Home

Igneous Rocks + -

Fossil Rocks + -

Metamorphic Rocks + -

Durable Rocks + -

Medium Grained Rocks + -

Compare Rocks


Amphibolite and Felsite


Felsite and Amphibolite


Definition

Definition
Amphibolite can be defined as a granular metamorphic rock which mainly consist of hornblende and plagioclase   
Felsite is a very fine grained volcanic rock that may or may not contain larger crystals and light colored rock that typically requires petrographic examination or chemical analysis for more precise definition   

History
  
  

Discoverer
Alexandre Brongniart   
Unknown   

Etymology
From Amphibole + -ite   
From English feldspar and -ite   

Class
Metamorphic Rocks   
Igneous Rocks   

Sub-Class
Durable Rock, Hard Rock   
Durable Rock, Medium Hardness Rock   

Family
  
  

Group
Not Applicable   
Volcanic   

Other Categories
Coarse Grained Rock, Medium Grained Rock, Opaque Rock   
Fine Grained Rock, Opaque Rock   

Texture

Texture
Banded, Foliated, Massive   
Arborescent Patterned, Vitreous   

Color
Black, Brown, Green, Grey   
Black, Blue, Brown, Green, Orange, Red, Tan, Yellow   

Maintenance
Less   
Less   

Durability
Durable   
Durable   

Water Resistant
Yes   
Yes   

Scratch Resistant
Yes   
Yes   

Stain Resistant
Yes   
No   

Wind Resistant
No   
Yes   

Acid Resistant
Yes   
No   

Appearance
Foliated   
Layered, Banded, Veined and Shiny   

Uses

Architecture
  
  

Interior Uses
Countertops, Decorative Aggregates, Entryways, Floor Tiles, Flooring, Homes, Hotels, Kitchens   
Decorative Aggregates, Flooring, Interior Decoration   

Exterior Uses
As Building Stone, As Facing Stone, Paving Stone, Office Buildings   
Paving Stone, Garden Decoration   

Other Architectural Uses
Curbing   
Curbing   

Industry
  
  

Construction Industry
As Dimension Stone, Building houses or walls, Cobblestones, Construction Aggregate, for Road Aggregate, Landscaping, Production of Glass and Ceramics, Roadstone   
Arrowheads, Cutting Tool, Knives, Scrapers, Spear Points   

Medical Industry
Not Yet Used   
Surgery   

Antiquity Uses
Artifacts, Sculpture, Small Figurines   
Artifacts   

Other Uses
  
  

Commercial Uses
Cemetery Markers, Commemorative Tablets, Creating Artwork   
Mirror, Jewelry   

Types

Types
Hornblendite   
Not Available   

Features
Clasts are smooth to touch, Matrix variable, Surfaces are often shiny   
Available in Lots of Colors and Patterns, Clasts are smooth to touch, Splintery, Very fine grained rock   

Archaeological Significance
  
  

Monuments
Used   
Not Yet Used   

Famous Monuments
Data Not Available   
Not Applicable   

Sculpture
Used   
Not Yet Used   

Famous Sculptures
Data Not Available   
Not Applicable   

Pictographs
Not Used   
Used   

Petroglyphs
Not Used   
Used   

Figurines
Used   
Not Yet Used   

Fossils
Absent   
Absent   

Formation

Formation
Amphibolite is a coarse-grained metamorphic rock which forms by metamorphism of mafic igneous rocks like basalt and gabbro or from the metamorphism of clay-rich sedimentary rocks like marl or graywacke.   
Felsite is a fine-grained, hard rock which is a type of metasomatite, essentially altered basalt. It forms with or without crystallization, either below the surface as intrusive rocks or on the surface as extrusive rocks.   

Composition
  
  

Mineral Content
Amphibole, Andalusite, Biotite, Calcite, Epidote, Garnet, Hornblade, Kyanite, Magnetite, Olivine, Plagioclase, Pyroxene, Staurolite, Wollastonite   
Feldspar, Iron Oxides   

Compound Content
Aluminium Oxide, CaO, Iron(III) Oxide, FeO, Potassium Oxide, MgO, MnO, Sodium Oxide, Phosphorus Pentoxide, Silicon Dioxide, Titanium Dioxide   
Aluminium Oxide, CaO, Iron(III) Oxide, FeO, Potassium Oxide, MgO, MnO, Sodium Oxide, Phosphorus Pentoxide, Silicon Dioxide, Titanium Dioxide   

Transformation
  
  

Metamorphism
No   
Yes   

Types of Metamorphism
Not Applicable   
Burial Metamorphism, Contact Metamorphism, Impact Metamorphism, Regional Metamorphism   

Weathering
Yes   
Yes   

Types of Weathering
Chemical Weathering, Mechanical Weathering   
Biological Weathering, Chemical Weathering, Mechanical Weathering   

Erosion
Yes   
Yes   

Types of Erosion
Chemical Erosion, Glacier Erosion, Sea Erosion, Wind Erosion   
Chemical Erosion, Glacier Erosion, Water Erosion   

Properties

Physical Properties
  
  

Hardness
6-7   
5-5.5   

Grain Size
Medium to Coarse Grained   
Fine Grained   

Fracture
Irregular to Conchoidal   
Conchoidal   

Streak
White to Grey   
White   

Porosity
Less Porous   
Very Less Porous   

Luster
Vitreous to Dull   
Vitreous   

Compressive Strength
Not Available   
0.15 N/mm2   
33

Cleavage
Irregular   
Non-Existent   

Toughness
2.3   
Not Available   

Specific Gravity
2.5   
2.6-2.7   

Transparency
Opaque   
Translucent   

Density
2.85-3.07 g/cm3   
2.6 g/cm3   

Thermal Properties
  
  

Specific Heat Capacity
Not Available   
0.92 kJ/Kg K   
10

Resistance
Heat Resistant, Pressure Resistant, Wear Resistant   
Heat Resistant, Impact Resistant   

Reserves

Deposits in Eastern Continents
  
  

Asia
Russia, Turkey   
Afghanistan, Indonesia, Japan, Russia   

Africa
Burundi, Djibouti, Eritrea, Ethiopia, Kenya, Madagascar, Rwanda, Somalia, South Africa, Sudan, Tanzania, Uganda   
Kenya   

Europe
Germany, Greece, Iceland, Norway, Poland   
Greece, Hungary, Iceland, Italy, Turkey   

Others
Not Yet Found   
Not Yet Found   

Deposits in Western Continents
  
  

North America
Canada, USA   
Canada, Mexico, USA   

South America
Brazil   
Argentina, Chile, Ecuador, Peru   

Deposits in Oceania Continent
  
  

Australia
South Australia, Western Australia   
New Zealand   

Summary >>
<< Reserves

All about Amphibolite and Felsite Properties

Know all about Amphibolite and Felsite properties here. All properties of rocks are important as they define the type of rock and its application. Amphibolite belongs to Metamorphic Rocks while Felsite belongs to Igneous Rocks.Texture of Amphibolite is Banded, Foliated, Massive whereas that of Felsite is Arborescent Patterned, Vitreous. Amphibolite appears Foliated and Felsite appears Layered, Banded, Veined and Shiny. The luster of Amphibolite is vitreous to dull while that of Felsite is vitreous. Amphibolite is available in black, brown, green, grey colors whereas Felsite is available in black, blue, brown, green, orange, red, tan, yellow colors. The commercial uses of Amphibolite are cemetery markers, commemorative tablets, creating artwork and that of Felsite are mirror, jewelry.

Compare Igneous Rocks

Igneous Rocks

Igneous Rocks

» More Igneous Rocks

Compare Igneous Rocks

» More Compare Igneous Rocks