Anorthosite

Basalt

Anorthosite and Basalt

Anorthosite

Basalt

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Definition

Anorthosite is a granular igneous rock composed largely of labradorite or plagioclase

Basalt is a common extrusive igneous rock formed by the rapid cooling of basaltic lava exposed at or very near the surface of Earth

History

Origin

Egypt

Discoverer

Unknown

Georgius Agricola

Etymology

From French anorthose plagioclase + -ite1

From Late Latin Basaltes (variant of basanites ), very hard stone, which was imported from Ancient Greek Basanites

Class

Igneous Rocks

Sub-Class

Durable Rock, Medium Hardness Rock

Family

Group

Plutonic

Volcanic

Other Categories

Coarse Grained Rock, Opaque Rock

Fine Grained Rock, Opaque Rock

Texture

Foliated, Glassy

Glassy, Massive, Porphyritic, Scoriaceous, Vesicular

Color

Black, Bluish - Grey, Brown, Green, Grey, Light Greenish Grey, Pink, White

Black, Brown, Light to Dark Grey

Maintenance

Less

Durability

Durable

Water Resistant

✔ ✘

Scratch Resistant

✔ ✘

Stain Resistant

✔ ✘

Wind Resistant

✔ ✘

Acid Resistant

✔ ✘

Appearance

Layered, Banded, Veined and Shiny

Dull and Soft

Uses

Architecture

Interior Uses

Decorative Aggregates, Floor Tiles, Homes, Interior Decoration

Floor Tiles, Homes, Hotels, Kitchens

Exterior Uses

As Building Stone, As Facing Stone, Garden Decoration

As Building Stone, Paving Stone, Garden Decoration, Office Buildings

Other Architectural Uses

Curbing

Curbing, Whetstones

Industry

Construction Industry

As Dimension Stone, Cement Manufacture, for Road Aggregate

Arrowheads, As Dimension Stone, Cobblestones, Cutting Tool, Rail Track Ballast, Roadstone

Medical Industry

Antiquity Uses

Artifacts, Sculpture, Small Figurines

Artifacts, Monuments

Other Uses

Commercial Uses

Creating Artwork, Curling

An Oil and Gas Reservoir, Commemorative Tablets, Creating Artwork, Used in aquariums

Types

Proterozoic Anorthosite and Archean Anorthosite

Alkaline Basalt, Boninite, High Alumina Basalt, Mid Ocean Ridge Basalt (MORB), Tholeiitic Basalt, Basaltic trachyandesite, Mugearite and Shoshonite

Features

Generally rough to touch, Is one of the oldest rock

Has High structural resistance against erosion and climate, Very fine grained rock

Archaeological Significance

Monuments

Famous Monuments

Easter Island in the Polynesian Triangle, Pacific Ocean, Gateway of India in Mumbai, India, Gol Gumbaz in Karnataka, India

Sculpture

Famous Sculptures

Pictographs

Petroglyphs

Figurines

Fossils

Absent

Formation

Anorthosite is a phaneritic, intrusive igneous rock which is characterized by a predominance of plagioclase feldspar which is almost 90–100%, and a minimal mafic component.

Basalt forms when lava reaches the Earth's surface near an active volcano. The temperature of lava is between 1100 to 1250° C when it gets to the surface.

Composition

Mineral Content

Amphibole, Clinopyroxene, Ilmenite, Magnetite, Olivine, Orthopyroxene

Olivine, Plagioclase, Pyroxene

Compound Content

Ca, CaO, Chromium(III) Oxide, MgO, Sulfur Trioxide

Aluminium Oxide, CaO, Iron(III) Oxide, FeO, Potassium Oxide, MgO, MnO, Sodium Oxide, Phosphorus Pentoxide, Silicon Dioxide, Titanium Dioxide

Transformation

Metamorphism

✔ ✘

Types of Metamorphism

Cataclastic Metamorphism, Contact Metamorphism

Contact Metamorphism

Weathering

✔ ✘

Types of Weathering

Biological Weathering

Erosion

✔ ✘

Types of Erosion

Chemical Erosion, Wind Erosion

Properties

Physical Properties

Hardness

5-66

1 7

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Grain Size

Coarse Grained

Fine Grained

Fracture

Irregular

Conchoidal

Streak

White

White to Grey

Porosity

Less Porous

Luster

Pearly to Subvitreous

Compressive Strength

180.00 N/mm²37.40 N/mm²

0.15 450

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Cleavage

Toughness

2.3

Specific Gravity

2.62-2.822.8-3

0 8.4

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Transparency

Translucent

Opaque

Density

2.7-4 g/cm³2.9-3.1 g/cm³

0 1400

👆🏻

Thermal Properties

Specific Heat Capacity

0.84 kJ/Kg K0.84 kJ/Kg K

0.14 3.2

👆🏻

Resistance

Heat Resistant, Impact Resistant, Pressure Resistant, Scratch Resistant, Wear Resistant

Heat Resistant, Pressure Resistant, Wear Resistant

Reserves

Deposits in Eastern Continents

Asia

India, Russia

Africa

South Africa

Europe

Bulgaria, France, Germany, Greece, Hungary, Italy, Latvia, Lithuania, Malta, Poland, Portugal, Romania, Slovenia, Spain, Sweden, The Czech Republic

Iceland

Others

Deposits in Western Continents

North America

Canada

Canada, USA

South America

Bolivia, Colombia

Brazil

Deposits in Oceania Continent

Australia

Central Australia, South Australia, Western Australia

All about Anorthosite and Basalt Properties

Know all about Anorthosite and Basalt properties here. All properties of rocks are important as they define the type of rock and its application. Anorthosite and Basalt belong to Igneous Rocks.Texture of Anorthosite is Foliated, Glassy whereas that of Basalt is Glassy, Massive, Porphyritic, Scoriaceous, Vesicular. Anorthosite appears Layered, Banded, Veined and Shiny and Basalt appears Dull and Soft. The luster of Anorthosite is pearly to subvitreous while that of Basalt is . Anorthosite is available in black, bluish - grey, brown, green, grey, light greenish grey, pink, white colors whereas Basalt is available in black, brown, light to dark grey colors. The commercial uses of Anorthosite are creating artwork, curling and that of Basalt are an oil and gas reservoir, commemorative tablets, creating artwork, used in aquariums.