Definition
Anorthosite is a granular igneous rock composed largely of labradorite or plagioclase
Foidolite is a rare type of coarse-grained intrusive igneous rock with a feldspathoid mineral content greater than 60%
History
Origin
-
-
Discoverer
Unknown
Unknown
Etymology
From French anorthose plagioclase + -ite1
From the mineral feldspathoid which is the main content of rock
Class
Igneous Rocks
Igneous Rocks
Sub-Class
Durable Rock, Medium Hardness Rock
Durable Rock, Soft Rock
Family
Group
Plutonic
Plutonic
Other Categories
Coarse Grained Rock, Opaque Rock
Coarse Grained Rock, Fine Grained Rock, Medium Grained Rock, Opaque Rock
Texture
Foliated, Glassy
Earthy
Color
Black, Bluish - Grey, Brown, Green, Grey, Light Greenish Grey, Pink, White
Black, Brown, Green, Grey, Pink, White
Maintenance
Less
Less
Durability
Durable
Durable
Water Resistant
✔
✘
✔
✘
Scratch Resistant
✔
✘
✔
✘
Stain Resistant
✔
✘
✔
✘
Wind Resistant
✔
✘
✔
✘
Acid Resistant
✔
✘
✔
✘
Appearance
Layered, Banded, Veined and Shiny
Dull
Architecture
Interior Uses
Decorative Aggregates, Floor Tiles, Homes, Interior Decoration
Decorative Aggregates, Interior Decoration
Exterior Uses
As Building Stone, As Facing Stone, Garden Decoration
As Building Stone, As Facing Stone, Garden Decoration, Paving Stone
Other Architectural Uses
Curbing
Curbing
Industry
Construction Industry
As Dimension Stone, Cement Manufacture, for Road Aggregate
As Dimension Stone, Cement Manufacture, for Road Aggregate
Medical Industry
-
Taken as a Supplement for Calcium or Magnesium
Antiquity Uses
Artifacts, Sculpture, Small Figurines
Artifacts, Monuments, Sculpture
Other Uses
Commercial Uses
Creating Artwork, Curling
Cemetery Markers, Commemorative Tablets, Creating Artwork
Types
Proterozoic Anorthosite and Archean Anorthosite
Igneous rock
Features
Generally rough to touch, Is one of the oldest rock
Host Rock for Lead
Archaeological Significance
Monuments
-
-
Famous Monuments
-
-
Sculpture
-
-
Famous Sculptures
-
-
Pictographs
-
-
Petroglyphs
-
-
Figurines
-
-
Fossils
Absent
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.
Foidolites 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
Amphibole, Biotite, Feldspar, Olivine, Plagioclase, Pyroxene
Compound Content
Ca, CaO, Chromium(III) Oxide, MgO, Sulfur Trioxide
Aluminium Oxide, CaO, Iron(III) Oxide, FeO
Transformation
Metamorphism
✔
✘
✔
✘
Types of Metamorphism
Cataclastic Metamorphism, Contact Metamorphism
Burial Metamorphism, Cataclastic Metamorphism, Hydrothermal Metamorphism, Impact Metamorphism
Weathering
✔
✘
✔
✘
Types of Weathering
Biological Weathering
-
Erosion
✔
✘
✔
✘
Types of Erosion
Chemical Erosion, Wind Erosion
-
Physical Properties
Hardness
5-61.5
1
7
👆🏻
Grain Size
Coarse Grained
Medium to Fine Coarse Grained
Fracture
Irregular
Conchoidal
Streak
White
White
Porosity
Less Porous
Very Less Porous
Luster
Pearly to Subvitreous
Subvitreous to Dull
Compressive Strength
180.00 N/mm280.00 N/mm2
0.15
450
👆🏻
Cleavage
-
Perfect
Toughness
-
-
Specific Gravity
2.62-2.822.86
0
8.4
👆🏻
Transparency
Translucent
Translucent
Density
2.7-4 g/cm3-9999 g/cm3
0
1400
👆🏻
Thermal Properties
Specific Heat Capacity
0.84 kJ/Kg K0.79 kJ/Kg K
0.14
3.2
👆🏻
Resistance
Heat Resistant, Impact Resistant, Pressure Resistant, Scratch Resistant, Wear Resistant
Heat Resistant, Wear Resistant
Deposits in Eastern Continents
Asia
-
Russia
Africa
-
South Africa, Western Africa
Europe
Bulgaria, France, Germany, Greece, Hungary, Italy, Latvia, Lithuania, Malta, Poland, Portugal, Romania, Slovenia, Spain, Sweden, The Czech Republic
-
Others
-
-
Deposits in Western Continents
North America
Canada
Canada, USA
South America
Bolivia, Colombia
-
Deposits in Oceania Continent
Australia
Central Australia, South Australia, Western Australia
Central Australia, Western Australia