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Anorthosite
Anorthosite

Amphibolite
Amphibolite



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Anorthosite
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Anorthosite vs Amphibolite

Definition

Definition

Anorthosite is a granular igneous rock composed largely of labradorite or plagioclase
Amphibolite can be defined as a granular metamorphic rock which mainly consist of hornblende and plagioclase

History

Origin

-
-

Discoverer

Unknown
Alexandre Brongniart

Etymology

From French anorthose plagioclase + -ite1
From Amphibole + -ite

Class

Igneous Rocks
Metamorphic Rocks

Sub-Class

Durable Rock, Medium Hardness Rock
Durable Rock, Hard Rock

Family

Group

Plutonic
-

Other Categories

Coarse Grained Rock, Opaque Rock
Coarse Grained Rock, Medium Grained Rock, Opaque Rock

Texture

Texture

Foliated, Glassy
Banded, Foliated, Massive

Color

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

Maintenance

Less
Less

Durability

Durable
Durable

Water Resistant

Scratch Resistant

Stain Resistant

Wind Resistant

Acid Resistant

Appearance

Layered, Banded, Veined and Shiny
Foliated

Uses

Architecture

Interior Uses

Decorative Aggregates, Floor Tiles, Homes, Interior Decoration
Countertops, Decorative Aggregates, Entryways, Floor Tiles, Flooring, Homes, Hotels, Kitchens

Exterior Uses

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

Other Architectural Uses

Curbing
Curbing

Industry

Construction Industry

As Dimension Stone, Cement Manufacture, for Road Aggregate
As Dimension Stone, Building houses or walls, Cobblestones, Construction Aggregate, for Road Aggregate, Landscaping, Production of Glass and Ceramics, Roadstone

Medical Industry

-
-

Antiquity Uses

Artifacts, Sculpture, Small Figurines
Artifacts, Sculpture, Small Figurines

Other Uses

Commercial Uses

Creating Artwork, Curling
Cemetery Markers, Commemorative Tablets, Creating Artwork

Types

Types

Proterozoic Anorthosite and Archean Anorthosite
Hornblendite

Features

Generally rough to touch, Is one of the oldest rock
Clasts are smooth to touch, Matrix variable, Surfaces are often shiny

Archaeological Significance

Monuments

-
-

Famous Monuments

-
-

Sculpture

-
-

Famous Sculptures

-
-

Pictographs

-
-

Petroglyphs

-
-

Figurines

-
-

Fossils

Absent
Absent

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.
Amphibolite is a coarse-grained metamorphic rock which forms by metamorphism of mafic igneous rocks like basalt and gabbro or from the metamorphism of clay-rich sedimentary rocks like marl or graywacke.

Composition

Mineral Content

Amphibole, Clinopyroxene, Ilmenite, Magnetite, Olivine, Orthopyroxene
Amphibole, Andalusite, Biotite, Calcite, Epidote, Garnet, Hornblade, Kyanite, Magnetite, Olivine, Plagioclase, Pyroxene, Staurolite, Wollastonite

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
-

Weathering

Types of Weathering

Biological Weathering
Chemical Weathering, Mechanical Weathering

Erosion

Types of Erosion

Chemical Erosion, Wind Erosion
Chemical Erosion, Glacier Erosion, Sea Erosion, Wind Erosion

Properties

Physical Properties

Hardness

5-66-7
1 7
👆🏻

Grain Size

Coarse Grained
Medium to Coarse Grained

Fracture

Irregular
Irregular to Conchoidal

Streak

White
White to Grey

Porosity

Less Porous
Less Porous

Luster

Pearly to Subvitreous
Vitreous to Dull

Compressive Strength

180.00 N/mm290.00 N/mm2
0.15 450
👆🏻

Cleavage

-
-

Toughness

-
2.3

Specific Gravity

2.62-2.822.5
0 8.4
👆🏻

Transparency

Translucent
Opaque

Density

2.7-4 g/cm32.85-3.07 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

-
Russia, Turkey

Africa

-
Burundi, Djibouti, Eritrea, Ethiopia, Kenya, Madagascar, Rwanda, Somalia, South Africa, Sudan, Tanzania, Uganda

Europe

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

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
South Australia, Western Australia

Anorthosite vs Amphibolite Information

Earth’s outer layer is covered by rocks and these rocks have different physical and chemical properties. As two rocks are not same, it’s fun to compare them. You can also know more about Anorthosite and Amphibolite Reserves. Anorthosite is a granular igneous rock composed largely of labradorite or plagioclase. Amphibolite can be defined as a granular metamorphic rock which mainly consist of hornblende and plagioclase. These rocks are composed of many distinct minerals. The process of formation of rocks is different for various rocks. Rocks are quarried from many years for various purposes. You can check out Anorthosite vs Amphibolite information and Anorthosite vs Amphibolite characteristics in the upcoming sections.

Anorthosite vs Amphibolite Characteristics

Though some rocks look identical, they have certain characteristics which distinguish them from others. Characteristics of rocks include texture, appearance, color, fracture, streak, hardness etc. Anorthosite vs Amphibolite characteristics assist us to distinguish and recognize rocks. Also you can check about Properties of Anorthosite and Properties of Amphibolite. Learn more about Anorthosite vs Amphibolite in the next section. The interior uses of Anorthosite include Decorative aggregates, Floor tiles, Homes and Interior decoration whereas the interior uses of Amphibolite include Countertops, Decorative aggregates, Entryways, Floor tiles, Flooring, Homes, Hotels and Kitchens. Due to some exceptional properties of Anorthosite and Amphibolite, they have various applications in construction industry. The uses of Anorthosite in construction industry include As dimension stone, Cement manufacture, For road aggregate and that of Amphibolite include As dimension stone, Building houses or walls, Cobblestones, Construction aggregate, For road aggregate, Landscaping, Production of glass and ceramics, Roadstone.

More about Anorthosite and Amphibolite

Here you can know more about Anorthosite and Amphibolite. The life cycle of a rock consists of formation of rock, composition of rock and transformation of rock. The composition of Anorthosite and Amphibolite consists of mineral content and compound content. The mineral content of Anorthosite includes Amphibole, Clinopyroxene, Ilmenite, Magnetite, Olivine, Orthopyroxene and mineral content of Amphibolite includes Amphibole, Andalusite, Biotite, Calcite, Epidote, Garnet, Hornblade, Kyanite, Magnetite, Olivine, Plagioclase, Pyroxene, Staurolite, Wollastonite. You can also check out the list of all Igneous Rocks. When we have to compare Anorthosite vs Amphibolite, the texture, color and appearance plays an important role in determining the type of rock. Anorthosite is available in black, bluish - grey, brown, green, grey, light greenish grey, pink, white colors whereas, Amphibolite is available in black, brown, green, grey colors. Appearance of Anorthosite is Layered, Banded, Veined and Shiny and that of Amphibolite is Foliated. Properties of rock is another aspect for Anorthosite vs Amphibolite. The hardness of Anorthosite is 5-6 and that of Amphibolite is 6-7. The types of Anorthosite are Proterozoic Anorthosite and Archean Anorthosite whereas types of Amphibolite are Hornblendite. Streak of rock is the color of powder produced when it is dragged across an unweathered surface. The streak of Anorthosite is white while that of Amphibolite is white to grey. The specific heat capacity of Anorthosite is 0.84 kJ/Kg K and that of Amphibolite is 0.84 kJ/Kg K. Depending on the properties like hardness, toughness, specific heat capacity, porosity etc., rocks are resistant to heat, wear, impact, etc.Anorthosite is heat resistant, impact resistant, pressure resistant, scratch resistant, wear resistant whereas Amphibolite is heat resistant, pressure resistant, wear resistant.