Definition
Anorthosite is a granular igneous rock composed largely of labradorite or plagioclase
Basanite is a black basaltic rock which mainly contains plagioclase, augite, olivine and nepheline and is formerly used as a touchstone
History
Origin
-
-
Discoverer
Unknown
Unknown
Etymology
From French anorthose plagioclase + -ite1
From Latin basanites + -ite
Class
Igneous Rocks
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
Aphanitic to Porphyritic
Color
Black, Bluish - Grey, Brown, Green, Grey, Light Greenish Grey, Pink, White
Black, Brown, Green, Grey, Red, White
Maintenance
Less
Less
Durability
Durable
Durable
Water Resistant
✔
✘
✔
✘
Scratch Resistant
✔
✘
✔
✘
Stain Resistant
✔
✘
✔
✘
Wind Resistant
✔
✘
✔
✘
Acid Resistant
✔
✘
✔
✘
Appearance
Layered, Banded, Veined and Shiny
Glassy or Pearly
Architecture
Interior Uses
Decorative Aggregates, Floor Tiles, Homes, Interior Decoration
Decorative Aggregates, Homes
Exterior Uses
As Building Stone, As Facing Stone, Garden Decoration
As Building Stone, Garden Decoration, Office Buildings
Other Architectural Uses
Curbing
Whetstones
Industry
Construction Industry
As Dimension Stone, Cement Manufacture, for Road Aggregate
Arrowheads, Construction Aggregate, Cutting Tool, Spear Points
Medical Industry
-
-
Antiquity Uses
Artifacts, Sculpture, Small Figurines
Artifacts, Monuments
Other Uses
Commercial Uses
Creating Artwork, Curling
As a touchstone, Creating Artwork, Gemstone, In fire-starting tools, Manufacture of tools, Metallurgical Flux, Jewelry, To ignite fire, Used in flintlock firearms
Types
Proterozoic Anorthosite and Archean Anorthosite
Nepheline-Basanite, Analcite-Basanite and Leucite-Basanite
Features
Generally rough to touch, Is one of the oldest rock
Clasts are smooth to touch, Easily splits into thin plates, Has High structural resistance against erosion and climate, Used as a touchstone
Archaeological Significance
Monuments
-
-
Famous Monuments
-
-
Sculpture
-
-
Famous Sculptures
-
-
Pictographs
-
-
Petroglyphs
-
-
Figurines
-
-
Fossils
Absent
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.
Basanite is a fine-grained, hard rock that forms when bits of lava shoot out of volcanoes.
Composition
Mineral Content
Amphibole, Clinopyroxene, Ilmenite, Magnetite, Olivine, Orthopyroxene
Augite, Feldspar, Ilmenite, Olivine, Plagioclase
Compound Content
Ca, CaO, Chromium(III) Oxide, MgO, Sulfur Trioxide
Potassium Oxide, Sodium Oxide, Silicon Dioxide
Transformation
Metamorphism
✔
✘
✔
✘
Types of Metamorphism
Cataclastic Metamorphism, Contact Metamorphism
Burial Metamorphism, Cataclastic Metamorphism, Contact Metamorphism, Regional Metamorphism
Weathering
✔
✘
✔
✘
Types of Weathering
Biological Weathering
Chemical Weathering, Mechanical Weathering
Erosion
✔
✘
✔
✘
Types of Erosion
Chemical Erosion, Wind Erosion
Chemical Erosion, Coastal Erosion, Glacier Erosion, Sea Erosion, Water Erosion, Wind Erosion
Physical Properties
Hardness
5-67
1
7
👆🏻
Grain Size
Coarse Grained
Fine Grained
Fracture
Irregular
Uneven, Splintery or Conchoidal
Streak
White
White
Porosity
Less Porous
Highly Porous
Luster
Pearly to Subvitreous
Waxy and Dull
Compressive Strength
180.00 N/mm2100.00 N/mm2
0.15
450
👆🏻
Cleavage
-
-
Toughness
-
1.5
Specific Gravity
2.62-2.822.5-2.8
0
8.4
👆🏻
Transparency
Translucent
Translucent to Opaque
Density
2.7-4 g/cm32.7 g/cm3
0
1400
👆🏻
Thermal Properties
Specific Heat Capacity
0.84 kJ/Kg K0.74 kJ/Kg K
0.14
3.2
👆🏻
Resistance
Heat Resistant, Impact Resistant, Pressure Resistant, Scratch Resistant, Wear Resistant
Heat Resistant, Impact Resistant, Pressure Resistant, Wear Resistant
Deposits in Eastern Continents
Asia
-
-
Africa
-
Uganda
Europe
Bulgaria, France, Germany, Greece, Hungary, Italy, Latvia, Lithuania, Malta, Poland, Portugal, Romania, Slovenia, Spain, Sweden, The Czech Republic
Germany, Hungary, Italy, Spain
Others
-
Greenland, Mid-Atlantic Ridge
Deposits in Western Continents
North America
Canada
USA
South America
Bolivia, Colombia
Bolivia, Brazil
Deposits in Oceania Continent
Australia
Central Australia, South Australia, Western Australia
New South Wales, New Zealand, Queensland, South Australia, Western Australia