Definition
Anorthosite is a granular igneous rock composed largely of labradorite or plagioclase
Granite is a very hard, granular, crystalline igneous rock which consists mainly of quartz, mica, and feldspar and is often used as building stone
Discoverer
Unknown
Unknown
Etymology
From French anorthose plagioclase + -ite1
From Italian granito, which means grained rock, from grano grain, and from Latin granum
Class
Igneous Rocks
Igneous Rocks
Sub-Class
Durable Rock, Medium Hardness Rock
Durable Rock, Hard Rock
Other Categories
Coarse Grained Rock, Opaque Rock
Coarse Grained Rock, Opaque Rock
Texture
Foliated, Glassy
Granular, Phaneritic
Color
Black, Bluish - Grey, Brown, Green, Grey, Light Greenish Grey, Pink, White
Black, Grey, Orange, Pink, White
Durability
Durable
Durable
Appearance
Layered, Banded, Veined and Shiny
Veined or Pebbled
Interior Uses
Decorative Aggregates, Floor Tiles, Homes, Interior Decoration
Countertops, Decorative Aggregates, Entryways, Floor Tiles, Flooring, Homes, Hotels, Interior Decoration, Kitchens, Stair Treads
Exterior Uses
As Building Stone, As Facing Stone, Garden Decoration
As Building Stone, As Facing Stone, Bridges, Paving Stone, Garden Decoration, Near Swimming Pools, Office Buildings, Resorts
Other Architectural Uses
Curbing
Curbing
Construction Industry
As Dimension Stone, Cement Manufacture, for Road Aggregate
As Dimension Stone
Medical Industry
Not Yet Used
Not Yet Used
Antiquity Uses
Artifacts, Sculpture, Small Figurines
Monuments, Sculpture, Small Figurines
Commercial Uses
Creating Artwork, Curling
Curling, Gemstone, Laboratory bench tops, Tombstones, Used in aquariums
Types
Proterozoic Anorthosite and Archean Anorthosite
Igneous Protolith Granite, Sedimentary Protolith Granite, Mantle Granite, Anorogenic Granite, Hybrid Granite, Granodiorite and Alkali Feldspar Granite
Features
Generally rough to touch, Is one of the oldest rock
Available in Lots of Colors and Patterns, It is One of the Oldest, Strongest and Hardest Rock
Archaeological Significance
Monuments
Not Yet Used
Used
Famous Monuments
Not Applicable
Agia Sophia in Istanbul, Turkey, Blue Domed Church in Santorini, Greece, Blue Mosque in Istanbul, Charminar in Hyderabad, India, Diana, Princess of Wales Memorial Fountain in London, UK, Ephesus in Turkey, Georgia Guidestones in Georgia, US, Hermitage in Saint Petersburg, Khajuraho Temples, India, Mahabalipuram in Tamil Nadu, India, Mysore Palace in Karnataka, India, Signers Monument in Augusta, Georgia, Statue of Liberty in New York, USA, Taj Mahal in Agra, India, Tower Bridge in London, Vietnam Veterans Memorial in Washington, US, Washington Monument, US
Famous Sculptures
Not Applicable
Avukana Buddha Statue in Sri Lanka, Lincoln Memorial in America, Mount Rushmore National Memorial in South Dakota, US, The Colossal Red Granite Statue of Amenhotep III in Karnak, Egypt
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.
Granite is an intrusive igneous rock which is very hard, crystalline and is visibly homogeneous in texture and forms by melting of continental rocks
Mineral Content
Amphibole, Clinopyroxene, Ilmenite, Magnetite, Olivine, Orthopyroxene
Amphibole, Biotite, Feldspar, Hornblade, Micas, Muscovite or Illite, Plagioclase, Pyroxene, 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
Types of Metamorphism
Cataclastic Metamorphism, Contact Metamorphism
Burial Metamorphism, Cataclastic Metamorphism
Types of Weathering
Biological Weathering
Biological Weathering
Types of Erosion
Chemical Erosion, Wind Erosion
Chemical Erosion, Sea Erosion, Water Erosion
Grain Size
Coarse Grained
Large and Coarse Grained
Fracture
Irregular
Not Available
Porosity
Less Porous
Less Porous
Luster
Pearly to Subvitreous
Dull to Grainy with Sporadic parts Pearly and Vitreous
Compressive Strength
Not Available
Cleavage
Irregular
Not Available
Toughness
Not Available
Not Available
Specific Gravity
2.62-2.82
2.6-2.7
Transparency
Translucent
Opaque
Density
2.7-4 g/cm3
2.65-2.75 g/cm3
Resistance
Heat Resistant, Impact Resistant, Pressure Resistant, Scratch Resistant, Wear Resistant
Heat Resistant, Wear Resistant
Deposits in Eastern Continents
Asia
Not Yet Found
China, India, Iran, Saudi Arabia, Sri Lanka, Taiwan, Thailand, Turkey, Vietnam
Africa
Not Yet Found
Angola, Egypt, Madagascar, Namibia, Nigeria, South Africa
Europe
Bulgaria, France, Germany, Greece, Hungary, Italy, Latvia, Lithuania, Malta, Poland, Portugal, Romania, Slovenia, Spain, Sweden, The Czech Republic
Austria, Belgium, Finland, France, Germany, Italy, Norway, Sardinia, Spain, Switzerland, The Czech Republic, Venezuela
Others
Not Yet Found
Not Yet Found
Deposits in Western Continents
North America
Canada
Canada, USA
South America
Bolivia, Colombia
Not Yet Found
Deposits in Oceania Continent
Australia
Central Australia, South Australia, Western Australia
Not Yet Found
Anorthosite vs Granite 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 Granite characteristics assist us to distinguish and recognize rocks. Also you can check about Properties of Anorthosite and Properties of Granite. Learn more about Anorthosite vs Granite in the next section. The interior uses of Anorthosite include Decorative aggregates, Floor tiles, Homes and Interior decoration whereas the interior uses of Granite include Countertops, Decorative aggregates, Entryways, Floor tiles, Flooring, Homes, Hotels, Interior decoration, Kitchens and Stair treads. Due to some exceptional properties of Anorthosite and Granite, 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 Granite include As dimension stone.
More about Anorthosite and Granite
Here you can know more about Anorthosite and Granite. The life cycle of a rock consists of formation of rock, composition of rock and transformation of rock. The composition of Anorthosite and Granite consists of mineral content and compound content. The mineral content of Anorthosite includes Amphibole, Clinopyroxene, Ilmenite, Magnetite, Olivine, Orthopyroxene and mineral content of Granite includes Amphibole, Biotite, Feldspar, Hornblade, Micas, Muscovite or Illite, Plagioclase, Pyroxene, Quartz. You can also check out the list of all Igneous Rocks. When we have to compare Anorthosite vs Granite, 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, Granite is available in black, grey, orange, pink, white colors. Appearance of Anorthosite is Layered, Banded, Veined and Shiny and that of Granite is Veined or Pebbled. Properties of rock is another aspect for Anorthosite vs Granite. The hardness of Anorthosite is 5-6 and that of Granite is 6-7. The types of Anorthosite are Proterozoic Anorthosite and Archean Anorthosite whereas types of Granite are Igneous Protolith Granite, Sedimentary Protolith Granite, Mantle Granite, Anorogenic Granite, Hybrid Granite, Granodiorite and Alkali Feldspar Granite. Streak of rock is the color of powder produced when it is dragged across an unweathered surface. The streak of Anorthosite and Granite is white. The specific heat capacity of Anorthosite is 0.84 kJ/Kg K and that of Granite is 0.79 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 Granite is heat resistant, wear resistant.