Definition
Amphibolite can be defined as a granular metamorphic rock which mainly consist of hornblende and plagioclase
Tonalite is a coarse-grained plutonic rock consisting mainly of sodic plagioclase, quartz, and hornblende or other mafic minerals with phaneritic texture
Origin
Unknown
Tonale, Italy
Discoverer
Alexandre Brongniart
Unknown
Etymology
From Amphibole + -ite
From Tonale Pass, northern Italy, + -ite1
Class
Metamorphic Rocks
Igneous Rocks
Sub-Class
Durable Rock, Hard Rock
Durable Rock, Hard Rock
Group
Not Applicable
Plutonic
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
Phaneritic
Color
Black, Brown, Green, Grey
Black, Brown, Light to Dark Grey, White
Durability
Durable
Durable
Scratch Resistant
Yes
Yes
Appearance
Foliated
Banded and Foilated
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, As Facing Stone, Paving 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
As Dimension Stone, Cement Manufacture, Cobblestones, Construction Aggregate, for Road Aggregate
Medical Industry
Not Yet Used
Not Yet Used
Antiquity Uses
Artifacts, Sculpture, Small Figurines
Artifacts, Sculpture
Commercial Uses
Cemetery Markers, Commemorative Tablets, Creating Artwork
Cemetery Markers, Creating Artwork
Types
Hornblendite
Dacite
Features
Clasts are smooth to touch, Matrix variable, Surfaces are often shiny
Is one of the oldest rock, Typically speckled black and white.
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.
When alkali feldspar is extracted from granite, it changes to granitoid and later, it becomes tonalite with quartz as major mineral.
Mineral Content
Amphibole, Andalusite, Biotite, Calcite, Epidote, Garnet, Hornblade, Kyanite, Magnetite, Olivine, Plagioclase, Pyroxene, Staurolite, Wollastonite
Albite, Amphibole, Apatite, Biotite, Feldspar, Hornblade, Ilmenite, Magnetite, Manganese Oxides, Olivine, Plagioclase, Pyroxene, Quartz, Sulfides, Titanite, Zircon
Compound Content
Aluminium Oxide, CaO, Iron(III) Oxide, FeO, Potassium Oxide, MgO, MnO, Sodium Oxide, Phosphorus Pentoxide, Silicon Dioxide, Titanium Dioxide
NaCl, CaO, MgO, Silicon Dioxide
Types of Metamorphism
Not Applicable
Burial Metamorphism, Cataclastic Metamorphism, Contact Metamorphism, Hydrothermal 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
Wind Erosion
Grain Size
Medium to Coarse Grained
Medium to Fine Coarse Grained
Fracture
Irregular to Conchoidal
Conchoidal
Streak
White to Grey
Bluish Black
Porosity
Less Porous
Very Less Porous
Luster
Vitreous to Dull
Subvitreous to Dull
Cleavage
Irregular
Not Available
Specific Gravity
2.5
2.86-3
Transparency
Opaque
Opaque
Density
2.85-3.07 g/cm3
2.73 g/cm3
Specific Heat Capacity
Not Available
Resistance
Heat Resistant, Pressure Resistant, Wear Resistant
Heat Resistant, Pressure Resistant, Water 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
Egypt
Europe
Germany, Greece, Iceland, Norway, Poland
Finland, Germany, Italy, Romania, Sweden, Turkey
Others
Not Yet Found
Not Yet Found
Deposits in Western Continents
North America
Canada, USA
USA
South America
Brazil
Argentina, Bolivia, Chile, Colombia, Ecuador, Peru
Deposits in Oceania Continent
Australia
South Australia, Western Australia
New Zealand, South Australia, Western Australia
Amphibolite vs Tonalite 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 Tonalite characteristics assist us to distinguish and recognize rocks. Also you can check about Properties of Amphibolite and Properties of Tonalite. Learn more about Amphibolite vs Tonalite 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 Tonalite include Decorative aggregates, Entryways, Flooring, Homes and Interior decoration. Due to some exceptional properties of Amphibolite and Tonalite, 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 Tonalite include As dimension stone, Cement manufacture, Cobblestones, Construction aggregate, For road aggregate.
More about Amphibolite and Tonalite
Here you can know more about Amphibolite and Tonalite. The life cycle of a rock consists of formation of rock, composition of rock and transformation of rock. The composition of Amphibolite and Tonalite 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 Tonalite includes Albite, Amphibole, Apatite, Biotite, Feldspar, Hornblade, Ilmenite, Magnetite, Manganese Oxides, Olivine, Plagioclase, Pyroxene, Quartz, Sulfides, Titanite, Zircon. You can also check out the list of all Igneous Rocks. When we have to compare Amphibolite vs Tonalite, 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, Tonalite is available in black, brown, light to dark grey, white colors. Appearance of Amphibolite is Foliated and that of Tonalite is Banded and Foilated. Properties of rock is another aspect for Amphibolite vs Tonalite. Hardness of Amphibolite and Tonalite is 6-7. The types of Amphibolite are Hornblendite whereas types of Tonalite are Dacite. 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 Tonalite is bluish black. The specific heat capacity of Amphibolite is Not Available and that of Tonalite 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 Tonalite is heat resistant, pressure resistant, water resistant.