Definition
Andesite is a dark, fine-grained, brown or greyish intermediate volcanic rock which is a commonly found in lava
Limestone is a sedimentary rock composed mostly of calcite and aragonite, which are different crystal forms of calcium carbonate
Origin
North America
New Zealand
Discoverer
Unknown
Belsazar Hacquet
Etymology
From Andes mountains, where it is found in abundance
From lime and stone in late 14th Century
Class
Igneous Rocks
Sedimentary Rocks
Sub-Class
Durable Rock, Hard Rock
Durable Rock, Medium Hardness 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
Beige, Black, Blue, Brown, Cream, Gold, Green, Grey, Light Green, Light Grey, Linen, Pink, Red, Rust, Silver, White, Yellow
Durability
Durable
Durable
Scratch Resistant
Yes
Yes
Appearance
Dull and Soft
Rough and Banded
Interior Uses
Decorative Aggregates, Floor Tiles, Homes, Interior Decoration, Kitchens
Decorative Aggregates, Interior Decoration
Exterior Uses
Office Buildings, Roof Tiles
As Building Stone, As Facing Stone, Garden Decoration, Office Buildings
Other Architectural Uses
Curbing
Curbing
Construction Industry
Cobblestones, Construction Aggregate, for Road Aggregate
Cement Manufacture, Cobblestones, for Road Aggregate, Production of Glass and Ceramics, Raw material for the manufacture of mortar, Roadstone, Source of calcium
Medical Industry
Not Yet Used
In Chemical and Pharmaceutical Industry, Medicines and Cosmetics
Antiquity Uses
Artifacts, Monuments, Sculpture, Small Figurines
Artifacts, Monuments, Sculpture, Small Figurines
Commercial Uses
Commemorative Tablets, Creating Artwork
Animal feed filler, As a Feed Additive for Livestock, Paper Industry, Raw material for manufacture of quicklime, slaked lime, Soil Conditioner, Used in aquariums, Whiting material in toothpaste, paint and paper
Types
Icelandite
Chalk, Coquina, Fossiliferous Limestone, Lithographic Limestone, Oolitic Limestone, Travertine, Tufa
Features
Generally rough to touch, High silica content, Is one of the oldest rock
Host Rock for Lead, Stalactites and stalagmites are formed from this rock, Zinc and Copper Deposits
Archaeological Significance
Famous Monuments
Middle of the Earth in Ecuador
Acropolis of Athens in Greece, Agia Sophia in Istanbul, Turkey, Al Aqsa Mosque in Jerusalem, Angkor Wat in Cambodia, Big Ben in London, Charminar in Hyderabad, India, Chhatrapati Shivaji Terminus in Maharashtra, India, Chichen Itza in Mexico, Empire State Building in New York, Khajuraho Temples, India, Kremlin in Moscow, Louvre in Paris, France, Neuschwanstein in Bavaria, Potala Palace in Lahasa, Tibet, Wailing Wall in Jerusalem
Famous Sculptures
Data Not Available
Ajanta Caves in Maharashtra, India, Elephanta Caves in Maharashtra, India
Pictographs
Not Used
Used
Petroglyphs
Not Used
Used
Formation
Andesite is a fine-grained igneous rock that forms when the magma is erupted onto the surface and is crystallized quickly.
Limestone is a sedimentary rock which is mainly made up of calcium carbonate.
Mineral Content
Amphibole, Apatite, Biotite, Feldspar, Garnet, Hornblade, Ilmenite, Magnetite, Plagioclase, Pyroxene, Zircon
Calcite, Chert, Clay, Dolomite, Quartz, Sand, Silt
Compound Content
Silicon Dioxide
Aluminium Oxide, NaCl, CaO, Iron(III) Oxide, FeO, MgO
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
Grain Size
Very fine-grained
Fine Grained
Fracture
Uneven
Splintery
Porosity
Less Porous
Less Porous
Luster
Vitreous
Dull to Pearly
Cleavage
Not Available
Non-Existent
Specific Gravity
2.5-2.8
2.3-2.7
Transparency
Opaque
Opaque
Density
2.11-2.36 g/cm3
2.3-2.7 g/cm3
Resistance
Heat Resistant, Pressure Resistant, Wear Resistant
Pressure 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
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
Deposits in Oceania Continent
Australia
New South Wales, New Zealand, Western Australia
Adelaide, New Zealand, Queensland, Tonga, Victoria, Yorke Peninsula
Andesite vs Limestone 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 Limestone characteristics assist us to distinguish and recognize rocks. Also you can check about Properties of Andesite and Properties of Limestone. Learn more about Andesite vs Limestone in the next section. The interior uses of Andesite include Decorative aggregates, Floor tiles, Homes, Interior decoration and Kitchens whereas the interior uses of Limestone include Decorative aggregates and Interior decoration. Due to some exceptional properties of Andesite and Limestone, they have various applications in construction industry. The uses of Andesite in construction industry include Cobblestones, Construction aggregate, For road aggregate and that of Limestone include Cement manufacture, Cobblestones, For road aggregate, Production of glass and ceramics, Raw material for the manufacture of mortar, Roadstone, Source of calcium.
More about Andesite and Limestone
Here you can know more about Andesite and Limestone. The life cycle of a rock consists of formation of rock, composition of rock and transformation of rock. The composition of Andesite and Limestone 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 Limestone includes Calcite, Chert, Clay, Dolomite, Quartz, Sand, Silt. You can also check out the list of all Igneous Rocks. When we have to compare Andesite vs Limestone, 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, Limestone is available in beige, black, blue, brown, cream, gold, green, grey, light green, light grey, linen, pink, red, rust, silver, white, yellow colors. Appearance of Andesite is Dull and Soft and that of Limestone is Rough and Banded. Properties of rock is another aspect for Andesite vs Limestone. The hardness of Andesite is 7 and that of Limestone is 3-4. The types of Andesite are Icelandite whereas types of Limestone are Chalk, Coquina, Fossiliferous Limestone, Lithographic Limestone, Oolitic Limestone, Travertine, Tufa. Streak of rock is the color of powder produced when it is dragged across an unweathered surface. The streak of Andesite and Limestone is white. The specific heat capacity of Andesite is 2.39 kJ/Kg K and that of Limestone is 0.91 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 Limestone is pressure resistant.