Definition
Amphibolite can be defined as a granular metamorphic rock which mainly consist of hornblende and plagioclase
History
Origin
-
Discoverer
Alexandre Brongniart
Etymology
From Amphibole + -ite
Class
Metamorphic Rocks
Sub-Class
Durable Rock, Hard Rock
Family
Group
-
Other Categories
Coarse Grained Rock, Medium Grained Rock, Opaque Rock
Texture
Banded, Foliated, Massive
Color
Black, Brown, Green, Grey
Maintenance
Less
Durability
Durable
Water Resistant
✔
✘
81% - Igneous Rocks Rocks have it !
Scratch Resistant
✔
✘
86% - Igneous Rocks Rocks have it !
Stain Resistant
✔
✘
66% - Igneous Rocks Rocks have it !
Wind Resistant
✔
✘
49% - Igneous Rocks Rocks
Acid Resistant
✔
✘
48% - Igneous Rocks Rocks have it !
Appearance
Foliated
Architecture
Interior Uses
Countertops, Decorative Aggregates, Entryways, Floor Tiles, Flooring, Homes, Hotels, Kitchens
Exterior Uses
As Building Stone, As Facing Stone, Paving Stone, Office Buildings
Other Architectural Uses
Curbing
Industry
Construction Industry
As Dimension Stone, Building houses or walls, Cobblestones, Construction Aggregate, for Road Aggregate, Landscaping, Production of Glass and Ceramics, Roadstone
Medical Industry
-
Antiquity Uses
Artifacts, Sculpture, Small Figurines
Other Uses
Commercial Uses
Cemetery Markers, Commemorative Tablets, Creating Artwork
Types
Hornblendite
Features
Clasts are smooth to touch, Matrix variable, Surfaces are often shiny
Archaeological Significance
Monuments
-
Famous Monuments
-
Sculpture
-
Famous Sculptures
-
Pictographs
-
Petroglyphs
-
Figurines
-
Fossils
Absent
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.
Composition
Mineral Content
Amphibole, Andalusite, Biotite, Calcite, Epidote, Garnet, Hornblade, Kyanite, Magnetite, Olivine, Plagioclase, Pyroxene, Staurolite, Wollastonite
Compound Content
Aluminium Oxide, CaO, Iron(III) Oxide, FeO, Potassium Oxide, MgO, MnO, Sodium Oxide, Phosphorus Pentoxide, Silicon Dioxide, Titanium Dioxide
Transformation
Metamorphism
✔
✘
97% - Igneous Rocks Rocks
Types of Metamorphism
-
Weathering
✔
✘
99% - Igneous Rocks Rocks have it !
Types of Weathering
Chemical Weathering, Mechanical Weathering
Erosion
✔
✘
92% - Igneous Rocks Rocks have it !
Types of Erosion
Chemical Erosion, Glacier Erosion, Sea Erosion, Wind Erosion
Physical Properties
Hardness
6-7
1
7
👆🏻
Grain Size
Medium to Coarse Grained
Fracture
Irregular to Conchoidal
Streak
White to Grey
Porosity
Less Porous
Luster
Vitreous to Dull
Compressive Strength
90.00 N/mm2
Rank: 32 (Overall)
0.15
450
👆🏻
Cleavage
-
Toughness
2.3
Specific Gravity
2.5
0
8.4
👆🏻
Transparency
Opaque
Density
2.85-3.07 g/cm3
0
1400
👆🏻
Thermal Properties
Specific Heat Capacity
0.84 kJ/Kg K
Rank: 15 (Overall)
0.14
3.2
👆🏻
Resistance
Heat Resistant, Pressure Resistant, Wear Resistant
Deposits in Eastern Continents
Asia
Russia, Turkey
Africa
Burundi, Djibouti, Eritrea, Ethiopia, Kenya, Madagascar, Rwanda, Somalia, South Africa, Sudan, Tanzania, Uganda
Europe
Germany, Greece, Iceland, Norway, Poland
Others
-
Deposits in Western Continents
North America
Canada, USA
South America
Brazil
Deposits in Oceania Continent
Australia
South Australia, Western Australia