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Anorthosite vs Epidosite


Epidosite vs Anorthosite


Definition

Definition
Anorthosite is a granular igneous rock composed largely of labradorite or plagioclase  
Epidosite is a highly altered epidote and quartz bearing rock which is a type of metasomatite, essentially altered basalt  

History
  
  

Origin
-  
-  

Discoverer
Unknown  
Unknown  

Etymology
From French anorthose plagioclase + -ite1  
-  

Class
Igneous Rocks  
Igneous Rocks  

Sub-Class
Durable Rock, Medium Hardness Rock  
Durable Rock, Medium Hardness Rock  

Family
  
  

Group
Plutonic  
Volcanic  

Other Categories
Coarse Grained Rock, Opaque Rock  
Coarse Grained Rock, Fine Grained Rock, Opaque Rock  

Texture

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  

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  
No  

Appearance
Layered, Banded, Veined and Shiny  
Dull and Soft  

Uses

Architecture
  
  

Interior Uses
Decorative Aggregates, Floor Tiles, Homes, Interior Decoration  
Decorative Aggregates, Floor Tiles, Homes, Hotels, Interior Decoration  

Exterior Uses
As Building Stone, As Facing Stone, Garden Decoration  
As Facing Stone, Garden Decoration, Office Buildings, Paving Stone  

Other Architectural Uses
Curbing  
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, Small Figurines  

Other Uses
  
  

Commercial Uses
Creating Artwork, Curling  
Commemorative Tablets, Creating Artwork  

Types

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
-  
-  

Famous Monuments
-  
-  

Sculpture
-  
-  

Famous Sculptures
-  
-  

Pictographs
-  
-  

Petroglyphs
-  
-  

Figurines
-  
-  

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.   
Epidosite is a fine-grained, hard rock which is a type of metasomatite, essentially altered basalt. It forms with or without crystallization, either below the surface as intrusive rocks or on the surface as extrusive rocks.  

Composition
  
  

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  

Transformation
  
  

Metamorphism
Yes  
Yes  

Types of Metamorphism
Cataclastic Metamorphism, Contact Metamorphism  
Burial Metamorphism, Cataclastic Metamorphism, Hydrothermal Metamorphism, Impact Metamorphism  

Weathering
Yes  
Yes  

Types of Weathering
Biological Weathering  
Biological Weathering, Chemical Weathering, Mechanical Weathering  

Erosion
Yes  
No  

Types of Erosion
Chemical Erosion, Wind Erosion  
-  

Properties

Physical Properties
  
  

Hardness
5-6  
6  

Grain Size
Coarse Grained  
Fine to Coarse Grained  

Fracture
Irregular  
Conchoidal  

Streak
White  
White to Grey  

Porosity
Less Porous  
Less Porous  

Luster
Pearly to Subvitreous  
-  

Compressive Strength
180.00 N/mm2  
18
160.00 N/mm2  
21

Cleavage
-  
-  

Toughness
-  
2.3  

Specific Gravity
2.62-2.82  
2.8-3  

Transparency
Translucent  
Opaque  

Density
2.7-4 g/cm3  
-9999 g/cm3  

Thermal Properties
  
  

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

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

Reserves

Deposits in Eastern Continents
  
  

Asia
-  
India, Russia  

Africa
-  
South Africa  

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

Others
-  
-  

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  
-  

Definition >>
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Anorthosite vs Epidosite 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 Epidosite Reserves. Anorthosite is a granular igneous rock composed largely of labradorite or plagioclase. Epidosite is a highly altered epidote and quartz bearing rock which is a type of metasomatite, essentially altered basalt. 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 Epidosite information and Anorthosite vs Epidosite characteristics in the upcoming sections.

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

More about Anorthosite and Epidosite

Here you can know more about Anorthosite and Epidosite. The life cycle of a rock consists of formation of rock, composition of rock and transformation of rock. The composition of Anorthosite and Epidosite consists of mineral content and compound content. The mineral content of Anorthosite includes Amphibole, Clinopyroxene, Ilmenite, Magnetite, Olivine, Orthopyroxene and mineral content of Epidosite includes Olivine, Plagioclase, Pyroxene. You can also check out the list of all Igneous Rocks. When we have to compare Anorthosite vs Epidosite, 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, Epidosite is available in black, brown, light to dark grey colors. Appearance of Anorthosite is Layered, Banded, Veined and Shiny and that of Epidosite is Dull and Soft. Properties of rock is another aspect for Anorthosite vs Epidosite. The hardness of Anorthosite is 5-6 and that of Epidosite is 6. The types of Anorthosite are Proterozoic Anorthosite and Archean Anorthosite whereas types of Epidosite 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 Epidosite is white to grey. The specific heat capacity of Anorthosite is 0.84 kJ/Kg K and that of Epidosite 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 Epidosite is heat resistant, pressure resistant, wear resistant.

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