Definition
Andesite is a dark, fine-grained, brown or greyish intermediate volcanic rock which is a commonly found in lava
Trachyte is a grey fine-grained volcanic rock which mainly consists of alkali feldspar
Origin
North America
Unknown
Discoverer
Unknown
Alexandre Brongniart and René Just Haüy
Etymology
From Andes mountains, where it is found in abundance
From Greek trakhus rough’ or trakhutēs roughness
Class
Igneous Rocks
Igneous Rocks
Sub-Class
Durable Rock, Hard Rock
Durable Rock, Medium Hardness Rock
Other Categories
Fine Grained Rock, Opaque Rock
Fine Grained Rock, Opaque Rock
Texture
Aphanitic to Porphyritic
Aphanitic to Porphyritic
Color
Bluish - Grey, Grey, Pink, Yellow
Black, Brown, Dark Greenish - Grey, Green, Grey, Light to Dark Grey, White
Durability
Durable
Durable
Scratch Resistant
Yes
Yes
Appearance
Dull and Soft
Banded
Interior Uses
Decorative Aggregates, Floor Tiles, Homes, Interior Decoration, Kitchens
Decorative Aggregates, Flooring, Homes, Interior Decoration
Exterior Uses
Office Buildings, Roof Tiles
As Building Stone, As Facing Stone, Paving Stone, Garden Decoration, Office Buildings
Other Architectural Uses
Curbing
Curbing
Construction Industry
Cobblestones, Construction Aggregate, for Road Aggregate
As Dimension Stone, Building houses or walls, Cement Manufacture, Construction Aggregate, for Road Aggregate, Landscaping, Making natural cement, Manufacture of Magnesium and Dolomite Refractories
Medical Industry
Not Yet Used
Not Yet Used
Antiquity Uses
Artifacts, Monuments, Sculpture, Small Figurines
Artifacts, Monuments, Sculpture, Small Figurines
Commercial Uses
Commemorative Tablets, Creating Artwork
Cemetery Markers, Creating Artwork
Types
Icelandite
Not Available
Features
Generally rough to touch, High silica content, Is one of the oldest rock
Available in Lots of Colors and Patterns, Is one of the oldest rock, Matrix variable
Archaeological Significance
Famous Monuments
Middle of the Earth in Ecuador
Data Not Available
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.
Trachyte is an igneous volcanic rock with an aphanitic to porphyritic texture. It is the volcanic equivalent of syenite rock and forms as a result of magmatic differentiation.
Mineral Content
Amphibole, Apatite, Biotite, Feldspar, Garnet, Hornblade, Ilmenite, Magnetite, Plagioclase, Pyroxene, Zircon
Augite, Biotite, Feldspar, Hornblade, Plagioclase, Quartz
Compound Content
Silicon Dioxide
Potassium Oxide, Sodium Oxide, Silicon Dioxide
Types of Metamorphism
Burial Metamorphism, Cataclastic Metamorphism, Contact Metamorphism, Hydrothermal Metamorphism, Impact Metamorphism, Regional Metamorphism
Cataclastic Metamorphism, Contact 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, Glacier Erosion, Sea Erosion, Water Erosion, Wind Erosion
Grain Size
Very fine-grained
Fine Grained
Fracture
Uneven
Not Available
Porosity
Less Porous
Less Porous
Cleavage
Not Available
Not Available
Toughness
1.1
Not Available
Specific Gravity
2.5-2.8
2.7
Transparency
Opaque
Opaque
Density
2.11-2.36 g/cm3
2.43-2.45 g/cm3
Specific Heat Capacity
Not Available
Resistance
Heat Resistant, Pressure Resistant, Wear Resistant
Heat Resistant, Impact Resistant, Wear Resistant
Deposits in Eastern Continents
Asia
India, Indonesia, Japan, Nepal, South Korea
China, India, Iran, Saudi Arabia, Sri Lanka, Taiwan, Thailand, Turkey, Vietnam
Africa
Egypt, Ethiopia, Morocco, Namibia, South Africa, Tanzania
Angola, Egypt, Madagascar, Namibia, Nigeria, South Africa
Europe
Austria, Finland, Germany, Italy, Romania, Turkey, United Kingdom
Bulgaria, England, Germany, Norway, Romania, Switzerland
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
Brazil, Chile
Deposits in Oceania Continent
Australia
New South Wales, New Zealand, Western Australia
New Zealand, Queensland, South Australia, Western Australia
Andesite vs Trachyte 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 Trachyte characteristics assist us to distinguish and recognize rocks. Also you can check about Properties of Andesite and Properties of Trachyte. Learn more about Andesite vs Trachyte in the next section. The interior uses of Andesite include Decorative aggregates, Floor tiles, Homes, Interior decoration and Kitchens whereas the interior uses of Trachyte include Decorative aggregates, Flooring, Homes and Interior decoration. Due to some exceptional properties of Andesite and Trachyte, they have various applications in construction industry. The uses of Andesite in construction industry include Cobblestones, Construction aggregate, For road aggregate and that of Trachyte include As dimension stone, Building houses or walls, Cement manufacture, Construction aggregate, For road aggregate, Landscaping, Making natural cement, Manufacture of magnesium and dolomite refractories.
More about Andesite and Trachyte
Here you can know more about Andesite and Trachyte. The life cycle of a rock consists of formation of rock, composition of rock and transformation of rock. The composition of Andesite and Trachyte 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 Trachyte includes Augite, Biotite, Feldspar, Hornblade, Plagioclase, Quartz. You can also check out the list of all Igneous Rocks. When we have to compare Andesite vs Trachyte, 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, Trachyte is available in black, brown, dark greenish - grey, green, grey, light to dark grey, white colors. Appearance of Andesite is Dull and Soft and that of Trachyte is Banded. Properties of rock is another aspect for Andesite vs Trachyte. The hardness of Andesite is 7 and that of Trachyte is 6. The types of Andesite are Icelandite whereas types of Trachyte 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 Trachyte is white. The specific heat capacity of Andesite is 2.39 kJ/Kg K and that of Trachyte is Not Available. 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 Trachyte is heat resistant, impact resistant, wear resistant.