Definition
Amphibolite can be defined as a granular metamorphic rock which mainly consist of hornblende and plagioclase
A ganister is a hard, fine-grained quartzose sandstone or orthoquartzite which is basically used in the manufacture of silica brick typically used to line furnaces and is a type of sedimentary rocks.
Discoverer
Alexandre Brongniart
Unknown
Etymology
From Amphibole + -ite
From gan′is-ter i.e a hard, close-grained siliceous stone, often forming the stratum which underlies a coal-seam
Class
Metamorphic Rocks
Sedimentary Rocks
Sub-Class
Durable Rock, Hard Rock
Durable Rock, Hard Rock
Group
Not Applicable
Not Applicable
Other Categories
Coarse Grained Rock, Medium Grained Rock, Opaque Rock
Coarse Grained Rock, Fine Grained Rock, Opaque Rock
Texture
Banded, Foliated, Massive
Clastic, Granular, Rough
Color
Black, Brown, Green, Grey
Beige, Black, Brown, Colourless, Cream, Dark Brown, Green, Grey, Light Green, Light to Dark Grey, Pink, Red, White, Yellow
Durability
Durable
Durable
Scratch Resistant
Yes
Yes
Appearance
Foliated
Rough
Interior Uses
Countertops, Decorative Aggregates, Entryways, Floor Tiles, Flooring, Homes, Hotels, Kitchens
Decorative Aggregates, Entryways, Flooring, Homes, Interior Decoration
Exterior Uses
As Building Stone, As Facing Stone, Paving Stone, Office Buildings
As Building Stone, Garden Decoration, Office Buildings, Paving Stone
Other Architectural Uses
Curbing
Curbing
Construction Industry
As Dimension Stone, Building houses or walls, Cobblestones, Construction Aggregate, for Road Aggregate, Landscaping, Production of Glass and Ceramics, Roadstone
Cement Manufacture, Construction Aggregate, for Road Aggregate, Production of Glass and Ceramics, Raw material for the manufacture of mortar
Medical Industry
Not Yet Used
Not Yet Used
Antiquity Uses
Artifacts, Sculpture, Small Figurines
Artifacts, Monuments, Sculpture, Small Figurines
Commercial Uses
Cemetery Markers, Commemorative Tablets, Creating Artwork
An Oil and Gas Reservoir, In aquifers, Petroleum reservoirs, Soil Conditioner, Source of Magnesia (MgO), Tombstones
Types
Hornblendite
Not Available
Features
Clasts are smooth to touch, Matrix variable, Surfaces are often shiny
Available in Lots of Colors and Patterns, Generally rough to touch, Very fine grained rock
Archaeological Significance
Famous Monuments
Data Not Available
Data Not Available
Famous Sculptures
Data Not Available
Data Not Available
Pictographs
Not Used
Not Used
Petroglyphs
Not Used
Not Used
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.
Ganisters are formed by the destruction of easily weathered minerals mainly feldspar, within the surface horizon of soil by soil-forming processes.
Mineral Content
Amphibole, Andalusite, Biotite, Calcite, Epidote, Garnet, Hornblade, Kyanite, Magnetite, Olivine, Plagioclase, Pyroxene, Staurolite, Wollastonite
Calcite, Clay, Clay Minerals, Feldspar, Micas, Quartz
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, Potassium Oxide, MgO, Sodium Oxide, Silicon Dioxide
Types of Metamorphism
Not Applicable
Not Applicable
Types of Weathering
Chemical Weathering, Mechanical Weathering
Biological Weathering
Types of Erosion
Chemical Erosion, Glacier Erosion, Sea Erosion, Wind Erosion
Water Erosion, Wind Erosion
Grain Size
Medium to Coarse Grained
Coarse or Fine
Fracture
Irregular to Conchoidal
Splintery
Streak
White to Grey
White
Porosity
Less Porous
Highly Porous
Luster
Vitreous to Dull
Dull
Compressive Strength
Not Available
Cleavage
Irregular
Perfect
Specific Gravity
2.5
2.2-2.8
Transparency
Opaque
Opaque
Density
2.85-3.07 g/cm3
2.2-2.8 g/cm3
Specific Heat Capacity
Not Available
Resistance
Heat Resistant, Pressure Resistant, Wear Resistant
Heat Resistant, Impact Resistant, Pressure Resistant
Deposits in Eastern Continents
Asia
Russia, Turkey
China, India, Kazakhstan, Mongolia, Russia, Uzbekistan
Africa
Burundi, Djibouti, Eritrea, Ethiopia, Kenya, Madagascar, Rwanda, Somalia, South Africa, Sudan, Tanzania, Uganda
Namibia, Nigeria, South Africa
Europe
Germany, Greece, Iceland, Norway, Poland
Austria, Denmark, Germany, Great Britain, Netherlands, Norway, Poland, Sweden, Switzerland, United Kingdom
Others
Not Yet Found
Greenland
Deposits in Western Continents
North America
Canada, USA
Canada, USA
South America
Brazil
Brazil
Deposits in Oceania Continent
Australia
South Australia, Western Australia
New South Wales, New Zealand
Amphibolite vs Ganister 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 Ganister characteristics assist us to distinguish and recognize rocks. Also you can check about Properties of Amphibolite and Properties of Ganister. Learn more about Amphibolite vs Ganister 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 Ganister include Decorative aggregates, Entryways, Flooring, Homes and Interior decoration. Due to some exceptional properties of Amphibolite and Ganister, 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 Ganister include Cement manufacture, Construction aggregate, For road aggregate, Production of glass and ceramics, Raw material for the manufacture of mortar.
More about Amphibolite and Ganister
Here you can know more about Amphibolite and Ganister. The life cycle of a rock consists of formation of rock, composition of rock and transformation of rock. The composition of Amphibolite and Ganister 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 Ganister includes Calcite, Clay, Clay Minerals, Feldspar, Micas, Quartz. You can also check out the list of all Igneous Rocks. When we have to compare Amphibolite vs Ganister, 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, Ganister is available in beige, black, brown, colourless, cream, dark brown, green, grey, light green, light to dark grey, pink, red, white, yellow colors. Appearance of Amphibolite is Foliated and that of Ganister is Rough. Properties of rock is another aspect for Amphibolite vs Ganister. Hardness of Amphibolite and Ganister is 6-7. The types of Amphibolite are Hornblendite whereas types of Ganister 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 Ganister is white. The specific heat capacity of Amphibolite is Not Available and that of Ganister is 0.92 kJ/Kg K. 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 Ganister is heat resistant, impact resistant, pressure resistant.