Anorthosite

Basanite

Anorthosite and Basanite

Anorthosite

Basanite

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Definition

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

Basanite is a black basaltic rock which mainly contains plagioclase, augite, olivine and nepheline and is formerly used as a touchstone

History

Origin

Discoverer

Unknown

Etymology

From French anorthose plagioclase + -ite1

From Latin basanites + -ite

Class

Igneous Rocks

Sub-Class

Durable Rock, Medium Hardness Rock

Durable Rock, Hard Rock

Family

Group

Plutonic

Other Categories

Coarse Grained Rock, Opaque Rock

Fine Grained Rock, Opaque Rock

Texture

Foliated, Glassy

Aphanitic to Porphyritic

Color

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

Black, Brown, Green, Grey, Red, White

Maintenance

Less

Durability

Durable

Water Resistant

✔ ✘

Scratch Resistant

✔ ✘

Stain Resistant

✔ ✘

Wind Resistant

✔ ✘

Acid Resistant

✔ ✘

Appearance

Layered, Banded, Veined and Shiny

Glassy or Pearly

Uses

Architecture

Interior Uses

Decorative Aggregates, Floor Tiles, Homes, Interior Decoration

Decorative Aggregates, Homes

Exterior Uses

As Building Stone, As Facing Stone, Garden Decoration

As Building Stone, Garden Decoration, Office Buildings

Other Architectural Uses

Curbing

Whetstones

Industry

Construction Industry

As Dimension Stone, Cement Manufacture, for Road Aggregate

Arrowheads, Construction Aggregate, Cutting Tool, Spear Points

Medical Industry

Antiquity Uses

Artifacts, Sculpture, Small Figurines

Artifacts, Monuments

Other Uses

Commercial Uses

Creating Artwork, Curling

As a touchstone, Creating Artwork, Gemstone, In fire-starting tools, Manufacture of tools, Metallurgical Flux, Jewelry, To ignite fire, Used in flintlock firearms

Types

Proterozoic Anorthosite and Archean Anorthosite

Nepheline-Basanite, Analcite-Basanite and Leucite-Basanite

Features

Generally rough to touch, Is one of the oldest rock

Clasts are smooth to touch, Easily splits into thin plates, Has High structural resistance against erosion and climate, Used as a touchstone

Archaeological Significance

Monuments

Famous Monuments

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.

Basanite is a fine-grained, hard rock that forms when bits of lava shoot out of volcanoes.

Composition

Mineral Content

Amphibole, Clinopyroxene, Ilmenite, Magnetite, Olivine, Orthopyroxene

Augite, Feldspar, Ilmenite, Olivine, Plagioclase

Compound Content

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

Potassium Oxide, Sodium Oxide, Silicon Dioxide

Transformation

Metamorphism

✔ ✘

Types of Metamorphism

Cataclastic Metamorphism, Contact Metamorphism

Burial Metamorphism, Cataclastic Metamorphism, Contact Metamorphism, Regional Metamorphism

Weathering

✔ ✘

Types of Weathering

Biological Weathering

Chemical Weathering, Mechanical Weathering

Erosion

✔ ✘

Types of Erosion

Chemical Erosion, Wind Erosion

Chemical Erosion, Coastal Erosion, Glacier Erosion, Sea Erosion, Water Erosion, Wind Erosion

Properties

Physical Properties

Hardness

5-67

1 7

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Grain Size

Coarse Grained

Fine Grained

Fracture

Irregular

Uneven, Splintery or Conchoidal

Streak

White

Porosity

Less Porous

Highly Porous

Luster

Pearly to Subvitreous

Waxy and Dull

Compressive Strength

180.00 N/mm²100.00 N/mm²

0.15 450

👆🏻

Cleavage

Toughness

1.5

Specific Gravity

2.62-2.822.5-2.8

0 8.4

👆🏻

Transparency

Translucent

Translucent to Opaque

Density

2.7-4 g/cm³2.7 g/cm³

0 1400

👆🏻

Thermal Properties

Specific Heat Capacity

0.84 kJ/Kg K0.74 kJ/Kg K

0.14 3.2

👆🏻

Resistance

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

Heat Resistant, Impact Resistant, Pressure Resistant, Wear Resistant

Reserves

Deposits in Eastern Continents

Asia

Africa

Uganda

Europe

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

Germany, Hungary, Italy, Spain

Others

Greenland, Mid-Atlantic Ridge

Deposits in Western Continents

North America

Canada

USA

South America

Bolivia, Colombia

Bolivia, Brazil

Deposits in Oceania Continent

Australia

Central Australia, South Australia, Western Australia

New South Wales, New Zealand, Queensland, South Australia, Western Australia

All about Anorthosite and Basanite Properties

Know all about Anorthosite and Basanite properties here. All properties of rocks are important as they define the type of rock and its application. Anorthosite and Basanite belong to Igneous Rocks.Texture of Anorthosite is Foliated, Glassy whereas that of Basanite is Aphanitic to Porphyritic. Anorthosite appears Layered, Banded, Veined and Shiny and Basanite appears Glassy or Pearly. The luster of Anorthosite is pearly to subvitreous while that of Basanite is waxy and dull. Anorthosite is available in black, bluish - grey, brown, green, grey, light greenish grey, pink, white colors whereas Basanite is available in black, brown, green, grey, red, white colors. The commercial uses of Anorthosite are creating artwork, curling and that of Basanite are as a touchstone, creating artwork, gemstone, in fire-starting tools, manufacture of tools, metallurgical flux, jewelry, to ignite fire, used in flintlock firearms.