Definition
Anorthosite is a granular igneous rock composed largely of labradorite or plagioclase
Basalt is a common extrusive igneous rock formed by the rapid cooling of basaltic lava exposed at or very near the surface of Earth
Discoverer
Unknown
Georgius Agricola
Etymology
From French anorthose plagioclase + -ite1
From Late Latin Basaltes (variant of basanites ), very hard stone, which was imported from Ancient Greek Basanites
Class
Igneous Rocks
Igneous Rocks
Sub-Class
Durable Rock, Medium Hardness Rock
Durable Rock, Medium Hardness Rock
Other Categories
Coarse Grained Rock, Opaque Rock
Fine Grained Rock, Opaque Rock
Texture
Foliated, Glassy
Glassy, Massive, Porphyritic, Scoriaceous, Vesicular
Color
Black, Bluish - Grey, Brown, Green, Grey, Light Greenish Grey, Pink, White
Black, Brown, Light to Dark Grey
Durability
Durable
Durable
Appearance
Layered, Banded, Veined and Shiny
Dull and Soft
Interior Uses
Decorative Aggregates, Floor Tiles, Homes, Interior Decoration
Floor Tiles, Homes, Hotels, Kitchens
Exterior Uses
As Building Stone, As Facing Stone, Garden Decoration
As Building Stone, Paving Stone, Garden Decoration, Office Buildings
Other Architectural Uses
Curbing
Curbing, Whetstones
Construction Industry
As Dimension Stone, Cement Manufacture, for Road Aggregate
Arrowheads, As Dimension Stone, Cobblestones, Cutting Tool, Rail Track Ballast, Roadstone
Medical Industry
Not Yet Used
Not Yet Used
Antiquity Uses
Artifacts, Sculpture, Small Figurines
Artifacts, Monuments
Commercial Uses
Creating Artwork, Curling
An Oil and Gas Reservoir, Commemorative Tablets, Creating Artwork, Used in aquariums
Types
Proterozoic Anorthosite and Archean Anorthosite
Alkaline Basalt, Boninite, High Alumina Basalt, Mid Ocean Ridge Basalt (MORB), Tholeiitic Basalt, Basaltic trachyandesite, Mugearite and Shoshonite
Features
Generally rough to touch, Is one of the oldest rock
Has High structural resistance against erosion and climate, Very fine grained rock
Archaeological Significance
Monuments
Not Yet Used
Used
Famous Monuments
Not Applicable
Easter Island in the Polynesian Triangle, Pacific Ocean, Gateway of India in Mumbai, India, Gol Gumbaz in Karnataka, India
Famous Sculptures
Not Applicable
Data Not Available
Pictographs
Not Used
Used
Petroglyphs
Not Used
Used
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.
Basalt forms when lava reaches the Earth's surface near an active volcano. The temperature of lava is between 1100 to 1250° C when it gets to the surface.
Mineral Content
Amphibole, Clinopyroxene, Ilmenite, Magnetite, Olivine, Orthopyroxene
Olivine, Plagioclase, Pyroxene
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
Types of Metamorphism
Cataclastic Metamorphism, Contact Metamorphism
Contact Metamorphism
Types of Weathering
Biological Weathering
Biological Weathering
Types of Erosion
Chemical Erosion, Wind Erosion
Not Available
Grain Size
Coarse Grained
Fine Grained
Fracture
Irregular
Conchoidal
Streak
White
White to Grey
Porosity
Less Porous
Less Porous
Luster
Pearly to Subvitreous
Not Available
Compressive Strength
Not Available
Cleavage
Irregular
Not Available
Toughness
Not Available
2.3
Specific Gravity
2.62-2.82
2.8-3
Transparency
Translucent
Opaque
Density
2.7-4 g/cm3
2.9-3.1 g/cm3
Resistance
Heat Resistant, Impact Resistant, Pressure Resistant, Scratch Resistant, Wear Resistant
Heat Resistant, Pressure Resistant, Wear Resistant
Deposits in Eastern Continents
Asia
Not Yet Found
India, Russia
Africa
Not Yet Found
South Africa
Europe
Bulgaria, France, Germany, Greece, Hungary, Italy, Latvia, Lithuania, Malta, Poland, Portugal, Romania, Slovenia, Spain, Sweden, The Czech Republic
Iceland
Others
Not Yet Found
Not Yet Found
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
Not Yet Found
Anorthosite vs Basalt 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 Basalt characteristics assist us to distinguish and recognize rocks. Also you can check about Properties of Anorthosite and Properties of Basalt. Learn more about Anorthosite vs Basalt in the next section. The interior uses of Anorthosite include Decorative aggregates, Floor tiles, Homes and Interior decoration whereas the interior uses of Basalt include Floor tiles, Homes, Hotels and Kitchens. Due to some exceptional properties of Anorthosite and Basalt, 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 Basalt include Arrowheads, As dimension stone, Cobblestones, Cutting tool, Rail track ballast, Roadstone.
More about Anorthosite and Basalt
Here you can know more about Anorthosite and Basalt. The life cycle of a rock consists of formation of rock, composition of rock and transformation of rock. The composition of Anorthosite and Basalt consists of mineral content and compound content. The mineral content of Anorthosite includes Amphibole, Clinopyroxene, Ilmenite, Magnetite, Olivine, Orthopyroxene and mineral content of Basalt includes Olivine, Plagioclase, Pyroxene. You can also check out the list of all Igneous Rocks. When we have to compare Anorthosite vs Basalt, 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, Basalt is available in black, brown, light to dark grey colors. Appearance of Anorthosite is Layered, Banded, Veined and Shiny and that of Basalt is Dull and Soft. Properties of rock is another aspect for Anorthosite vs Basalt. The hardness of Anorthosite is 5-6 and that of Basalt is 6. The types of Anorthosite are Proterozoic Anorthosite and Archean Anorthosite whereas types of Basalt are Alkaline Basalt, Boninite, High Alumina Basalt, Mid Ocean Ridge Basalt (MORB), Tholeiitic Basalt, Basaltic trachyandesite, Mugearite and Shoshonite. 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 Basalt is white to grey. The specific heat capacity of Anorthosite is 0.84 kJ/Kg K and that of Basalt 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 Basalt is heat resistant, pressure resistant, wear resistant.
