Definition
Anorthosite is a granular igneous rock composed largely of labradorite or plagioclase
Breccia is a rock consisting of angular fragments of stones which are cemented by finer calcareous material
Discoverer
Unknown
Unknown
Etymology
From French anorthose plagioclase + -ite1
From Italian, literally gravel, Germanic origin and related to break
Class
Igneous Rocks
Sedimentary Rocks
Sub-Class
Durable Rock, Medium Hardness Rock
Durable Rock, Hard Rock
Group
Plutonic
Not Applicable
Other Categories
Coarse Grained Rock, Opaque Rock
Coarse Grained Rock, Medium Grained Rock, Opaque Rock
Texture
Foliated, Glassy
Brecciated, Clastic
Color
Black, Bluish - Grey, Brown, Green, Grey, Light Greenish Grey, Pink, White
Beige, Black, Blue, Brown, Buff, Green, Grey, Orange, Pink, Purple, Red, Rust, White, Yellow
Durability
Durable
Durable
Appearance
Layered, Banded, Veined and Shiny
Layered, Banded, Veined and Shiny
Interior Uses
Decorative Aggregates, Floor Tiles, Homes, Interior Decoration
Countertops, Decorative Aggregates, Entryways, Floor Tiles, Flooring, Homes, Hotels, Interior Decoration
Exterior Uses
As Building Stone, As Facing Stone, Garden Decoration
As Building Stone, As Facing Stone, Paving Stone, Garden Decoration, Office Buildings
Other Architectural Uses
Curbing
Curbing
Construction Industry
As Dimension Stone, Cement Manufacture, for Road Aggregate
As Dimension Stone, Construction Aggregate, Landscaping, Roadstone
Medical Industry
Not Yet Used
Not Yet Used
Antiquity Uses
Artifacts, Sculpture, Small Figurines
Artifacts, Sculpture
Commercial Uses
Creating Artwork, Curling
Creating Artwork, Gemstone, Jewelry
Types
Proterozoic Anorthosite and Archean Anorthosite
Collapse Breccia, Fault Breccia, Flow Breccia, Pyroclastic Breccia, Igneous Breccia and Impact Breccia
Features
Generally rough to touch, Is one of the oldest rock
Available in Lots of Colors and Patterns, Clasts are smooth to touch
Archaeological Significance
Monuments
Not Yet Used
Not Yet Used
Famous Monuments
Not Applicable
Not Applicable
Famous Sculptures
Not Applicable
Data Not Available
Pictographs
Not Used
Not Used
Petroglyphs
Not Used
Not 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.
Breccia is a clastic sedimentary rock which is composed of broken fragments of minerals or rock which are cemented together by a fine-grained matrix and it forms where broken, angular fragments of rock or mineral debris accumulate.
Mineral Content
Amphibole, Clinopyroxene, Ilmenite, Magnetite, Olivine, Orthopyroxene
Calcite, Clay, Feldspar, Phosphates, Quartz, Silica
Compound Content
Ca, CaO, Chromium(III) Oxide, MgO, Sulfur Trioxide
Aluminium Oxide, Ca, NaCl, CaO, Iron(III) Oxide, Potassium Oxide, Sodium Oxide, Silicon Dioxide, Titanium Dioxide
Types of Metamorphism
Cataclastic Metamorphism, Contact Metamorphism
Burial Metamorphism, Cataclastic Metamorphism
Types of Weathering
Biological Weathering
Biological Weathering, Chemical Weathering, Mechanical Weathering
Types of Erosion
Chemical Erosion, Wind Erosion
Chemical Erosion
Grain Size
Coarse Grained
Medium to Coarse Grained
Fracture
Irregular
Uneven
Porosity
Less Porous
Less Porous
Luster
Pearly to Subvitreous
Dull to Pearly
Cleavage
Irregular
Non-Existent
Toughness
Not Available
Not Available
Specific Gravity
2.62-2.82
2.86-2.87
Transparency
Translucent
Opaque
Density
2.7-4 g/cm3
0 g/cm3
Specific Heat Capacity
Not Available
Resistance
Heat Resistant, Impact Resistant, Pressure Resistant, Scratch Resistant, Wear Resistant
Heat Resistant, Impact Resistant, Pressure Resistant, Wear Resistant
Deposits in Eastern Continents
Asia
Not Yet Found
China, India, Kazakhstan, Mongolia, Russia, South Korea, Uzbekistan
Africa
Not Yet Found
Namibia, Nigeria, South Africa
Europe
Bulgaria, France, Germany, Greece, Hungary, Italy, Latvia, Lithuania, Malta, Poland, Portugal, Romania, Slovenia, Spain, Sweden, The Czech Republic
Austria, Denmark, Germany, Great Britain, Netherlands, Norway, Poland, Sweden, Switzerland, United Kingdom
Others
Not Yet Found
Greenland
Deposits in Western Continents
North America
Canada
Barbados, Canada, Mexico, Panama, USA
South America
Bolivia, Colombia
Brazil
Deposits in Oceania Continent
Australia
Central Australia, South Australia, Western Australia
New South Wales, New Zealand
Anorthosite vs Breccia 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 Breccia characteristics assist us to distinguish and recognize rocks. Also you can check about Properties of Anorthosite and Properties of Breccia. Learn more about Anorthosite vs Breccia in the next section. The interior uses of Anorthosite include Decorative aggregates, Floor tiles, Homes and Interior decoration whereas the interior uses of Breccia include Countertops, Decorative aggregates, Entryways, Floor tiles, Flooring, Homes, Hotels and Interior decoration. Due to some exceptional properties of Anorthosite and Breccia, 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 Breccia include As dimension stone, Construction aggregate, Landscaping, Roadstone.
More about Anorthosite and Breccia
Here you can know more about Anorthosite and Breccia. The life cycle of a rock consists of formation of rock, composition of rock and transformation of rock. The composition of Anorthosite and Breccia consists of mineral content and compound content. The mineral content of Anorthosite includes Amphibole, Clinopyroxene, Ilmenite, Magnetite, Olivine, Orthopyroxene and mineral content of Breccia includes Calcite, Clay, Feldspar, Phosphates, Quartz, Silica. You can also check out the list of all Igneous Rocks. When we have to compare Anorthosite vs Breccia, 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, Breccia is available in beige, black, blue, brown, buff, green, grey, orange, pink, purple, red, rust, white, yellow colors. Appearance of Anorthosite is Layered, Banded, Veined and Shiny and that of Breccia is Layered, Banded, Veined and Shiny. Properties of rock is another aspect for Anorthosite vs Breccia. The hardness of Anorthosite is 5-6 and that of Breccia is 7. The types of Anorthosite are Proterozoic Anorthosite and Archean Anorthosite whereas types of Breccia are Collapse Breccia, Fault Breccia, Flow Breccia, Pyroclastic Breccia, Igneous Breccia and Impact Breccia. Streak of rock is the color of powder produced when it is dragged across an unweathered surface. The streak of Anorthosite and Breccia is white. The specific heat capacity of Anorthosite is 0.84 kJ/Kg K and that of Breccia is Not Available. 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 Breccia is heat resistant, impact resistant, pressure resistant, wear resistant.