Home
Compare Rocks


Anorthosite and Sandstone


Sandstone and Anorthosite


Definition

Definition
Anorthosite is a granular igneous rock composed largely of labradorite or plagioclase   
Sandstone is defined as a rock which is composed of sand-sized grains of various minerals mostly of uniform size and often are smooth and rounded   

History
  
  

Discoverer
Unknown   
Unknown   

Etymology
From French anorthose plagioclase + -ite1   
From its composition, sand and stone   

Class
Igneous Rocks   
Sedimentary Rocks   

Sub-Class
Durable Rock, Medium Hardness Rock   
Durable Rock, Hard Rock   

Family
  
  

Group
Plutonic   
Not Applicable   

Other Categories
Coarse Grained Rock, Opaque Rock   
Coarse Grained Rock, Fine Grained Rock, Opaque Rock   

Texture

Texture
Foliated, Glassy   
Clastic, Granular, Rough   

Color
Black, Bluish - Grey, Brown, Green, Grey, Light Greenish Grey, Pink, White   
Beige, Black, Brown, Colourless, Cream, Dark Brown, Green, Grey, Light Green, Light to Dark Grey, Pink, Red, White, Yellow   

Maintenance
Less   
More   

Durability
Durable   
Durable   

Water Resistant
Yes   
Yes   

Scratch Resistant
No   
Yes   

Stain Resistant
No   
No   

Wind Resistant
Yes   
Yes   

Acid Resistant
No   
Yes   

Appearance
Layered, Banded, Veined and Shiny   
Rough   

Uses

Architecture
  
  

Interior Uses
Decorative Aggregates, Floor Tiles, Homes, Interior Decoration   
Countertops, Decorative Aggregates, Interior Decoration   

Exterior Uses
As Building Stone, As Facing Stone, Garden Decoration   
As Building Stone, As Facing Stone, Office Buildings   

Other Architectural Uses
Curbing   
Curbing   

Industry
  
  

Construction Industry
As Dimension Stone, Cement Manufacture, for Road Aggregate   
Cement Manufacture, Construction Aggregate, for Road Aggregate, Production of Glass and Ceramics, Raw material for the manufacture of mortar   

Medical Industry
Not Yet Used   
Not Yet Used   

Antiquity Uses
Artifacts, Sculpture, Small Figurines   
Artifacts, Monuments, Sculpture   

Other Uses
  
  

Commercial Uses
Creating Artwork, Curling   
An Oil and Gas Reservoir, In aquifers, Petroleum reservoirs, Soil Conditioner, Source of Magnesia (MgO), Tombstones, Used in aquariums   

Types

Types
Proterozoic Anorthosite and Archean Anorthosite   
Grey Sandstones, Crystallized Sandstones, Hard Sandstones , Carbonate Cemented Sandstones and Ganister   

Features
Generally rough to touch, Is one of the oldest rock   
Available in Lots of Colors and Patterns, Generally rough to touch, Very fine grained rock   

Archaeological Significance
  
  

Monuments
Not Yet Used   
Used   

Famous Monuments
Not Applicable   
Abu Simbel in Egypt, Agia Sophia in Istanbul, Turkey, Angkor Wat in Cambodia, Buland Darwaza in Agra, India, Chhatrapati Shivaji Terminus in Maharashtra, India, Dom in Berlin, Great Sphinx at Giza, Egypt, Hawa Mahal in Jaipur, India, Humayun's Tomb in Delhi, India, India Gate in Delhi, India, Jama Masjid in Delhi, India, Khajuraho Temples, India, Leh Palace in Leh, India, Lotus Temple in New Delhi, India, Luxor Temple in Egypt, Machu Picchu in Peru, Neuschwanstein in Bavaria, Petra in Jordan, Qutb Minar in India, Red Fort in Delhi, India, Sanchi Stupa in India   

Sculpture
Used   
Used   

Famous Sculptures
Not Applicable   
Ajanta Caves in Maharashtra, India, Elephanta Caves in Maharashtra, India, Mount Rushmore National Memorial in South Dakota, US   

Pictographs
Not Used   
Not Used   

Petroglyphs
Not Used   
Not Used   

Figurines
Used   
Used   

Fossils
Absent   
Present   

Formation

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.   
Sandstone is a sedimentary rock which forms from cemented sand-sized clasts. It forms when sand layers are buried under sediments of sand.   

Composition
  
  

Mineral Content
Amphibole, Clinopyroxene, Ilmenite, Magnetite, Olivine, Orthopyroxene   
Calcite, Clay, Clay Minerals, Feldspar, Micas, Quartz   

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

Transformation
  
  

Metamorphism
Yes   
No   

Types of Metamorphism
Cataclastic Metamorphism, Contact Metamorphism   
Not Applicable   

Weathering
Yes   
Yes   

Types of Weathering
Biological Weathering   
Biological Weathering, Chemical Weathering, Mechanical Weathering   

Erosion
Yes   
Yes   

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

Properties

Physical Properties
  
  

Hardness
5-6   
6-7   

Grain Size
Coarse Grained   
Coarse or Fine   

Fracture
Irregular   
Conchoidal   

Streak
White   
White   

Porosity
Less Porous   
Highly Porous   

Luster
Pearly to Subvitreous   
Dull   

Compressive Strength
Not Available   
95.00 N/mm2   
20

Cleavage
Irregular   
Perfect   

Toughness
Not Available   
2.6   

Specific Gravity
2.62-2.82   
2.2-2.8   

Transparency
Translucent   
Opaque   

Density
2.7-4 g/cm3   
2.2-2.8 g/cm3   

Thermal Properties
  
  

Specific Heat Capacity
0.84 kJ/Kg K   
15
0.92 kJ/Kg K   
10

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

Reserves

Deposits in Eastern Continents
  
  

Asia
Not Yet Found   
China, India, Kazakhstan, Mongolia, Russia, Thailand, Uzbekistan   

Africa
Not Yet Found   
Namibia, Nigeria, South Africa   

Europe
Bulgaria, France, Germany, Greece, Hungary, Italy, Latvia, Lithuania, Malta, Poland, Portugal, Romania, Slovenia, Spain, Sweden, The Czech Republic   
Austria, Denmark, Germany, Great Britain, Netherlands, Norway, Poland, Sweden, Switzerland, United Kingdom   

Others
Not Yet Found   
Greenland   

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   
New South Wales, New Zealand   

Summary >>
<< Reserves

All about Anorthosite and Sandstone Properties

Know all about Anorthosite and Sandstone properties here. All properties of rocks are important as they define the type of rock and its application. Anorthosite belongs to Igneous Rocks while Sandstone belongs to Sedimentary Rocks.Texture of Anorthosite is Foliated, Glassy whereas that of Sandstone is Clastic, Granular, Rough. Anorthosite appears Layered, Banded, Veined and Shiny and Sandstone appears Rough. The luster of Anorthosite is pearly to subvitreous while that of Sandstone is dull. Anorthosite is available in black, bluish - grey, brown, green, grey, light greenish grey, pink, white colors whereas Sandstone is available in beige, black, brown, colourless, cream, dark brown, green, grey, light green, light to dark grey, pink, red, white, yellow colors. The commercial uses of Anorthosite are creating artwork, curling and that of Sandstone are an oil and gas reservoir, in aquifers, petroleum reservoirs, soil conditioner, source of magnesia (mgo), tombstones, used in aquariums.

Compare Igneous Rocks

Igneous Rocks

Igneous Rocks

» More Igneous Rocks

Compare Igneous Rocks

» More Compare Igneous Rocks