Definition
Andesite is a dark, fine-grained, brown or greyish intermediate volcanic rock which is a commonly found in lava
Quartzite is a non-foliated metamorphic rock that forms by the metamorphism of pure quartz Sandstone
Origin
North America
Unknown
Discoverer
Unknown
Unknown
Etymology
From Andes mountains, where it is found in abundance
From quartz + -ite
Class
Igneous Rocks
Metamorphic Rocks
Sub-Class
Durable Rock, Hard Rock
Durable Rock, Hard Rock
Group
Volcanic
Not Applicable
Other Categories
Fine Grained Rock, Opaque Rock
Medium Grained Rock, Opaque Rock
Texture
Aphanitic to Porphyritic
Foliated, Granular
Color
Bluish - Grey, Grey, Pink, Yellow
Black, Blue, Brown, Green, Light Grey, Purple, White, Yellow
Durability
Durable
Durable
Scratch Resistant
Yes
Yes
Appearance
Dull and Soft
Lustrous
Interior Uses
Decorative Aggregates, Floor Tiles, Homes, Interior Decoration, Kitchens
Countertops, Decorative Aggregates, Flooring, Homes
Exterior Uses
Office Buildings, Roof Tiles
As Building Stone, As Facing Stone, Garden Decoration, Paving Stone
Other Architectural Uses
Curbing
Curbing
Construction Industry
Cobblestones, Construction Aggregate, for Road Aggregate
Arrowheads, As Dimension Stone, Cement Manufacture, Construction Aggregate, Cutting Tool, for Road Aggregate, Making natural cement, Production of Glass and Ceramics, Rail Track Ballast, Roadstone
Medical Industry
Not Yet Used
Not Yet Used
Antiquity Uses
Artifacts, Monuments, Sculpture, Small Figurines
Artifacts, Jewellery, Monuments, Sculpture
Commercial Uses
Commemorative Tablets, Creating Artwork
An Oil and Gas Reservoir, As armour rock for sea walls, Cemetery Markers, Commemorative Tablets, In aquifers, Laboratory bench tops, Petroleum reservoirs, Soil Conditioner, Source of Magnesia (MgO), Tombstones, Used in aquariums
Types
Icelandite
Not Available
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
Famous Monuments
Middle of the Earth in Ecuador
Data Not Available
Famous Sculptures
Data Not Available
Data Not Available
Pictographs
Not Used
Not Used
Petroglyphs
Not Used
Not Used
Formation
Andesite is a fine-grained igneous rock that forms when the magma is erupted onto the surface and is crystallized quickly.
Quartzite forms from sandstone and the mineral quartz being put under extreme heat and pressure.
Mineral Content
Amphibole, Apatite, Biotite, Feldspar, Garnet, Hornblade, Ilmenite, Magnetite, Plagioclase, Pyroxene, Zircon
Chlorite, Epidote, Hematite, Kyanite, Magnetite, Muscovite or Illite, Quartz
Compound Content
Silicon Dioxide
Aluminium Oxide, CaO, Iron(III) Oxide, MgO, Sodium Oxide, Silicon Dioxide
Types of Metamorphism
Burial Metamorphism, Cataclastic Metamorphism, Contact Metamorphism, Hydrothermal Metamorphism, Impact Metamorphism, Regional Metamorphism
Burial Metamorphism, Cataclastic Metamorphism, Hydrothermal Metamorphism, Regional Metamorphism
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 Grained
Fracture
Uneven
Uneven, Splintery or Conchoidal
Porosity
Less Porous
Less Porous
Cleavage
Not Available
Indiscernible
Specific Gravity
2.5-2.8
2.6-2.8
Transparency
Opaque
Transparent to Translucent
Density
2.11-2.36 g/cm3
2.32-2.42 g/cm3
Resistance
Heat Resistant, Pressure Resistant, Wear Resistant
Heat Resistant, Impact Resistant, Pressure Resistant, Wear Resistant
Deposits in Eastern Continents
Asia
India, Indonesia, Japan, Nepal, South Korea
China, India, Israel, Russia, South Korea, Thailand, Turkey
Africa
Egypt, Ethiopia, Morocco, Namibia, South Africa, Tanzania
Ethiopia, Morocco, South Africa, Zimbabwe
Europe
Austria, Finland, Germany, Italy, Romania, Turkey, United Kingdom
England, Italy, Norway, Scotland, Sweden, United Kingdom
Others
Not Yet Found
Greenland
Deposits in Western Continents
North America
Mexico, USA
Bahamas, Canada, USA
South America
Argentina, Bolivia, Chile, Colombia, Ecuador, Peru, Venezuela
Brazil, Colombia, Venezuela
Deposits in Oceania Continent
Australia
New South Wales, New Zealand, Western Australia
New Zealand, Queensland, Western Australia
Andesite vs Quartzite 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 Quartzite characteristics assist us to distinguish and recognize rocks. Also you can check about Properties of Andesite and Properties of Quartzite. Learn more about Andesite vs Quartzite in the next section. The interior uses of Andesite include Decorative aggregates, Floor tiles, Homes, Interior decoration and Kitchens whereas the interior uses of Quartzite include Countertops, Decorative aggregates, Flooring and Homes. Due to some exceptional properties of Andesite and Quartzite, they have various applications in construction industry. The uses of Andesite in construction industry include Cobblestones, Construction aggregate, For road aggregate and that of Quartzite include Arrowheads, As dimension stone, Cement manufacture, Construction aggregate, Cutting tool, For road aggregate, Making natural cement, Production of glass and ceramics, Rail track ballast, Roadstone.
More about Andesite and Quartzite
Here you can know more about Andesite and Quartzite. The life cycle of a rock consists of formation of rock, composition of rock and transformation of rock. The composition of Andesite and Quartzite 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 Quartzite includes Chlorite, Epidote, Hematite, Kyanite, Magnetite, Muscovite or Illite, Quartz. You can also check out the list of all Igneous Rocks. When we have to compare Andesite vs Quartzite, 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, Quartzite is available in black, blue, brown, green, light grey, purple, white, yellow colors. Appearance of Andesite is Dull and Soft and that of Quartzite is Lustrous. Properties of rock is another aspect for Andesite vs Quartzite. The hardness of Andesite is 7 and that of Quartzite is 6-7. The types of Andesite are Icelandite whereas types of Quartzite 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 Quartzite is white. The specific heat capacity of Andesite is 2.39 kJ/Kg K and that of Quartzite is 0.75 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 Quartzite is heat resistant, impact resistant, pressure resistant, wear resistant.