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Andesite
Andesite

Anorthosite
Anorthosite



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Andesite vs Anorthosite

Definition

Definition

Andesite is a dark, fine-grained, brown or greyish intermediate volcanic rock which is a commonly found in lava
Anorthosite is a granular igneous rock composed largely of labradorite or plagioclase

History

Origin

North America
-

Discoverer

Theodor von Gümbel
Unknown

Etymology

From Andes mountains, where it is found in abundance
From French anorthose plagioclase + -ite1

Class

Igneous Rocks
Igneous Rocks

Sub-Class

Durable Rock, Hard Rock
Durable Rock, Medium Hardness Rock

Family

Group

Volcanic
Plutonic

Other Categories

Fine Grained Rock, Opaque Rock
Coarse Grained Rock, Opaque Rock

Texture

Texture

Aphanitic to Porphyritic
Foliated, Glassy

Color

Bluish - Grey, Grey, Pink, Yellow
Black, Bluish - Grey, Brown, Green, Grey, Light Greenish Grey, Pink, White

Maintenance

More
Less

Durability

Durable
Durable

Water Resistant

Scratch Resistant

Stain Resistant

Wind Resistant

Acid Resistant

Appearance

Dull and Soft
Layered, Banded, Veined and Shiny

Uses

Architecture

Interior Uses

Decorative Aggregates, Floor Tiles, Homes, Interior Decoration, Kitchens
Decorative Aggregates, Floor Tiles, Homes, Interior Decoration

Exterior Uses

Office Buildings, Roof Tiles
As Building Stone, As Facing Stone, Garden Decoration

Other Architectural Uses

Curbing
Curbing

Industry

Construction Industry

Cobblestones, Construction Aggregate, for Road Aggregate
As Dimension Stone, Cement Manufacture, for Road Aggregate

Medical Industry

-
-

Antiquity Uses

Artifacts, Monuments, Sculpture, Small Figurines
Artifacts, Sculpture, Small Figurines

Other Uses

Commercial Uses

Commemorative Tablets, Creating Artwork
Creating Artwork, Curling

Types

Types

Icelandite
Proterozoic Anorthosite and Archean Anorthosite

Features

Generally rough to touch, High silica content, Is one of the oldest rock
Generally rough to touch, Is one of the oldest rock

Archaeological Significance

Monuments

-
-

Famous Monuments

Middle of the Earth in Ecuador
-

Sculpture

-
-

Famous Sculptures

-
-

Pictographs

-
-

Petroglyphs

-
-

Figurines

-
-

Fossils

Absent
Absent

Formation

Formation

Andesite is a fine-grained igneous rock that forms when the magma is erupted onto the surface and is crystallized quickly.
Anorthosite is a phaneritic, intrusive igneous rock which is characterized by a predominance of plagioclase feldspar which is almost 90–100%, and a minimal mafic component.

Composition

Mineral Content

Amphibole, Apatite, Biotite, Feldspar, Garnet, Hornblade, Ilmenite, Magnetite, Plagioclase, Pyroxene, Zircon
Amphibole, Clinopyroxene, Ilmenite, Magnetite, Olivine, Orthopyroxene

Compound Content

Silicon Dioxide
Ca, CaO, Chromium(III) Oxide, MgO, Sulfur Trioxide

Transformation

Metamorphism

Types of Metamorphism

Burial Metamorphism, Cataclastic Metamorphism, Contact Metamorphism, Hydrothermal Metamorphism, Impact Metamorphism, Regional Metamorphism
Cataclastic Metamorphism, Contact Metamorphism

Weathering

Types of Weathering

Biological Weathering, Chemical Weathering, Mechanical Weathering
Biological Weathering

Erosion

Types of Erosion

Chemical Erosion, Coastal Erosion, Glacier Erosion
Chemical Erosion, Wind Erosion

Properties

Physical Properties

Hardness

75-6
1 7
👆🏻

Grain Size

Very fine-grained
Coarse Grained

Fracture

Uneven
Irregular

Streak

White
White

Porosity

Less Porous
Less Porous

Luster

Vitreous
Pearly to Subvitreous

Compressive Strength

225.00 N/mm2180.00 N/mm2
0.15 450
👆🏻

Cleavage

-
-

Toughness

1.1
-

Specific Gravity

2.5-2.82.62-2.82
0 8.4
👆🏻

Transparency

Opaque
Translucent

Density

2.11-2.36 g/cm32.7-4 g/cm3
0 1400
👆🏻

Thermal Properties

Specific Heat Capacity

2.39 kJ/Kg K0.84 kJ/Kg K
0.14 3.2
👆🏻

Resistance

Heat Resistant, Pressure Resistant, Wear Resistant
Heat Resistant, Impact Resistant, Pressure Resistant, Scratch Resistant, Wear Resistant

Reserves

Deposits in Eastern Continents

Asia

India, Indonesia, Japan, Nepal, South Korea
-

Africa

Egypt, Ethiopia, Morocco, Namibia, South Africa, Tanzania
-

Europe

Austria, Finland, Germany, Italy, Romania, Turkey, United Kingdom
Bulgaria, France, Germany, Greece, Hungary, Italy, Latvia, Lithuania, Malta, Poland, Portugal, Romania, Slovenia, Spain, Sweden, The Czech Republic

Others

-
-

Deposits in Western Continents

North America

Mexico, USA
Canada

South America

Argentina, Bolivia, Chile, Colombia, Ecuador, Peru, Venezuela
Bolivia, Colombia

Deposits in Oceania Continent

Australia

New South Wales, New Zealand, Western Australia
Central Australia, South Australia, Western Australia

Andesite vs Anorthosite 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 Andesite and Anorthosite Reserves. Andesite is a dark, fine-grained, brown or greyish intermediate volcanic rock which is a commonly found in lava. Anorthosite is a granular igneous rock composed largely of labradorite or plagioclase. 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 Andesite vs Anorthosite information and Andesite vs Anorthosite characteristics in the upcoming sections.

Andesite vs Anorthosite 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. Andesite vs Anorthosite characteristics assist us to distinguish and recognize rocks. Also you can check about Properties of Andesite and Properties of Anorthosite. Learn more about Andesite vs Anorthosite in the next section. The interior uses of Andesite include Decorative aggregates, Floor tiles, Homes, Interior decoration and Kitchens whereas the interior uses of Anorthosite include Decorative aggregates, Floor tiles, Homes and Interior decoration. Due to some exceptional properties of Andesite and Anorthosite, they have various applications in construction industry. The uses of Andesite in construction industry include Cobblestones, Construction aggregate, For road aggregate and that of Anorthosite include As dimension stone, Cement manufacture, For road aggregate.

More about Andesite and Anorthosite

Here you can know more about Andesite and Anorthosite. The life cycle of a rock consists of formation of rock, composition of rock and transformation of rock. The composition of Andesite and Anorthosite consists of mineral content and compound content. The mineral content of Andesite includes Amphibole, Apatite, Biotite, Feldspar, Garnet, Hornblade, Ilmenite, Magnetite, Plagioclase, Pyroxene, Zircon and mineral content of Anorthosite includes Amphibole, Clinopyroxene, Ilmenite, Magnetite, Olivine, Orthopyroxene. You can also check out the list of all Igneous Rocks. When we have to compare Andesite vs Anorthosite, the texture, color and appearance plays an important role in determining the type of rock. Andesite is available in bluish - grey, grey, pink, yellow colors whereas, Anorthosite is available in black, bluish - grey, brown, green, grey, light greenish grey, pink, white colors. Appearance of Andesite is Dull and Soft and that of Anorthosite is Layered, Banded, Veined and Shiny. Properties of rock is another aspect for Andesite vs Anorthosite. The hardness of Andesite is 7 and that of Anorthosite is 5-6. The types of Andesite are Icelandite whereas types of Anorthosite are Proterozoic Anorthosite and Archean Anorthosite. Streak of rock is the color of powder produced when it is dragged across an unweathered surface. The streak of Andesite and Anorthosite is white. The specific heat capacity of Andesite is 2.39 kJ/Kg K and that of Anorthosite is 0.84 kJ/Kg K. Depending on the properties like hardness, toughness, specific heat capacity, porosity etc., rocks are resistant to heat, wear, impact, etc.Andesite is heat resistant, pressure resistant, wear resistant whereas Anorthosite is heat resistant, impact resistant, pressure resistant, scratch resistant, wear resistant.