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
Diorite is a grey to dark-grey intermediate intrusive igneous rock composed principally of plagioclase feldspar,biotite, hornblende, and pyroxene
Origin
Adak, Aleutian Islands
-
Discoverer
Defant and Drummond
Unknown
Etymology
From Adak, Aleutian Islands
From early 19th century coined in French, formed irregularly from Greek diorizein distinguish
Class
Igneous Rocks
Igneous Rocks
Sub-Class
Durable Rock, Medium Hardness Rock
Durable Rock, Hard Rock
Other Categories
Fine Grained Rock, Medium Grained Rock, Opaque Rock
Coarse Grained Rock, Medium Grained Rock, Opaque Rock
Texture
Porphyritic
Phaneritic
Color
Black, Brown, Light to Dark Grey
Black, Brown, Light to Dark Grey, White
Durability
Durable
Durable
Appearance
Dull and Soft
Shiny
Interior Uses
Decorative Aggregates, Floor Tiles, Homes, Hotels, Kitchens
Decorative Aggregates, 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, Cobblestones, Construction Aggregate, for Road Aggregate
Antiquity Uses
Monuments, Sculpture, Small Figurines
Artifacts, Monuments, Sculpture, Small Figurines
Commercial Uses
Commemorative Tablets, Pottery, Used in aquariums
Creating Artwork, Curling
Types
Intermediate volcanic rock
Plagioclase Diorite and Quartz Diorite
Features
Has High structural resistance against erosion and climate, Host rock for Diamond, Very fine grained rock
Typically speckled black and white.
Archaeological Significance
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.
Diorite is a coarse-grained intrusive igneous rock which contains large interlocking and randomly oriented crystals and forms when molten lava does not reach the Earth’s surface and cools down in the Earth’s crust.
Mineral Content
Olivine, Plagioclase, Pyroxene
Albite, Amphibole, Apatite, Biotite, Feldspar, Hornblade, Ilmenite, Magnetite, Muscovite or Illite, Olivine, Plagioclase, Pyroxene, Quartz, Sulfides, Titanite, Zircon
Compound Content
Aluminium Oxide, MgO, Silicon Dioxide
Silicon Dioxide
Types of Metamorphism
Cataclastic Metamorphism, Contact Metamorphism, Impact Metamorphism, Regional Metamorphism
Cataclastic Metamorphism, Contact Metamorphism, Regional Metamorphism
Types of Weathering
Chemical Weathering, Mechanical Weathering
Biological Weathering, Chemical Weathering, Mechanical Weathering
Types of Erosion
Coastal Erosion, Sea Erosion, Water Erosion
Chemical Erosion, Coastal Erosion, Water Erosion
Grain Size
Fine to Medium Grained
Medium to Coarse Grained
Streak
Bluish Black
Bluish Black
Porosity
Less Porous
Very Less Porous
Luster
Grainy, Pearly and Vitreous
Shiny
Specific Gravity
-9999
2.8-3
Transparency
Opaque
Opaque
Density
-9999 g/cm3
2.8-3 g/cm3
Resistance
Heat Resistant, Pressure Resistant, Wear Resistant
Heat Resistant, Pressure Resistant, Wear Resistant
Deposits in Eastern Continents
Africa
Ethiopia, Somalia, South Africa
Egypt
Europe
Iceland
Finland, Germany, Italy, Romania, Sweden, Turkey, United Kingdom
Deposits in Western Continents
North America
Canada, USA
USA
South America
Brazil
Argentina, Bolivia, Chile, Colombia, Ecuador, Peru
Deposits in Oceania Continent
Australia
-
New Zealand, Western Australia
Adakite vs Diorite 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 Diorite characteristics assist us to distinguish and recognize rocks. Also you can check about Properties of Adakite and Properties of Diorite. Learn more about Adakite vs Diorite in the next section. The interior uses of Adakite include Decorative aggregates, Floor tiles, Homes, Hotels and Kitchens whereas the interior uses of Diorite include Decorative aggregates and Interior decoration. Due to some exceptional properties of Adakite and Diorite, 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 Diorite include As dimension stone, Cement manufacture, Cobblestones, Construction aggregate, For road aggregate.
More about Adakite and Diorite
Here you can know more about Adakite and Diorite. The life cycle of a rock consists of formation of rock, composition of rock and transformation of rock. The composition of Adakite and Diorite consists of mineral content and compound content. The mineral content of Adakite includes Olivine, Plagioclase, Pyroxene and mineral content of Diorite includes Albite, Amphibole, Apatite, Biotite, Feldspar, Hornblade, Ilmenite, Magnetite, Muscovite or Illite, Olivine, Plagioclase, Pyroxene, Quartz, Sulfides, Titanite, Zircon. You can also check out the list of all Igneous Rocks. When we have to compare Adakite vs Diorite, 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, Diorite is available in black, brown, light to dark grey, white colors. Appearance of Adakite is Dull and Soft and that of Diorite is Shiny. Properties of rock is another aspect for Adakite vs Diorite. The hardness of Adakite is 3-4 and that of Diorite is 6-7. The types of Adakite are Intermediate volcanic rock whereas types of Diorite are Plagioclase Diorite and Quartz Diorite. Streak of rock is the color of powder produced when it is dragged across an unweathered surface. The streak of Adakite and Diorite is bluish black. The specific heat capacity of Adakite is 0.84 kJ/Kg K and that of Diorite 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 Diorite is heat resistant, pressure resistant, wear resistant.