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Andesite
Andesite

Gneiss
Gneiss



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Andesite vs Gneiss

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Definition

Definition

Andesite is a dark, fine-grained, brown or greyish intermediate volcanic rock which is a commonly found in lava
Gneiss is a common and widely distributed type of rock formed by high-grade regional metamorphic processes from pre-existing formations that were originally either igneous or sedimentary rocks

History

Origin

North America
-

Discoverer

Theodor von Gümbel
Unknown

Etymology

From Andes mountains, where it is found in abundance
From the Middle High German verb gneist (to spark; so called because the rock glitters)

Class

Igneous Rocks
Metamorphic Rocks

Sub-Class

Durable Rock, Hard Rock
Durable Rock, Hard Rock

Family

Group

Volcanic
-

Other Categories

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

Texture

Texture

Aphanitic to Porphyritic
Banded, Foliated, Platy

Color

Bluish - Grey, Grey, Pink, Yellow
Black, Brown, Pink, Red, White

Maintenance

More
More

Durability

Durable
Durable

Water Resistant

Scratch Resistant

Stain Resistant

Wind Resistant

Acid Resistant

Appearance

Dull and Soft
Foliated

Uses

Architecture

Interior Uses

Decorative Aggregates, Floor Tiles, Homes, Interior Decoration, Kitchens
Countertops, Decorative Aggregates, Flooring, 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 Dimension Stone

Medical Industry

-
-

Antiquity Uses

Artifacts, Monuments, Sculpture, Small Figurines
Artifacts

Other Uses

Commercial Uses

Commemorative Tablets, Creating Artwork
Cemetery Markers, Jewelry, Tombstones, Used in aquariums

Types

Types

Icelandite
Augen Gneiss, Henderson Gneiss, Lewisian Gneiss, Archean and Proterozoic Gneiss.

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
Konark Sun Temple in India, Washington Monument, US

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.
Gneiss is a high grade metamorphic rock i.e. it has been subjected to higher temperatures and pressures than schist. It is formed by the metamorphosis of Gneiss forms from volcanic rock, shale or granitie.

Composition

Mineral Content

Amphibole, Apatite, Biotite, Feldspar, Garnet, Hornblade, Ilmenite, Magnetite, Plagioclase, Pyroxene, Zircon
Biotite, Chlorite, Feldspar, Garnet, Graphite, Hornblade, Micas, Muscovite or Illite, Quartz, Quartzite, Silica, Zircon

Compound Content

Silicon Dioxide
Aluminium Oxide, NaCl, CaO, Iron(III) Oxide, FeO, Potassium Oxide, Magnesium Carbonate, MgO, MnO, Phosphorus Pentoxide, Silicon Dioxide, Titanium Dioxide

Transformation

Metamorphism

Types of Metamorphism

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

Weathering

Types of Weathering

Biological Weathering, Chemical Weathering, Mechanical Weathering
Biological Weathering, Mechanical Weathering

Erosion

Types of Erosion

Chemical Erosion, Coastal Erosion, Glacier Erosion
Chemical Erosion, Coastal Erosion, Sea Erosion

Properties

Physical Properties

Hardness

77
1 7
👆🏻

Grain Size

Very fine-grained
Medium to Coarse Grained

Fracture

Uneven
Irregular

Streak

White
White

Porosity

Less Porous
Very Less Porous

Luster

Vitreous
Dull

Compressive Strength

225.00 N/mm2125.00 N/mm2
0.15 450
👆🏻

Cleavage

-
-

Toughness

1.1
1.2

Specific Gravity

2.5-2.82.5-2.7
0 8.4
👆🏻

Transparency

Opaque
Translucent to Opaque

Density

2.11-2.36 g/cm32.6-2.9 g/cm3
0 1400
👆🏻

Thermal Properties

Specific Heat Capacity

2.39 kJ/Kg K0.70 kJ/Kg K
0.14 3.2
👆🏻

Resistance

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

Reserves

Deposits in Eastern Continents

Asia

India, Indonesia, Japan, Nepal, South Korea
China, India, Iran, Iraq, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Mongolia, Russia

Africa

Egypt, Ethiopia, Morocco, Namibia, South Africa, Tanzania
Cameroon, Ethiopia, Ghana, Kenya, Madagascar, Morocco, Mozambique, Namibia, Nigeria, Tanzania, Togo

Europe

Austria, Finland, Germany, Italy, Romania, Turkey, United Kingdom
Albania, Austria, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Finland, France, Georgia, Germany, Hungary, Italy, Kosovo, Monaco, Norway, Poland, Romania, Serbia, Slovakia, Slovenia, Switzerland, Ukraine, United Kingdom

Others

-
-

Deposits in Western Continents

North America

Mexico, USA
Canada, Costa Rica, Cuba, Mexico, Panama, USA

South America

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

Deposits in Oceania Continent

Australia

New South Wales, New Zealand, Western Australia
New South Wales, New Zealand, Queensland, Victoria

Andesite vs Gneiss 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 Gneiss Reserves. Andesite is a dark, fine-grained, brown or greyish intermediate volcanic rock which is a commonly found in lava. Gneiss is a common and widely distributed type of rock formed by high-grade regional metamorphic processes from pre-existing formations that were originally either igneous or sedimentary rocks. 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 Gneiss information and Andesite vs Gneiss characteristics in the upcoming sections.

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

More about Andesite and Gneiss

Here you can know more about Andesite and Gneiss. The life cycle of a rock consists of formation of rock, composition of rock and transformation of rock. The composition of Andesite and Gneiss 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 Gneiss includes Biotite, Chlorite, Feldspar, Garnet, Graphite, Hornblade, Micas, Muscovite or Illite, Quartz, Quartzite, Silica, Zircon. You can also check out the list of all Igneous Rocks. When we have to compare Andesite vs Gneiss, 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, Gneiss is available in black, brown, pink, red, white colors. Appearance of Andesite is Dull and Soft and that of Gneiss is Foliated. Properties of rock is another aspect for Andesite vs Gneiss. Hardness of Andesite and Gneiss is 7. The types of Andesite are Icelandite whereas types of Gneiss are Augen Gneiss, Henderson Gneiss, Lewisian Gneiss, Archean and Proterozoic Gneiss.. Streak of rock is the color of powder produced when it is dragged across an unweathered surface. The streak of Andesite and Gneiss is white. The specific heat capacity of Andesite is 2.39 kJ/Kg K and that of Gneiss is 0.70 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 Gneiss is heat resistant, pressure resistant, scratch resistant, wear resistant.