Definition
Andesite is a dark, fine-grained, brown or greyish intermediate volcanic rock which is a commonly found in lava
It is a metamorphic magnesium rich rock because it is composed of the mineral talc
Discoverer
Unknown
Unknown
Etymology
From Andes mountains, where it is found in abundance
From 17th century, because of its greasy feel and use like a soap
Class
Igneous Rocks
Metamorphic 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
Polished
Color
Bluish - Grey, Grey, Pink, Yellow
Black, Black to Grey, Green, Grey
Durability
Durable
Durable
Appearance
Dull and Soft
Dull, Banded and Foilated
Interior Uses
Decorative Aggregates, Floor Tiles, Homes, Interior Decoration, Kitchens
Bathrooms, Decorative Aggregates, Homes, Interior Decoration
Exterior Uses
Office Buildings, Roof Tiles
As Facing Stone, Garden Decoration
Other Architectural Uses
Curbing
Curbing
Construction Industry
Cobblestones, Construction Aggregate, for Road Aggregate
Manufacture of Magnesium and Dolomite Refractories
Medical Industry
Not Yet Used
Taken as a Supplement for Calcium or Magnesium
Antiquity Uses
Artifacts, Monuments, Sculpture, Small Figurines
Artifacts, Jewellery, Monuments, Sculpture
Commercial Uses
Commemorative Tablets, Creating Artwork
Cemetery Markers, Creating Artwork, Gemstone, Jewelry, Manufacture of Soap, Solvents, Dyes, Plastics and Fibres, Production of Lime, Source of Magnesia (MgO)
Types
Icelandite
Not Available
Features
Generally rough to touch, High silica content, Is one of the oldest rock
Host Rock for Lead
Archaeological Significance
Famous Monuments
Middle of the Earth in Ecuador
Christ the Redeemer in Rio de Janeiro, Stonehenge in English county of Wiltshire
Famous Sculptures
Data Not Available
Data Not Available
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.
Soapstone is a talc-schist, which is a type of metamorphic rock and it is largely composed of the mineral talc and is thus rich inmagnesium.
Mineral Content
Amphibole, Apatite, Biotite, Feldspar, Garnet, Hornblade, Ilmenite, Magnetite, Plagioclase, Pyroxene, Zircon
Albite, Apatite, Biotite, Calcite, Carbonate, Clay Minerals, Hornblende, Ilmenite, Micas, Plagioclase, Pyroxene, Quartz
Compound Content
Silicon Dioxide
CaO, Mg, MgO
Types of Metamorphism
Burial Metamorphism, Cataclastic Metamorphism, Contact Metamorphism, Hydrothermal Metamorphism, Impact Metamorphism, Regional Metamorphism
Burial Metamorphism, Cataclastic Metamorphism, Contact Metamorphism, Hydrothermal Metamorphism, Impact Metamorphism, Regional Metamorphism
Types of Weathering
Biological Weathering, Chemical Weathering, Mechanical Weathering
Not Applicable
Types of Erosion
Chemical Erosion, Coastal Erosion, Glacier Erosion
Not Applicable
Grain Size
Very fine-grained
Fine Grained
Fracture
Uneven
Conchoidal
Porosity
Less Porous
Less Porous
Cleavage
Not Available
Perfect
Specific Gravity
2.5-2.8
2.86
Transparency
Opaque
Opaque
Density
2.11-2.36 g/cm3
2.8-2.9 g/cm3
Resistance
Heat Resistant, Pressure Resistant, Wear Resistant
Heat Resistant, Pressure Resistant
Deposits in Eastern Continents
Asia
India, Indonesia, Japan, Nepal, South Korea
China, India, Indonesia, Japan, North Korea, Russia, Saudi Arabia, Singapore, South Korea, Sri Lanka, Tajikistan, Thailand
Africa
Egypt, Ethiopia, Morocco, Namibia, South Africa, Tanzania
Egypt, Ethiopia, Ghana, South Africa, Western Africa
Europe
Austria, Finland, Germany, Italy, Romania, Turkey, United Kingdom
Austria, England, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland, 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
Central Australia, New Zealand, Queensland
Andesite vs Soapstone 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 Soapstone characteristics assist us to distinguish and recognize rocks. Also you can check about Properties of Andesite and Properties of Soapstone. Learn more about Andesite vs Soapstone in the next section. The interior uses of Andesite include Decorative aggregates, Floor tiles, Homes, Interior decoration and Kitchens whereas the interior uses of Soapstone include Bathrooms, Decorative aggregates, Homes and Interior decoration. Due to some exceptional properties of Andesite and Soapstone, they have various applications in construction industry. The uses of Andesite in construction industry include Cobblestones, Construction aggregate, For road aggregate and that of Soapstone include Manufacture of magnesium and dolomite refractories.
More about Andesite and Soapstone
Here you can know more about Andesite and Soapstone. The life cycle of a rock consists of formation of rock, composition of rock and transformation of rock. The composition of Andesite and Soapstone 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 Soapstone includes Albite, Apatite, Biotite, Calcite, Carbonate, Clay Minerals, Hornblende, Ilmenite, Micas, Plagioclase, Pyroxene, Quartz. You can also check out the list of all Igneous Rocks. When we have to compare Andesite vs Soapstone, 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, Soapstone is available in black, black to grey, green, grey colors. Appearance of Andesite is Dull and Soft and that of Soapstone is Dull, Banded and Foilated. Properties of rock is another aspect for Andesite vs Soapstone. The hardness of Andesite is 7 and that of Soapstone is 1. The types of Andesite are Icelandite whereas types of Soapstone 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 Soapstone is black. The specific heat capacity of Andesite is 2.39 kJ/Kg K and that of Soapstone is 0.88 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 Soapstone is heat resistant, pressure resistant.