Anorthosite

Blueschist

Anorthosite vs Blueschist

Anorthosite

Blueschist

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Definition

Anorthosite is a granular igneous rock composed largely of labradorite or plagioclase

Blueschist is a metamorphic rock which is generally blue in color and is formed under conditions of high pressure and low temperature

History

Origin

USA

Discoverer

Unknown

Edgar Bailey

Etymology

From French anorthose plagioclase + -ite1

From French schiste, Greek skhistos i.e. split

Class

Igneous Rocks

Metamorphic Rocks

Sub-Class

Durable Rock, Medium Hardness Rock

Family

Group

Plutonic

Other Categories

Coarse Grained Rock, Opaque Rock

Fine Grained Rock, Medium Grained Rock, Opaque Rock

Texture

Foliated, Glassy

Foliated

Color

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

Blue, Bluish - Grey, Purple, Shades of Blue

Maintenance

Less

Durability

Durable

Water Resistant

✔ ✘

Scratch Resistant

✔ ✘

Stain Resistant

✔ ✘

Wind Resistant

✔ ✘

Acid Resistant

✔ ✘

Appearance

Layered, Banded, Veined and Shiny

Dull and Banded

Uses

Architecture

Interior Uses

Decorative Aggregates, Floor Tiles, Homes, Interior Decoration

Floor Tiles, Flooring, Homes, Hotels, Kitchens

Exterior Uses

As Building Stone, As Facing Stone, Garden Decoration

Garden Decoration, Office Buildings

Other Architectural Uses

Curbing

Industry

Construction Industry

As Dimension Stone, Cement Manufacture, for Road Aggregate

As Dimension Stone, Cobblestones, Rail Track Ballast, Roadstone

Medical Industry

Antiquity Uses

Artifacts, Sculpture, Small Figurines

Artifacts, Monuments, Sculpture

Other Uses

Commercial Uses

Creating Artwork, Curling

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

Types

Proterozoic Anorthosite and Archean Anorthosite

Metamorphic rock

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

Famous Monuments

Sculpture

Famous Sculptures

Pictographs

Petroglyphs

Figurines

Fossils

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.

Blueschist forms due to the metamorphism of basalt and other rocks with similar composition at high pressures and low temperatures and approximately corresponding to a depth of 15 to 30 kilometers and 200 to 500 °C.

Composition

Mineral Content

Amphibole, Clinopyroxene, Ilmenite, Magnetite, Olivine, Orthopyroxene

Albite, Chlorite, Epidote, Garnet, Glaucophane, Lawsonite, Muscovite or Illite, Quartz

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

Mechanical Weathering

Erosion

✔ ✘

Types of Erosion

Chemical Erosion, Wind Erosion

Chemical Erosion, Coastal Erosion, Water Erosion, Wind Erosion

Properties

Physical Properties

Hardness

5-63.5-4

1 7

👆🏻

Grain Size

Coarse Grained

Fine to Medium Grained

Fracture

Irregular

Conchoidal

Streak

White

White to Grey

Porosity

Less Porous

Highly Porous

Luster

Pearly to Subvitreous

Dull

Compressive Strength

180.00 N/mm²220.00 N/mm²

0.15 450

👆🏻

Cleavage

Slaty

Toughness

1.5

Specific Gravity

2.62-2.823-3.2

0 8.4

👆🏻

Transparency

Translucent

Opaque

Density

2.7-4 g/cm³2.8-2.9 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

Impact Resistant, Pressure Resistant

Reserves

Deposits in Eastern Continents

Asia

Japan, Turkey

Africa

Egypt, Ethiopia, South Africa

Europe

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

France, Greece, Iceland

Others

Deposits in Western Continents

North America

Canada

USA

South America

Bolivia, Colombia

Deposits in Oceania Continent

Australia

Central Australia, South Australia, Western Australia

New Zealand

Anorthosite vs Blueschist 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 Blueschist Reserves. Anorthosite is a granular igneous rock composed largely of labradorite or plagioclase. Blueschist is a metamorphic rock which is generally blue in color and is formed under conditions of high pressure and low temperature. 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 Blueschist information and Anorthosite vs Blueschist characteristics in the upcoming sections.

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Anorthosite vs Blueschist 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 Blueschist characteristics assist us to distinguish and recognize rocks. Also you can check about Properties of Anorthosite and Properties of Blueschist. Learn more about Anorthosite vs Blueschist in the next section. The interior uses of Anorthosite include Decorative aggregates, Floor tiles, Homes and Interior decoration whereas the interior uses of Blueschist include Floor tiles, Flooring, Homes, Hotels and Kitchens. Due to some exceptional properties of Anorthosite and Blueschist, 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 Blueschist include As dimension stone, Cobblestones, Rail track ballast, Roadstone.

More about Anorthosite and Blueschist

Here you can know more about Anorthosite and Blueschist. The life cycle of a rock consists of formation of rock, composition of rock and transformation of rock. The composition of Anorthosite and Blueschist consists of mineral content and compound content. The mineral content of Anorthosite includes Amphibole, Clinopyroxene, Ilmenite, Magnetite, Olivine, Orthopyroxene and mineral content of Blueschist includes Albite, Chlorite, Epidote, Garnet, Glaucophane, Lawsonite, Muscovite or Illite, Quartz. You can also check out the list of all Igneous Rocks. When we have to compare Anorthosite vs Blueschist, 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, Blueschist is available in blue, bluish - grey, purple, shades of blue colors. Appearance of Anorthosite is Layered, Banded, Veined and Shiny and that of Blueschist is Dull and Banded. Properties of rock is another aspect for Anorthosite vs Blueschist. The hardness of Anorthosite is 5-6 and that of Blueschist is 3.5-4. The types of Anorthosite are Proterozoic Anorthosite and Archean Anorthosite whereas types of Blueschist are Metamorphic rock. 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 Blueschist is white to grey. The specific heat capacity of Anorthosite is 0.84 kJ/Kg K and that of Blueschist 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 Blueschist is impact resistant, pressure resistant.