Building Stone, As Facing Stone, Office Buildings
As Building Stone, As Facing Stone, Garden Decoration
Other Architectural Uses
Whetstones
Curbing
Construction Industry
As Dimension Stone, Cobblestones, Rail Track Ballast, Roadstone
As Dimension Stone, Cement Manufacture, for Road Aggregate
Medical Industry
Not Yet Used
Not Yet Used
Antiquity Uses
Monuments, Sculpture, Small Figurines
Artifacts, Sculpture, Small Figurines
Commercial Uses
Commemorative Tablets, Pottery, Used in aquariums
Creating Artwork, Curling
Types
Not Available
Proterozoic Anorthosite and Archean Anorthosite
Features
Has High structural resistance against erosion and climate, Host rock for Diamond, Very fine grained rock
Generally rough to touch, Is one of the oldest rock
Archaeological Significance
Monuments
Used
Not Yet Used
Famous Monuments
Data Not Available
Not Applicable
Famous Sculptures
Data Not Available
Not Applicable
Pictographs
Used
Not Used
Petroglyphs
Used
Not Used
Formation
Adakite rocks are formed when the hydrous fluids are released from minerals that break down in metamorphosed basalt, and rise into the mantle they initiate partial melting.
Anorthosite is a phaneritic, intrusive igneous rock which is characterized by a predominance of plagioclase feldspar which is almost 90–100%, and a minimal mafic component.
Mineral Content
Olivine, Plagioclase, Pyroxene
Amphibole, Clinopyroxene, Ilmenite, Magnetite, Olivine, Orthopyroxene
Compound Content
Aluminium Oxide, MgO, Silicon Dioxide
Ca, CaO, Chromium(III) Oxide, MgO, Sulfur Trioxide
Types of Metamorphism
Cataclastic Metamorphism, Contact Metamorphism, Impact Metamorphism, Regional Metamorphism
Cataclastic Metamorphism, Contact Metamorphism
Types of Weathering
Chemical Weathering, Mechanical Weathering
Biological Weathering
Types of Erosion
Coastal Erosion, Sea Erosion, Water Erosion
Chemical Erosion, Wind Erosion
Grain Size
Fine to Medium Grained
Coarse Grained
Fracture
Conchoidal
Irregular
Streak
Bluish Black
White
Porosity
Less Porous
Less Porous
Luster
Grainy, Pearly and Vitreous
Pearly to Subvitreous
Cleavage
Not Available
Irregular
Toughness
Not Available
Not Available
Specific Gravity
Not Available
2.62-2.82
Transparency
Opaque
Translucent
Density
Not Available
2.7-4 g/cm3
Specific Heat Capacity
Not Available
Resistance
Heat Resistant, Pressure Resistant, Wear Resistant
Heat Resistant, Impact Resistant, Pressure Resistant, Scratch Resistant, Wear Resistant
Deposits in Eastern Continents
Asia
India, Russia
Not Yet Found
Africa
Ethiopia, Somalia, South Africa
Not Yet Found
Europe
Iceland
Bulgaria, France, Germany, Greece, Hungary, Italy, Latvia, Lithuania, Malta, Poland, Portugal, Romania, Slovenia, Spain, Sweden, The Czech Republic
Others
Not Yet Found
Not Yet Found
Deposits in Western Continents
North America
Canada, USA
Canada
South America
Brazil
Bolivia, Colombia
Deposits in Oceania Continent
Australia
Not Yet Found
Central Australia, South Australia, Western Australia
Adakite vs Anorthosite Characteristics
Though some rocks look identical, they have certain characteristics which distinguish them from others. Characteristics of rocks include texture, appearance, color, fracture, streak, hardness etc. Adakite vs Anorthosite characteristics assist us to distinguish and recognize rocks. Also you can check about Properties of Adakite and Properties of Anorthosite. Learn more about Adakite vs Anorthosite in the next section. The interior uses of Adakite include Decorative aggregates, Floor tiles, Homes, Hotels and Kitchens whereas the interior uses of Anorthosite include Decorative aggregates, Floor tiles, Homes and Interior decoration. Due to some exceptional properties of Adakite and Anorthosite, they have various applications in construction industry. The uses of Adakite in construction industry include As dimension stone, Cobblestones, Rail track ballast, Roadstone and that of Anorthosite include As dimension stone, Cement manufacture, For road aggregate.
More about Adakite and Anorthosite
Here you can know more about Adakite and Anorthosite. The life cycle of a rock consists of formation of rock, composition of rock and transformation of rock. The composition of Adakite and Anorthosite consists of mineral content and compound content. The mineral content of Adakite includes Olivine, Plagioclase, Pyroxene and mineral content of Anorthosite includes Amphibole, Clinopyroxene, Ilmenite, Magnetite, Olivine, Orthopyroxene. You can also check out the list of all Igneous Rocks. When we have to compare Adakite vs Anorthosite, the texture, color and appearance plays an important role in determining the type of rock. Adakite is available in black, brown, light to dark grey colors whereas, Anorthosite is available in black, bluish - grey, brown, green, grey, light greenish grey, pink, white colors. Appearance of Adakite is Dull and Soft and that of Anorthosite is Layered, Banded, Veined and Shiny. Properties of rock is another aspect for Adakite vs Anorthosite. The hardness of Adakite is 3-4 and that of Anorthosite is 5-6. The types of Adakite are Not Available whereas types of Anorthosite are Proterozoic Anorthosite and Archean Anorthosite. Streak of rock is the color of powder produced when it is dragged across an unweathered surface. The streak of Adakite is bluish black while that of Anorthosite is white. The specific heat capacity of Adakite is Not Available and that of Anorthosite is 0.84 kJ/Kg K. Depending on the properties like hardness, toughness, specific heat capacity, porosity etc., rocks are resistant to heat, wear, impact, etc.Adakite is heat resistant, pressure resistant, wear resistant whereas Anorthosite is heat resistant, impact resistant, pressure resistant, scratch resistant, wear resistant.