Anorthosite

Porphyry

Anorthosite and Porphyry

Anorthosite

Porphyry

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Definition

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

Porphyry is a reddish-brown to purple igneous rock containing large phenocrysts of various minerals embedded in a fine-grained matrix

History

Origin

Egypt

Discoverer

Unknown

Etymology

From French anorthose plagioclase + -ite1

From Old French porfire, from Italian porfiro and in some cases directly from Latin porphyrites

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

Porphyritic

Color

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

Black, Brown, Green, Grey, Red, Rust, White

Maintenance

Less

Durability

Durable

Water Resistant

✔ ✘

Scratch Resistant

✔ ✘

Stain Resistant

✔ ✘

Wind Resistant

✔ ✘

Acid Resistant

✔ ✘

Appearance

Layered, Banded, Veined and Shiny

Dull

Uses

Architecture

Interior Uses

Decorative Aggregates, Floor Tiles, Homes, Interior Decoration

Decorative Aggregates, Interior Decoration

Exterior Uses

As Building Stone, As Facing Stone, Garden Decoration

Garden Decoration, Paving Stone

Other Architectural Uses

Curbing

Industry

Construction Industry

As Dimension Stone, Cement Manufacture, for Road Aggregate

Construction Aggregate

Medical Industry

Antiquity Uses

Artifacts, Sculpture, Small Figurines

Artifacts, Monuments, Sculpture

Other Uses

Commercial Uses

Creating Artwork, Curling

Creating Artwork, Gemstone, Jewelry

Types

Proterozoic Anorthosite and Archean Anorthosite

Rhomb Porphyry

Features

Generally rough to touch, Is one of the oldest rock

Generally rough to touch, Is one of the oldest rock, Surfaces are often shiny

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.

Porphyry is formed in two stages: the magma cools slowly deep within the crust or the magma is cools rapidly as it erupts from a volcano, creating small grains that are usually invisible to naked eye.

Composition

Mineral Content

Amphibole, Clinopyroxene, Ilmenite, Magnetite, Olivine, Orthopyroxene

Biotite, Chert, Feldspar, Garnet, Graphite, Quartz, Silica

Compound Content

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

Aluminium Oxide, CaO, Iron(III) Oxide, Potassium Oxide, MgO, Sodium Oxide, Silicon Dioxide, Titanium Dioxide

Transformation

Metamorphism

✔ ✘

Types of Metamorphism

Cataclastic Metamorphism, Contact Metamorphism

Burial Metamorphism, Cataclastic Metamorphism, Contact Metamorphism, Hydrothermal Metamorphism, Impact 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, Glacier Erosion

Properties

Physical Properties

Hardness

5-66-7

1 7

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Grain Size

Coarse Grained

Fine Grained

Fracture

Irregular

Streak

White

Porosity

Less Porous

Luster

Pearly to Subvitreous

Dull

Compressive Strength

180.00 N/mm²150.00 N/mm²

0.15 450

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Cleavage

Toughness

1.7

Specific Gravity

2.62-2.822.5-4

0 8.4

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Transparency

Translucent

Translucent to Opaque

Density

2.7-4 g/cm³2.5-2.52 g/cm³

0 1400

👆🏻

Thermal Properties

Specific Heat Capacity

0.84 kJ/Kg K0.71 kJ/Kg K

0.14 3.2

👆🏻

Resistance

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

Heat Resistant, Impact Resistant

Reserves

Deposits in Eastern Continents

Asia

China, Kazakhstan, South Korea, Thailand, Turkey, Vietnam

Africa

Egypt, Ethiopia, Ghana, South Africa

Europe

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

Finland, France, Germany, Great Britain, Hungary, Iceland, Ireland, Italy, Netherlands, Norway, Romania, Sweden, Switzerland

Others

Greenland

Deposits in Western Continents

North America

Canada

Canada, Cuba, Jamaica, USA

South America

Bolivia, Colombia

Bolivia, Brazil, Colombia, Ecuador, Paraguay

Deposits in Oceania Continent

Australia

Central Australia, South Australia, Western Australia

New South Wales, New Zealand, Western Australia

All about Anorthosite and Porphyry Properties

Know all about Anorthosite and Porphyry properties here. All properties of rocks are important as they define the type of rock and its application. Anorthosite and Porphyry belong to Igneous Rocks.Texture of Anorthosite is Foliated, Glassy whereas that of Porphyry is Porphyritic. Anorthosite appears Layered, Banded, Veined and Shiny and Porphyry appears Dull. The luster of Anorthosite is pearly to subvitreous while that of Porphyry is dull. Anorthosite is available in black, bluish - grey, brown, green, grey, light greenish grey, pink, white colors whereas Porphyry is available in black, brown, green, grey, red, rust, white colors. The commercial uses of Anorthosite are creating artwork, curling and that of Porphyry are creating artwork, gemstone, jewelry.