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Amphibolite vs Gabbro


Gabbro vs Amphibolite


Definition

Definition
Amphibolite can be defined as a granular metamorphic rock which mainly consist of hornblende and plagioclase   
Gabbro is an intrusive igneous rock which is chemically equivalent to plutonic Basalt   

History
  
  

Origin
Unknown   
Germany   

Discoverer
Alexandre Brongniart   
Christian Leopold von Buch   

Etymology
From Amphibole + -ite   
From Latin glaber bare, smooth, bald   

Class
Metamorphic Rocks   
Igneous Rocks   

Sub-Class
Durable Rock, Hard Rock   
Durable Rock, Hard Rock   

Family
  
  

Group
Not Applicable   
Plutonic   

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

Texture

Texture
Banded, Foliated, Massive   
Phaneritic   

Color
Black, Brown, Green, Grey   
Dark Grey to Black   

Maintenance
Less   
Less   

Durability
Durable   
Durable   

Water Resistant
Yes   
Yes   

Scratch Resistant
Yes   
Yes   

Stain Resistant
Yes   
Yes   

Wind Resistant
No   
Yes   

Acid Resistant
Yes   
Yes   

Appearance
Foliated   
Veined and Shiny   

Uses

Architecture
  
  

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

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

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   
As Dimension Stone, Building houses or walls, Cement Manufacture, Construction Aggregate, for Road Aggregate   

Medical Industry
Not Yet Used   
Not Yet Used   

Antiquity Uses
Artifacts, Sculpture, Small Figurines   
Artifacts, Monuments, Sculpture   

Other Uses
  
  

Commercial Uses
Cemetery Markers, Commemorative Tablets, Creating Artwork   
Cemetery Markers, Commemorative Tablets, Laboratory bench tops, Jewelry, Sea Defence, Tombstones   

Types

Types
Hornblendite   
Not Available   

Features
Clasts are smooth to touch, Matrix variable, Surfaces are often shiny   
Smooth to touch   

Archaeological Significance
  
  

Monuments
Used   
Used   

Famous Monuments
Data Not Available   
Data Not Available   

Sculpture
Used   
Used   

Famous Sculptures
Data Not Available   
Data Not Available   

Pictographs
Not Used   
Not Used   

Petroglyphs
Not Used   
Not Used   

Figurines
Used   
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.   
Gabbro, a mafic rock, forms due to cooling and crystallization of magma underneath Earth's surface.   

Composition
  
  

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

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

Transformation
  
  

Metamorphism
No   
Yes   

Types of Metamorphism
Not Applicable   
Impact Metamorphism   

Weathering
Yes   
Yes   

Types of Weathering
Chemical Weathering, Mechanical Weathering   
Chemical Weathering   

Erosion
Yes   
Yes   

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

Properties

Physical Properties
  
  

Hardness
6-7   
7   

Grain Size
Medium to Coarse Grained   
Coarse Grained   

Fracture
Irregular to Conchoidal   
Conchoidal   

Streak
White to Grey   
Black   

Porosity
Less Porous   
Highly Porous   

Luster
Vitreous to Dull   
Not Available   

Compressive Strength
Not Available   
225.00 N/mm2   
7

Cleavage
Irregular   
Not Available   

Toughness
2.3   
1.6   

Specific Gravity
2.5   
2.86-2.87   

Transparency
Opaque   
Opaque   

Density
2.85-3.07 g/cm3   
2.7-3.3 g/cm3   

Thermal Properties
  
  

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

Reserves

Deposits in Eastern Continents
  
  

Asia
Russia, Turkey   
India, Russia   

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

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

Others
Not Yet Found   
Greenland   

Deposits in Western Continents
  
  

North America
Canada, USA   
Canada, USA   

South America
Brazil   
Brazil, Colombia, Venezuela   

Deposits in Oceania Continent
  
  

Australia
South Australia, Western Australia   
New Zealand, Queensland   

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Amphibolite vs Gabbro Information

Earth’s outer layer is covered by rocks and these rocks have different physical and chemical properties. As two rocks are not same, it’s fun to compare them. You can also know more about Amphibolite and Gabbro Reserves. Amphibolite can be defined as a granular metamorphic rock which mainly consist of hornblende and plagioclase. Gabbro is an intrusive igneous rock which is chemically equivalent to plutonic Basalt. These rocks are composed of many distinct minerals. The process of formation of rocks is different for various rocks. Rocks are quarried from many years for various purposes. You can check out Amphibolite vs Gabbro information and Amphibolite vs Gabbro characteristics in the upcoming sections.

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Amphibolite vs Gabbro 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. Amphibolite vs Gabbro characteristics assist us to distinguish and recognize rocks. Also you can check about Properties of Amphibolite and Properties of Gabbro. Learn more about Amphibolite vs Gabbro in the next section. The interior uses of Amphibolite include Countertops, Decorative aggregates, Entryways, Floor tiles, Flooring, Homes, Hotels and Kitchens whereas the interior uses of Gabbro include Countertops, Decorative aggregates, Homes and Interior decoration. Due to some exceptional properties of Amphibolite and Gabbro, they have various applications in construction industry. The uses of Amphibolite in construction industry include As dimension stone, Building houses or walls, Cobblestones, Construction aggregate, For road aggregate, Landscaping, Production of glass and ceramics, Roadstone and that of Gabbro include As dimension stone, Building houses or walls, Cement manufacture, Construction aggregate, For road aggregate.

More about Amphibolite and Gabbro

Here you can know more about Amphibolite and Gabbro. The life cycle of a rock consists of formation of rock, composition of rock and transformation of rock. The composition of Amphibolite and Gabbro consists of mineral content and compound content. The mineral content of Amphibolite includes Amphibole, Andalusite, Biotite, Calcite, Epidote, Garnet, Hornblade, Kyanite, Magnetite, Olivine, Plagioclase, Pyroxene, Staurolite, Wollastonite and mineral content of Gabbro includes Augite, Olivine, Plagioclase, Pyroxene. You can also check out the list of all Igneous Rocks. When we have to compare Amphibolite vs Gabbro, the texture, color and appearance plays an important role in determining the type of rock. Amphibolite is available in black, brown, green, grey colors whereas, Gabbro is available in dark grey to black colors. Appearance of Amphibolite is Foliated and that of Gabbro is Veined and Shiny. Properties of rock is another aspect for Amphibolite vs Gabbro. The hardness of Amphibolite is 6-7 and that of Gabbro is 7. The types of Amphibolite are Hornblendite whereas types of Gabbro are Not Available. Streak of rock is the color of powder produced when it is dragged across an unweathered surface. The streak of Amphibolite is white to grey while that of Gabbro is black. The specific heat capacity of Amphibolite is Not Available and that of Gabbro is Not Available. Depending on the properties like hardness, toughness, specific heat capacity, porosity etc., rocks are resistant to heat, wear, impact, etc.Amphibolite is heat resistant, pressure resistant, wear resistant whereas Gabbro is impact resistant, pressure resistant, wear resistant.

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