Anorthosite

Diabase

Anorthosite and Diabase

Anorthosite

Diabase

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Definition

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

Diabase is a fine-grained igneous rock which is composed mostly of pyroxene and feldspar

History

Origin

Germany

Discoverer

Unknown

Christian Leopold von Buch

Etymology

From French anorthose plagioclase + -ite1

From Greek di + base

Class

Igneous Rocks

Sub-Class

Durable Rock, Medium Hardness Rock

Durable Rock, Hard Rock

Family

Group

Plutonic

Volcanic

Other Categories

Coarse Grained Rock, Opaque Rock

Fine Grained Rock, Medium Grained Rock, Opaque Rock

Texture

Foliated, Glassy

Aphanitic, Granular

Color

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

Dark Grey to Black

Maintenance

Less

Durability

Durable

Water Resistant

✔ ✘

Scratch Resistant

✔ ✘

Stain Resistant

✔ ✘

Wind Resistant

✔ ✘

Acid Resistant

✔ ✘

Appearance

Layered, Banded, Veined and Shiny

Vesicular

Uses

Architecture

Interior Uses

Decorative Aggregates, Floor Tiles, Homes, Interior Decoration

Countertops, Decorative Aggregates, Homes, Interior Decoration, Kitchens

Exterior Uses

As Building Stone, As Facing Stone, Garden Decoration

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

Other Architectural Uses

Curbing

Industry

Construction Industry

As Dimension Stone, Cement Manufacture, for Road Aggregate

As Dimension Stone, Building houses or walls, Cement Manufacture, Construction Aggregate, for Road Aggregate

Medical Industry

Antiquity Uses

Artifacts, Sculpture, Small Figurines

Artifacts, Monuments, Sculpture, Small Figurines

Other Uses

Commercial Uses

Creating Artwork, Curling

An Oil and Gas Reservoir, Cemetery Markers, Commemorative Tablets, Laboratory bench tops, Jewelry, Sea Defence, Tombstones

Types

Proterozoic Anorthosite and Archean Anorthosite

Dolerite

Features

Generally rough to touch, Is one of the oldest rock

Smooth to touch

Archaeological Significance

Monuments

Famous Monuments

Stonehenge in English county of Wiltshire

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.

Diabase forms when molten igneous rock is squeezed up into a vertical crack in other rocks, the crack is usually forced apart and the molten rock cools in the space to form a tabular igneous intrusion cutting across the surrounding rocks and is known as a dike.

Composition

Mineral Content

Amphibole, Clinopyroxene, Ilmenite, Magnetite, Olivine, Orthopyroxene

Augite, Chlorite, Olivine, Plagioclase, Pyroxene, Pyrrhotite, Serpentine

Compound Content

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

Aluminium Oxide, CaO, Chromium(III) Oxide, Iron(III) Oxide, Potassium Oxide, MgO, Sodium Oxide, Silicon Dioxide, Sulfur Trioxide

Transformation

Metamorphism

✔ ✘

Types of Metamorphism

Cataclastic Metamorphism, Contact Metamorphism

Burial Metamorphism, Cataclastic Metamorphism, Contact Metamorphism, Regional Metamorphism

Weathering

✔ ✘

Types of Weathering

Biological Weathering

Biological Weathering, Chemical Weathering

Erosion

✔ ✘

Types of Erosion

Chemical Erosion, Wind Erosion

Chemical Erosion, Coastal Erosion, Water Erosion

Properties

Physical Properties

Hardness

5-67

1 7

👆🏻

Grain Size

Coarse Grained

Fine to Medium Grained

Fracture

Irregular

Conchoidal

Streak

White

Black

Porosity

Less Porous

Highly Porous

Luster

Pearly to Subvitreous

Compressive Strength

180.00 N/mm²225.00 N/mm²

0.15 450

👆🏻

Cleavage

Toughness

1.6

Specific Gravity

2.62-2.822.86-2.87

0 8.4

👆🏻

Transparency

Translucent

Opaque

Density

2.7-4 g/cm³2.7-3.3 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, Impact Resistant, Pressure Resistant, Wear Resistant

Reserves

Deposits in Eastern Continents

Asia

India

Africa

South Africa, Tanzania

Europe

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

Germany, Greece, Italy, Scotland, Turkey

Others

Antarctica, Greenland

Deposits in Western Continents

North America

Canada

Canada, USA

South America

Bolivia, Colombia

Argentina, Brazil, Colombia, Venezuela

Deposits in Oceania Continent

Australia

Central Australia, South Australia, Western Australia

Central Australia, New Zealand, Queensland, Western Australia

All about Anorthosite and Diabase Properties

Know all about Anorthosite and Diabase properties here. All properties of rocks are important as they define the type of rock and its application. Anorthosite and Diabase belong to Igneous Rocks.Texture of Anorthosite is Foliated, Glassy whereas that of Diabase is Aphanitic, Granular. Anorthosite appears Layered, Banded, Veined and Shiny and Diabase appears Vesicular. The luster of Anorthosite is pearly to subvitreous while that of Diabase is . Anorthosite is available in black, bluish - grey, brown, green, grey, light greenish grey, pink, white colors whereas Diabase is available in dark grey to black colors. The commercial uses of Anorthosite are creating artwork, curling and that of Diabase are an oil and gas reservoir, cemetery markers, commemorative tablets, laboratory bench tops, jewelry, sea defence, tombstones.