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Anorthosite vs Basanite 


Basanite  vs Anorthosite


Definition

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
  
  

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   
Not Applicable   

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   
Black, Brown, Green, Grey, Red, White   

Maintenance
Less   
Less   

Durability
Durable   
Durable   

Water Resistant
Yes   
Yes   

Scratch Resistant
No   
Yes   

Stain Resistant
No   
Yes   

Wind Resistant
Yes   
Yes   

Acid Resistant
No   
Yes   

Appearance
Layered, Banded, Veined and Shiny   
Glassy or Pearly   

Uses

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
Not Yet Used   
Not Yet Used   

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

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
Not Yet Used   
Used   

Famous Monuments
Not Applicable   
Data Not Available   

Sculpture
Used   
Not Yet Used   

Famous Sculptures
Not Applicable   
Not Applicable   

Pictographs
Not Used   
Not Used   

Petroglyphs
Not Used   
Not Used   

Figurines
Used   
Not Yet Used   

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.   
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
Yes   
Yes   

Types of Metamorphism
Cataclastic Metamorphism, Contact Metamorphism   
Burial Metamorphism, Cataclastic Metamorphism, Contact Metamorphism, Regional Metamorphism   

Weathering
Yes   
Yes   

Types of 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   
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   

Cleavage
Irregular   
Non-Existent   

Toughness
Not Available   
1.5   

Specific Gravity
2.62-2.82   
2.5-2.8   

Transparency
Translucent   
Translucent to Opaque   

Density
2.7-4 g/cm3   
2.7 g/cm3   

Thermal Properties
  
  

Specific Heat Capacity
0.84 kJ/Kg K   
15
0.74 kJ/Kg K   
19

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

Reserves

Deposits in Eastern Continents
  
  

Asia
Not Yet Found   
Not Yet Found   

Africa
Not Yet Found   
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
Not Yet Found   
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   

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Anorthosite vs Basanite  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 Basanite  Reserves. 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. 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 Basanite  information and Anorthosite vs Basanite  characteristics in the upcoming sections.

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Anorthosite vs Basanite  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 Basanite  characteristics assist us to distinguish and recognize rocks. Also you can check about Properties of Anorthosite and Properties of Basanite . Learn more about Anorthosite vs Basanite  in the next section. The interior uses of Anorthosite include Decorative aggregates, Floor tiles, Homes and Interior decoration whereas the interior uses of Basanite  include Decorative aggregates and Homes. Due to some exceptional properties of Anorthosite and Basanite , 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 Basanite  include Arrowheads, Construction aggregate, Cutting tool, Spear points.

More about Anorthosite and Basanite 

Here you can know more about Anorthosite and Basanite . The life cycle of a rock consists of formation of rock, composition of rock and transformation of rock. The composition of Anorthosite and Basanite  consists of mineral content and compound content. The mineral content of Anorthosite includes Amphibole, Clinopyroxene, Ilmenite, Magnetite, Olivine, Orthopyroxene and mineral content of Basanite  includes Augite, Feldspar, Ilmenite, Olivine, Plagioclase. You can also check out the list of all Igneous Rocks. When we have to compare Anorthosite vs Basanite , 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, Basanite  is available in black, brown, green, grey, red, white colors. Appearance of Anorthosite is Layered, Banded, Veined and Shiny and that of Basanite  is Glassy or Pearly. Properties of rock is another aspect for Anorthosite vs Basanite . The hardness of Anorthosite is 5-6 and that of Basanite  is 7. The types of Anorthosite are Proterozoic Anorthosite and Archean Anorthosite whereas types of Basanite  are Nepheline-Basanite, Analcite-Basanite and Leucite-Basanite. Streak of rock is the color of powder produced when it is dragged across an unweathered surface. The streak of Anorthosite and Basanite  is white. The specific heat capacity of Anorthosite is 0.84 kJ/Kg K and that of Basanite  is 0.74 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 Basanite  is heat resistant, impact resistant, pressure resistant, wear resistant.

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