Definition
Amphibolite can be defined as a granular metamorphic rock which mainly consist of hornblende and plagioclase
Tephrite is an aphanitic to porphyritic textured, volcanic igneous rock
Discoverer
Alexandre Brongniart
Van Tooren
Etymology
From Amphibole + -ite
From Greek tephra, ashes from Indo-European base, to burn
Class
Metamorphic Rocks
Igneous Rocks
Sub-Class
Durable Rock, Hard Rock
Durable Rock, Hard Rock
Group
Not Applicable
Volcanic
Other Categories
Coarse Grained Rock, Medium Grained Rock, Opaque Rock
Coarse Grained Rock, Fine Grained Rock, Medium Grained Rock, Opaque Rock
Texture
Banded, Foliated, Massive
Aphanitic to Porphyritic
Color
Black, Brown, Green, Grey
Black, Brown, Colourless, Green, Grey, White
Durability
Durable
Durable
Scratch Resistant
Yes
Yes
Appearance
Foliated
Vesicular
Interior Uses
Countertops, Decorative Aggregates, Entryways, Floor Tiles, Flooring, Homes, Hotels, Kitchens
Decorative Aggregates, Flooring, 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
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
Landscaping
Medical Industry
Not Yet Used
Not Yet Used
Antiquity Uses
Artifacts, Sculpture, Small Figurines
Artifacts, Sculpture
Commercial Uses
Cemetery Markers, Commemorative Tablets, Creating Artwork
Production of Lime, Soil Conditioner
Types
Hornblendite
Not Available
Features
Clasts are smooth to touch, Matrix variable, Surfaces are often shiny
Host Rock for Lead
Archaeological Significance
Monuments
Used
Not Yet Used
Famous Monuments
Data Not Available
Not Applicable
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.
Tephrite 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.
Mineral Content
Amphibole, Andalusite, Biotite, Calcite, Epidote, Garnet, Hornblade, Kyanite, Magnetite, Olivine, Plagioclase, Pyroxene, Staurolite, Wollastonite
Alkali feldspar, Nepheline, Plagioclase, Pyroxene
Compound Content
Aluminium Oxide, CaO, Iron(III) Oxide, FeO, Potassium Oxide, MgO, MnO, Sodium Oxide, Phosphorus Pentoxide, Silicon Dioxide, Titanium Dioxide
CaO, Carbon Dioxide, MgO, Silicon Dioxide
Types of Metamorphism
Not Applicable
Cataclastic Metamorphism, Contact Metamorphism, Impact Metamorphism, Regional Metamorphism
Types of Weathering
Chemical Weathering, Mechanical Weathering
Biological Weathering, Chemical Weathering, Mechanical Weathering
Types of Erosion
Chemical Erosion, Glacier Erosion, Sea Erosion, Wind Erosion
Chemical Erosion, Coastal Erosion, Glacier Erosion, Sea Erosion, Water Erosion
Grain Size
Medium to Coarse Grained
Medium to Fine Coarse Grained
Fracture
Irregular to Conchoidal
Uneven
Streak
White to Grey
Bluish Black
Porosity
Less Porous
Very Less Porous
Luster
Vitreous to Dull
Subvitreous to Dull
Compressive Strength
Not Available
Cleavage
Irregular
Crenulation and Pervasive
Specific Gravity
2.5
2.86
Transparency
Opaque
Opaque
Density
2.85-3.07 g/cm3
2.8-2.9 g/cm3
Specific Heat Capacity
Not Available
Resistance
Heat Resistant, Pressure Resistant, Wear Resistant
Heat Resistant, Impact Resistant
Deposits in Eastern Continents
Asia
Russia, Turkey
Not Yet Found
Africa
Burundi, Djibouti, Eritrea, Ethiopia, Kenya, Madagascar, Rwanda, Somalia, South Africa, Sudan, Tanzania, Uganda
Namibia, Uganda
Europe
Germany, Greece, Iceland, Norway, Poland
Germany, Hungary, Italy, Portugal, Spain
Others
Not Yet Found
Not Yet Found
Deposits in Western Continents
North America
Canada, USA
USA
South America
Brazil
Not Yet Found
Deposits in Oceania Continent
Australia
South Australia, Western Australia
New Zealand, Western Australia
Amphibolite vs Tephrite 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 Tephrite characteristics assist us to distinguish and recognize rocks. Also you can check about Properties of Amphibolite and Properties of Tephrite. Learn more about Amphibolite vs Tephrite 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 Tephrite include Decorative aggregates, Flooring, Homes and Interior decoration. Due to some exceptional properties of Amphibolite and Tephrite, 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 Tephrite include Landscaping.
More about Amphibolite and Tephrite
Here you can know more about Amphibolite and Tephrite. The life cycle of a rock consists of formation of rock, composition of rock and transformation of rock. The composition of Amphibolite and Tephrite 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 Tephrite includes Alkali feldspar, Nepheline, Plagioclase, Pyroxene. You can also check out the list of all Igneous Rocks. When we have to compare Amphibolite vs Tephrite, 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, Tephrite is available in black, brown, colourless, green, grey, white colors. Appearance of Amphibolite is Foliated and that of Tephrite is Vesicular. Properties of rock is another aspect for Amphibolite vs Tephrite. The hardness of Amphibolite is 6-7 and that of Tephrite is 6.5. The types of Amphibolite are Hornblendite whereas types of Tephrite 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 Tephrite is bluish black. The specific heat capacity of Amphibolite is Not Available and that of Tephrite 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 Tephrite is heat resistant, impact resistant.