Definition
Andesite is a dark, fine-grained, brown or greyish intermediate volcanic rock which is a commonly found in lava
Metapelite is an old and currently not widely used field geological term for a clay rich fine-grained clastic sediment or sedimentary rock, i.e. mud or a mudstone
Origin
North America
Unknown
Discoverer
Unknown
Unknown
Etymology
From Andes mountains, where it is found in abundance
From Pelos or clay in Greek
Class
Igneous Rocks
Metamorphic Rocks
Sub-Class
Durable Rock, Hard Rock
Durable Rock, Medium Hardness Rock
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
Foliated
Color
Bluish - Grey, Grey, Pink, Yellow
Dark Greenish - Grey, Green, Light Green, Light Greenish Grey
Durability
Durable
Durable
Scratch Resistant
Yes
Yes
Appearance
Dull and Soft
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
Other Architectural Uses
Curbing
Curbing
Construction Industry
Cobblestones, Construction Aggregate, for Road Aggregate
Cement Manufacture, Construction Aggregate, for Road Aggregate
Medical Industry
Not Yet Used
Not Yet Used
Antiquity Uses
Artifacts, Monuments, Sculpture, Small Figurines
Artifacts
Commercial Uses
Commemorative Tablets, Creating Artwork
Commemorative Tablets, Creating Artwork
Types
Icelandite
Not Available
Features
Generally rough to touch, High silica content, Is one of the oldest rock
Easily splits into thin plates, It is One of the Oldest, Strongest and Hardest 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.
Due to change in environmental conditions, rocks are heated and pressurized deep inside the Earth's surface. Metapelite is formed from the extreme heat caused by magma or by the intense collisions and friction of tectonic plates.
Mineral Content
Amphibole, Apatite, Biotite, Feldspar, Garnet, Hornblade, Ilmenite, Magnetite, Plagioclase, Pyroxene, Zircon
Albite, Chlorite, Quartz
Compound Content
Silicon Dioxide
Aluminium Oxide, CaO, 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, Water Erosion, Wind Erosion
Grain Size
Very fine-grained
Medium to Fine Coarse Grained
Porosity
Less Porous
Highly Porous
Compressive Strength
Not Available
Cleavage
Not Available
Not Available
Toughness
1.1
Not Available
Specific Gravity
2.5-2.8
3.4-3.7
Transparency
Opaque
Opaque
Density
2.11-2.36 g/cm3
0-300 g/cm3
Resistance
Heat Resistant, Pressure Resistant, Wear Resistant
Heat Resistant, Impact Resistant, Pressure Resistant
Deposits in Eastern Continents
Asia
India, Indonesia, Japan, Nepal, South Korea
Not Yet Found
Africa
Egypt, Ethiopia, Morocco, Namibia, South Africa, Tanzania
Western Africa
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
Not Available
South America
Argentina, Bolivia, Chile, Colombia, Ecuador, Peru, Venezuela
Brazil, Colombia, Ecuador
Deposits in Oceania Continent
Australia
New South Wales, New Zealand, Western Australia
Central Australia, Western Australia
Andesite vs Metapelite 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 Metapelite characteristics assist us to distinguish and recognize rocks. Also you can check about Properties of Andesite and Properties of Metapelite. Learn more about Andesite vs Metapelite in the next section. The interior uses of Andesite include Decorative aggregates, Floor tiles, Homes, Interior decoration and Kitchens whereas the interior uses of Metapelite include Decorative aggregates and Interior decoration. Due to some exceptional properties of Andesite and Metapelite, they have various applications in construction industry. The uses of Andesite in construction industry include Cobblestones, Construction aggregate, For road aggregate and that of Metapelite include Cement manufacture, Construction aggregate, For road aggregate.
More about Andesite and Metapelite
Here you can know more about Andesite and Metapelite. The life cycle of a rock consists of formation of rock, composition of rock and transformation of rock. The composition of Andesite and Metapelite 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 Metapelite includes Albite, Chlorite, Quartz. You can also check out the list of all Igneous Rocks. When we have to compare Andesite vs Metapelite, 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, Metapelite is available in dark greenish - grey, green, light green, light greenish grey colors. Appearance of Andesite is Dull and Soft and that of Metapelite is Banded. Properties of rock is another aspect for Andesite vs Metapelite. The hardness of Andesite is 7 and that of Metapelite is 5-6. The types of Andesite are Icelandite whereas types of Metapelite are Not Available. Streak of rock is the color of powder produced when it is dragged across an unweathered surface. The streak of Andesite is white while that of Metapelite is unknown. The specific heat capacity of Andesite is 2.39 kJ/Kg K and that of Metapelite is 0.72 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 Metapelite is heat resistant, impact resistant, pressure resistant.