Definition
Andesite is a dark, fine-grained, brown or greyish intermediate volcanic rock which is a commonly found in lava
Diatomite is a fine-grained sedimentary rock which is formed from consolidated diatomaceous earth
Origin
North America
Germany
Discoverer
Unknown
Unknown
Etymology
From Andes mountains, where it is found in abundance
From diatom + -ite1
Class
Igneous Rocks
Sedimentary Rocks
Sub-Class
Durable Rock, Hard Rock
Durable Rock, Soft Rock
Group
Volcanic
Not Applicable
Other Categories
Fine Grained Rock, Opaque Rock
Fine Grained Rock, Opaque Rock
Texture
Aphanitic to Porphyritic
Clastic or Non-Clastic
Color
Bluish - Grey, Grey, Pink, Yellow
Grey, White, Yellow
Durability
Durable
Non-Durable
Appearance
Dull and Soft
Soft
Interior Uses
Decorative Aggregates, Floor Tiles, Homes, Interior Decoration, Kitchens
Decorative Aggregates, Homes, Interior Decoration
Exterior Uses
Office Buildings, Roof Tiles
Garden Decoration, Paving Stone
Other Architectural Uses
Curbing
Curbing
Construction Industry
Cobblestones, Construction Aggregate, for Road Aggregate
As Dimension Stone, Cement Manufacture, Construction Aggregate, for Road Aggregate, Landscaping, Making natural cement, Source of calcium
Medical Industry
Not Yet Used
Not Yet Used
Antiquity Uses
Artifacts, Monuments, Sculpture, Small Figurines
Artifacts
Commercial Uses
Commemorative Tablets, Creating Artwork
Alumina Refineries, Animal feed filler, As a Feed Additive for Livestock, Creating Artwork, Drawing on blackboards, Fire resistant, Gymnasts, athletes and mountain climbers use for grip, In aquifers, Soil Conditioner, To ignite fire, Used as a filter medium, Used as an insecticide, Whiting material in toothpaste, paint and paper
Types
Icelandite
Not Available
Features
Generally rough to touch, High silica content, Is one of the oldest rock
Clasts are smooth to touch, Is one of the oldest rock, Smooth to touch, Very fine grained rock
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
Formation
Andesite is a fine-grained igneous rock that forms when the magma is erupted onto the surface and is crystallized quickly.
Diatomite rock formed from the skeletal remains of single celled plants called diatoms. When diatoms die, their skeletal remains sink to the bottom of lakes and oceans etc. hence forming diatomite deposit.
Mineral Content
Amphibole, Apatite, Biotite, Feldspar, Garnet, Hornblade, Ilmenite, Magnetite, Plagioclase, Pyroxene, Zircon
Calcite, Clay, Clay Minerals, Quartz, Sand
Compound Content
Silicon Dioxide
Ca, NaCl, CaO
Types of Metamorphism
Burial Metamorphism, Cataclastic Metamorphism, Contact Metamorphism, Hydrothermal Metamorphism, Impact Metamorphism, Regional Metamorphism
Not Applicable
Types of Weathering
Biological Weathering, Chemical Weathering, Mechanical Weathering
Biological Weathering, Chemical Weathering, Mechanical Weathering
Types of Erosion
Chemical Erosion, Coastal Erosion, Glacier Erosion
Chemical Erosion, Coastal Erosion, Wind Erosion
Grain Size
Very fine-grained
Very fine-grained
Fracture
Uneven
Not Available
Porosity
Less Porous
Highly Porous
Compressive Strength
Not Available
Cleavage
Not Available
Non-Existent
Specific Gravity
2.5-2.8
2.3-2.4
Transparency
Opaque
Opaque
Density
2.11-2.36 g/cm3
2.49-2.51 g/cm3
Resistance
Heat Resistant, Pressure Resistant, Wear Resistant
Heat Resistant
Deposits in Eastern Continents
Asia
India, Indonesia, Japan, Nepal, South Korea
Brunei, India, Indonesia, Malaysia, Singapore, Thailand, Vietnam
Africa
Egypt, Ethiopia, Morocco, Namibia, South Africa, Tanzania
Cameroon, Chad, Ghana, Kenya, Malawi, Sudan, Tanzania, Togo, Zambia, Zimbabwe
Europe
Austria, Finland, Germany, Italy, Romania, Turkey, United Kingdom
England, France, Germany, Spain, United Kingdom
Others
Not Yet Found
Not Yet Found
Deposits in Western Continents
North America
Mexico, USA
Canada, USA
South America
Argentina, Bolivia, Chile, Colombia, Ecuador, Peru, Venezuela
Colombia
Deposits in Oceania Continent
Australia
New South Wales, New Zealand, Western Australia
Adelaide, New Zealand, Queensland, Tonga, Victoria, Yorke Peninsula
Andesite vs Diatomite 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 Diatomite characteristics assist us to distinguish and recognize rocks. Also you can check about Properties of Andesite and Properties of Diatomite. Learn more about Andesite vs Diatomite in the next section. The interior uses of Andesite include Decorative aggregates, Floor tiles, Homes, Interior decoration and Kitchens whereas the interior uses of Diatomite include Decorative aggregates, Homes and Interior decoration. Due to some exceptional properties of Andesite and Diatomite, they have various applications in construction industry. The uses of Andesite in construction industry include Cobblestones, Construction aggregate, For road aggregate and that of Diatomite include As dimension stone, Cement manufacture, Construction aggregate, For road aggregate, Landscaping, Making natural cement, Source of calcium.
More about Andesite and Diatomite
Here you can know more about Andesite and Diatomite. The life cycle of a rock consists of formation of rock, composition of rock and transformation of rock. The composition of Andesite and Diatomite 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 Diatomite includes Calcite, Clay, Clay Minerals, Quartz, Sand. You can also check out the list of all Igneous Rocks. When we have to compare Andesite vs Diatomite, 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, Diatomite is available in grey, white, yellow colors. Appearance of Andesite is Dull and Soft and that of Diatomite is Soft. Properties of rock is another aspect for Andesite vs Diatomite. The hardness of Andesite is 7 and that of Diatomite is 1. The types of Andesite are Icelandite whereas types of Diatomite are Not Available. Streak of rock is the color of powder produced when it is dragged across an unweathered surface. The streak of Andesite and Diatomite is white. The specific heat capacity of Andesite is 2.39 kJ/Kg K and that of Diatomite is 0.90 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 Diatomite is heat resistant.