Definition
Andesite is a dark, fine-grained, brown or greyish intermediate volcanic rock which is a commonly found in lava
  
A water-soluble mineral sediment resulting from concentration and crystallization by evaporation from an aqueous solution
  
History
  
  
Origin
North America
  
USA
  
Discoverer
Unknown
  
Usiglio
  
Etymology
From Andes mountains, where it is found in abundance
  
From a sediment left after the evaporation
  
Class
Igneous Rocks
  
Sedimentary Rocks
  
Sub-Class
Durable Rock, Hard Rock
  
Durable Rock, Soft Rock
  
Family
  
  
Group
Volcanic
  
Not Applicable
  
Other Categories
Fine Grained Rock, Opaque Rock
  
Coarse Grained Rock, Fine Grained Rock, Medium Grained Rock, Opaque Rock
  
Texture
Aphanitic to Porphyritic
  
Earthy
  
Color
Bluish - Grey, Grey, Pink, Yellow
  
Colourless, Green, Grey, Silver, White
  
Maintenance
More
  
Less
  
Durability
Durable
  
Durable
  
Water Resistant
No
  
Yes
  
Scratch Resistant
Yes
  
No
  
Stain Resistant
Yes
  
No
  
Wind Resistant
No
  
Yes
  
Acid Resistant
Yes
  
No
  
Appearance
Dull and Soft
  
Glassy, Vesicular and Foilated
  
Architecture
  
  
Interior Uses
Decorative Aggregates, Floor Tiles, Homes, Interior Decoration, Kitchens
  
Decorative Aggregates, Entryways, Flooring, Homes, Interior Decoration
  
Exterior Uses
Office Buildings, Roof Tiles
  
As Building Stone, As Facing Stone, Garden Decoration, Paving Stone
  
Other Architectural Uses
Curbing
  
Curbing
  
Industry
  
  
Construction Industry
Cobblestones, Construction Aggregate, for Road Aggregate
  
As a Flux in the Production of Steel and Pig Iron, As a Sintering Agent in Steel Industry to process Iron Ore, As Dimension Stone, Cement Manufacture, for Road Aggregate, Making natural cement, Manufacture of Magnesium and Dolomite Refractories
  
Medical Industry
Not Yet Used
  
Taken as a Supplement for Calcium or Magnesium
  
Antiquity Uses
Artifacts, Monuments, Sculpture, Small Figurines
  
Artifacts
  
Other Uses
  
  
Commercial Uses
Commemorative Tablets, Creating Artwork
  
Used in the manufacture of Ceramic Powder, Used in the preparation of Sulfuric Acid and Silicon Diborite
  
Types
Icelandite
  
Not Available
  
Features
Generally rough to touch, High silica content, Is one of the oldest rock
  
Generally rough to touch, Splintery, Veined
  
Archaeological Significance
  
  
Monuments
Used
  
Not Yet Used
  
Famous Monuments
Middle of the Earth in Ecuador
  
Not Applicable
  
Sculpture
Used
  
Not Yet Used
  
Famous Sculptures
Data Not Available
  
Not Applicable
  
Pictographs
Not Used
  
Used
  
Petroglyphs
Not Used
  
Used
  
Figurines
Used
  
Not Yet Used
  
Fossils
Absent
  
Present
  
Formation
Andesite is a fine-grained igneous rock that forms when the magma is erupted onto the surface and is crystallized quickly.
  
Evaporite is water-soluble mineral sediment which forms from concentration and crystallization by evaporation from an aqueous solution.
  
Composition
  
  
Mineral Content
Amphibole, Apatite, Biotite, Feldspar, Garnet, Hornblade, Ilmenite, Magnetite, Plagioclase, Pyroxene, Zircon
  
Calcite, Cancrinite, Gypsum, Kyanite, Magnetite
  
Compound Content
Silicon Dioxide
  
CaMg(CO3)2, CaO, Calcium Sulfate, KCl, MgO, NaCl
  
Transformation
  
  
Metamorphism
Yes
  
Yes
  
Types of Metamorphism
Burial Metamorphism, Cataclastic Metamorphism, Contact Metamorphism, Hydrothermal Metamorphism, Impact Metamorphism, Regional Metamorphism
  
Burial Metamorphism, Cataclastic Metamorphism, Contact Metamorphism, Impact Metamorphism, Regional Metamorphism
  
Weathering
Yes
  
No
  
Types of Weathering
Biological Weathering, Chemical Weathering, Mechanical Weathering
  
Not Applicable
  
Erosion
Yes
  
No
  
Types of Erosion
Chemical Erosion, Coastal Erosion, Glacier Erosion
  
Not Applicable
  
Physical Properties
  
  
Hardness
7
  
2-3
  
Grain Size
Very fine-grained
  
Medium to Fine Coarse Grained
  
Fracture
Uneven
  
Conchoidal
  
Streak
White
  
White
  
Porosity
Less Porous
  
Less Porous
  
Luster
Vitreous
  
Subvitreous to Dull
  
Compressive Strength
225.00 N/mm
2
  
7
225.00 N/mm
2
  
7
Cleavage
Not Available
  
Perfect
  
Toughness
1.1
  
Not Available
  
Specific Gravity
2.5-2.8
  
2.86-2.99
  
Transparency
Opaque
  
Translucent
  
Density
2.11-2.36 g/cm3
  
2.8-2.9 g/cm3
  
Thermal Properties
  
  
Specific Heat Capacity
2.39 kJ/Kg K
  
2
0.92 kJ/Kg K
  
10
Resistance
Heat Resistant, Pressure Resistant, Wear Resistant
  
Heat Resistant, Pressure Resistant
  
Deposits in Eastern Continents
  
  
Asia
India, Indonesia, Japan, Nepal, South Korea
  
Not Available
  
Africa
Egypt, Ethiopia, Morocco, Namibia, South Africa, Tanzania
  
Not Available
  
Europe
Austria, Finland, Germany, Italy, Romania, Turkey, United Kingdom
  
United Kingdom
  
Others
Not Yet Found
  
Not Yet Found
  
Deposits in Western Continents
  
  
North America
Mexico, USA
  
USA
  
South America
Argentina, Bolivia, Chile, Colombia, Ecuador, Peru, Venezuela
  
Colombia, Paraguay
  
Deposits in Oceania Continent
  
  
Australia
New South Wales, New Zealand, Western Australia
  
Central Australia, Western Australia