Definition
Anorthosite is a granular igneous rock composed largely of labradorite or plagioclase
Felsite is a very fine grained volcanic rock that may or may not contain larger crystals and light colored rock that typically requires petrographic examination or chemical analysis for more precise definition
Discoverer
Unknown
Unknown
Etymology
From French anorthose plagioclase + -ite1
From English feldspar and -ite
Class
Igneous Rocks
Igneous Rocks
Sub-Class
Durable Rock, Medium Hardness Rock
Durable Rock, Medium Hardness Rock
Other Categories
Coarse Grained Rock, Opaque Rock
Fine Grained Rock, Opaque Rock
Texture
Foliated, Glassy
Arborescent Patterned, Vitreous
Color
Black, Bluish - Grey, Brown, Green, Grey, Light Greenish Grey, Pink, White
Black, Blue, Brown, Green, Orange, Red, Tan, Yellow
Durability
Durable
Durable
Appearance
Layered, Banded, Veined and Shiny
Layered, Banded, Veined and Shiny
Interior Uses
Decorative Aggregates, Floor Tiles, Homes, Interior Decoration
Decorative Aggregates, Flooring, Interior Decoration
Exterior Uses
As Building Stone, As Facing Stone, Garden Decoration
Paving Stone, Garden Decoration
Other Architectural Uses
Curbing
Curbing
Construction Industry
As Dimension Stone, Cement Manufacture, for Road Aggregate
Arrowheads, Cutting Tool, Knives, Scrapers, Spear Points
Medical Industry
Not Yet Used
Surgery
Antiquity Uses
Artifacts, Sculpture, Small Figurines
Artifacts
Commercial Uses
Creating Artwork, Curling
Mirror, Jewelry
Types
Proterozoic Anorthosite and Archean Anorthosite
Not Available
Features
Generally rough to touch, Is one of the oldest rock
Available in Lots of Colors and Patterns, Clasts are smooth to touch, Splintery, Very fine grained rock
Archaeological Significance
Monuments
Not Yet Used
Not Yet Used
Famous Monuments
Not Applicable
Not Applicable
Sculpture
Used
Not Yet Used
Famous Sculptures
Not Applicable
Not Applicable
Pictographs
Not Used
Used
Petroglyphs
Not Used
Used
Figurines
Used
Not Yet 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.
Felsite 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.
Mineral Content
Amphibole, Clinopyroxene, Ilmenite, Magnetite, Olivine, Orthopyroxene
Feldspar, Iron Oxides
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
Types of Metamorphism
Cataclastic Metamorphism, Contact Metamorphism
Burial Metamorphism, Contact Metamorphism, Impact Metamorphism, Regional Metamorphism
Types of Weathering
Biological Weathering
Biological Weathering, Chemical Weathering, Mechanical Weathering
Types of Erosion
Chemical Erosion, Wind Erosion
Chemical Erosion, Glacier Erosion, Water Erosion
Grain Size
Coarse Grained
Fine Grained
Fracture
Irregular
Conchoidal
Porosity
Less Porous
Very Less Porous
Luster
Pearly to Subvitreous
Vitreous
Compressive Strength
Not Available
Cleavage
Irregular
Non-Existent
Toughness
Not Available
Not Available
Specific Gravity
2.62-2.82
2.6-2.7
Transparency
Translucent
Translucent
Density
2.7-4 g/cm3
2.6 g/cm3
Resistance
Heat Resistant, Impact Resistant, Pressure Resistant, Scratch Resistant, Wear Resistant
Heat Resistant, Impact Resistant
Deposits in Eastern Continents
Asia
Not Yet Found
Afghanistan, Indonesia, Japan, Russia
Africa
Not Yet Found
Kenya
Europe
Bulgaria, France, Germany, Greece, Hungary, Italy, Latvia, Lithuania, Malta, Poland, Portugal, Romania, Slovenia, Spain, Sweden, The Czech Republic
Greece, Hungary, Iceland, Italy, Turkey
Others
Not Yet Found
Not Yet Found
Deposits in Western Continents
North America
Canada
Canada, Mexico, USA
South America
Bolivia, Colombia
Argentina, Chile, Ecuador, Peru
Deposits in Oceania Continent
Australia
Central Australia, South Australia, Western Australia
New Zealand
Anorthosite vs Felsite 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 Felsite characteristics assist us to distinguish and recognize rocks. Also you can check about Properties of Anorthosite and Properties of Felsite. Learn more about Anorthosite vs Felsite in the next section. The interior uses of Anorthosite include Decorative aggregates, Floor tiles, Homes and Interior decoration whereas the interior uses of Felsite include Decorative aggregates, Flooring and Interior decoration. Due to some exceptional properties of Anorthosite and Felsite, 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 Felsite include Arrowheads, Cutting tool, Knives, Scrapers, Spear points.
More about Anorthosite and Felsite
Here you can know more about Anorthosite and Felsite. The life cycle of a rock consists of formation of rock, composition of rock and transformation of rock. The composition of Anorthosite and Felsite consists of mineral content and compound content. The mineral content of Anorthosite includes Amphibole, Clinopyroxene, Ilmenite, Magnetite, Olivine, Orthopyroxene and mineral content of Felsite includes Feldspar, Iron Oxides. You can also check out the list of all Igneous Rocks. When we have to compare Anorthosite vs Felsite, 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, Felsite is available in black, blue, brown, green, orange, red, tan, yellow colors. Appearance of Anorthosite is Layered, Banded, Veined and Shiny and that of Felsite is Layered, Banded, Veined and Shiny. Properties of rock is another aspect for Anorthosite vs Felsite. The hardness of Anorthosite is 5-6 and that of Felsite is 5-5.5. The types of Anorthosite are Proterozoic Anorthosite and Archean Anorthosite whereas types of Felsite are Not Available. Streak of rock is the color of powder produced when it is dragged across an unweathered surface. The streak of Anorthosite and Felsite is white. The specific heat capacity of Anorthosite is 0.84 kJ/Kg K and that of Felsite is 0.92 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 Felsite is heat resistant, impact resistant.
