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Anorthosite
Anorthosite

Andesite
Andesite



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Anorthosite
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Anorthosite vs Andesite

Definition

Definition

Anorthosite is a granular igneous rock composed largely of labradorite or plagioclase
Andesite is a dark, fine-grained, brown or greyish intermediate volcanic rock which is a commonly found in lava

History

Origin

-
North America

Discoverer

Unknown
Theodor von Gümbel

Etymology

From French anorthose plagioclase + -ite1
From Andes mountains, where it is found in abundance

Class

Igneous Rocks
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, Opaque Rock

Texture

Texture

Foliated, Glassy
Aphanitic to Porphyritic

Color

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

Maintenance

Less
More

Durability

Durable
Durable

Water Resistant

Scratch Resistant

Stain Resistant

Wind Resistant

Acid Resistant

Appearance

Layered, Banded, Veined and Shiny
Dull and Soft

Uses

Architecture

Interior Uses

Decorative Aggregates, Floor Tiles, Homes, Interior Decoration
Decorative Aggregates, Floor Tiles, Homes, Interior Decoration, Kitchens

Exterior Uses

As Building Stone, As Facing Stone, Garden Decoration
Office Buildings, Roof Tiles

Other Architectural Uses

Curbing
Curbing

Industry

Construction Industry

As Dimension Stone, Cement Manufacture, for Road Aggregate
Cobblestones, 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
Commemorative Tablets, Creating Artwork

Types

Types

Proterozoic Anorthosite and Archean Anorthosite
Icelandite

Features

Generally rough to touch, Is one of the oldest rock
Generally rough to touch, High silica content, Is one of the oldest rock

Archaeological Significance

Monuments

-
-

Famous Monuments

-
Middle of the Earth in Ecuador

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.
Andesite is a fine-grained igneous rock that forms when the magma is erupted onto the surface and is crystallized quickly.

Composition

Mineral Content

Amphibole, Clinopyroxene, Ilmenite, Magnetite, Olivine, Orthopyroxene
Amphibole, Apatite, Biotite, Feldspar, Garnet, Hornblade, Ilmenite, Magnetite, Plagioclase, Pyroxene, Zircon

Compound Content

Ca, CaO, Chromium(III) Oxide, MgO, Sulfur Trioxide
Silicon 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, Mechanical Weathering

Erosion

Types of Erosion

Chemical Erosion, Wind Erosion
Chemical Erosion, Coastal Erosion, Glacier Erosion

Properties

Physical Properties

Hardness

5-67
1 7
👆🏻

Grain Size

Coarse Grained
Very fine-grained

Fracture

Irregular
Uneven

Streak

White
White

Porosity

Less Porous
Less Porous

Luster

Pearly to Subvitreous
Vitreous

Compressive Strength

180.00 N/mm2225.00 N/mm2
0.15 450
👆🏻

Cleavage

-
-

Toughness

-
1.1

Specific Gravity

2.62-2.822.5-2.8
0 8.4
👆🏻

Transparency

Translucent
Opaque

Density

2.7-4 g/cm32.11-2.36 g/cm3
0 1400
👆🏻

Thermal Properties

Specific Heat Capacity

0.84 kJ/Kg K2.39 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

-
India, Indonesia, Japan, Nepal, South Korea

Africa

-
Egypt, Ethiopia, Morocco, Namibia, South Africa, Tanzania

Europe

Bulgaria, France, Germany, Greece, Hungary, Italy, Latvia, Lithuania, Malta, Poland, Portugal, Romania, Slovenia, Spain, Sweden, The Czech Republic
Austria, Finland, Germany, Italy, Romania, Turkey, United Kingdom

Others

-
-

Deposits in Western Continents

North America

Canada
Mexico, USA

South America

Bolivia, Colombia
Argentina, Bolivia, Chile, Colombia, Ecuador, Peru, Venezuela

Deposits in Oceania Continent

Australia

Central Australia, South Australia, Western Australia
New South Wales, New Zealand, Western Australia

Anorthosite vs Andesite 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 Andesite Reserves. Anorthosite is a granular igneous rock composed largely of labradorite or plagioclase. Andesite is a dark, fine-grained, brown or greyish intermediate volcanic rock which is a commonly found in lava. 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 Andesite information and Anorthosite vs Andesite characteristics in the upcoming sections.

Anorthosite vs Andesite 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 Andesite characteristics assist us to distinguish and recognize rocks. Also you can check about Properties of Anorthosite and Properties of Andesite. Learn more about Anorthosite vs Andesite in the next section. The interior uses of Anorthosite include Decorative aggregates, Floor tiles, Homes and Interior decoration whereas the interior uses of Andesite include Decorative aggregates, Floor tiles, Homes, Interior decoration and Kitchens. Due to some exceptional properties of Anorthosite and Andesite, 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 Andesite include Cobblestones, Construction aggregate, For road aggregate.

More about Anorthosite and Andesite

Here you can know more about Anorthosite and Andesite. The life cycle of a rock consists of formation of rock, composition of rock and transformation of rock. The composition of Anorthosite and Andesite consists of mineral content and compound content. The mineral content of Anorthosite includes Amphibole, Clinopyroxene, Ilmenite, Magnetite, Olivine, Orthopyroxene and mineral content of Andesite includes Amphibole, Apatite, Biotite, Feldspar, Garnet, Hornblade, Ilmenite, Magnetite, Plagioclase, Pyroxene, Zircon. You can also check out the list of all Igneous Rocks. When we have to compare Anorthosite vs Andesite, 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, Andesite is available in bluish - grey, grey, pink, yellow colors. Appearance of Anorthosite is Layered, Banded, Veined and Shiny and that of Andesite is Dull and Soft. Properties of rock is another aspect for Anorthosite vs Andesite. The hardness of Anorthosite is 5-6 and that of Andesite is 7. The types of Anorthosite are Proterozoic Anorthosite and Archean Anorthosite whereas types of Andesite are Icelandite. Streak of rock is the color of powder produced when it is dragged across an unweathered surface. The streak of Anorthosite and Andesite is white. The specific heat capacity of Anorthosite is 0.84 kJ/Kg K and that of Andesite is 2.39 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 Andesite is heat resistant, pressure resistant, wear resistant.