Definition
Anorthosite is a granular igneous rock composed largely of labradorite or plagioclase
Ignimbrite is a volcanic rock consisting mainly of pumice fragments, formed by the consolidation of material deposited by pyroclastic flows
Origin
Unknown
New Zealand
Discoverer
Unknown
Patrick Marshall
Etymology
From French anorthose plagioclase + -ite1
From Latin ignis fire + imber, imbr- shower of rain, storm cloud + -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
Aphanitic
Color
Black, Bluish - Grey, Brown, Green, Grey, Light Greenish Grey, Pink, White
Beige, Black, Brown, Grey, Pink, White
Durability
Durable
Durable
Appearance
Layered, Banded, Veined and Shiny
Dull, Vesicular and Foilated
Interior Uses
Decorative Aggregates, Floor Tiles, Homes, Interior Decoration
Decorative Aggregates, Floor Tiles, Homes, Interior Decoration
Exterior Uses
As Building Stone, As Facing Stone, Garden Decoration
As Building Stone, Garden Decoration, Office Buildings, Paving Stone
Other Architectural Uses
Curbing
Curbing
Construction Industry
As Dimension Stone, Cement Manufacture, for Road Aggregate
Building houses or walls, Construction Aggregate
Medical Industry
Not Yet Used
Not Yet Used
Antiquity Uses
Artifacts, Sculpture, Small Figurines
Artifacts, Monuments, Sculpture, Small Figurines
Commercial Uses
Creating Artwork, Curling
Cemetery Markers, Commemorative Tablets, Creating Artwork
Types
Proterozoic Anorthosite and Archean Anorthosite
Not Available
Features
Generally rough to touch, Is one of the oldest rock
Always found as volcanic pipes over deep continental crust
Archaeological Significance
Monuments
Not Yet Used
Used
Famous Monuments
Not Applicable
Data Not Available
Famous Sculptures
Not Applicable
Data Not Available
Pictographs
Not Used
Used
Petroglyphs
Not Used
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.
Ignimbrites are formed from very poorly sorted mixture of volcanic ash or tuff and pumice lapilli, commonly with scattered lithic fragments.
Mineral Content
Amphibole, Clinopyroxene, Ilmenite, Magnetite, Olivine, Orthopyroxene
Apatite, Biotite, Calcite, Chlorite, Feldspar, Hematite, Hornblade, Ilmenite, Magnetite, Olivine, Pyroxene, Quartz
Compound Content
Ca, CaO, Chromium(III) Oxide, MgO, Sulfur Trioxide
Ca, NaCl
Types of Metamorphism
Cataclastic Metamorphism, Contact Metamorphism
Burial Metamorphism, Contact Metamorphism, Hydrothermal Metamorphism, Impact Metamorphism, Regional Metamorphism
Types of Weathering
Biological Weathering
Biological Weathering, Chemical Weathering
Types of Erosion
Chemical Erosion, Wind Erosion
Chemical Erosion, Coastal Erosion
Grain Size
Coarse Grained
Fine Grained
Fracture
Irregular
Uneven
Porosity
Less Porous
Highly Porous
Luster
Pearly to Subvitreous
Vitreous to Dull
Compressive Strength
Not Available
Cleavage
Irregular
Not Available
Toughness
Not Available
Not Available
Specific Gravity
2.62-2.82
2.73
Transparency
Translucent
Opaque
Density
2.7-4 g/cm3
1-1.8 g/cm3
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
Afghanistan, Armenia, Azerbaijan, Burma, Cambodia, China, India, Indonesia, Iran, Japan, Malaysia, Mongolia, Nepal, North Korea, Pakistan, Saudi Arabia, Syria, Taiwan, Thailand, Turkey, Vietnam, Yemen
Africa
Not Yet Found
Cameroon, Cape Verde, Chad, Djibouti, Eritrea, Ethiopia, Kenya, Libya, Madagascar, Nigeria, Rwanda, South Africa, Sudan, Tanzania, Uganda
Europe
Bulgaria, France, Germany, Greece, Hungary, Italy, Latvia, Lithuania, Malta, Poland, Portugal, Romania, Slovenia, Spain, Sweden, The Czech Republic
France, Georgia, Germany, Greece, Iceland, Italy, Netherlands, Poland, Portugal, Spain, United Kingdom
Others
Not Yet Found
Antarctica, Hawaii Islands
Deposits in Western Continents
North America
Canada
Canada, Costa Rica, Panama, USA
South America
Bolivia, Colombia
Argentina, Bolivia, Brazil, Chile, Colombia, Ecuador
Deposits in Oceania Continent
Australia
Central Australia, South Australia, Western Australia
Central Australia, Western Australia
Anorthosite vs Ignimbrite 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 Ignimbrite characteristics assist us to distinguish and recognize rocks. Also you can check about Properties of Anorthosite and Properties of Ignimbrite. Learn more about Anorthosite vs Ignimbrite in the next section. The interior uses of Anorthosite include Decorative aggregates, Floor tiles, Homes and Interior decoration whereas the interior uses of Ignimbrite include Decorative aggregates, Floor tiles, Homes and Interior decoration. Due to some exceptional properties of Anorthosite and Ignimbrite, 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 Ignimbrite include Building houses or walls, Construction aggregate.
More about Anorthosite and Ignimbrite
Here you can know more about Anorthosite and Ignimbrite. The life cycle of a rock consists of formation of rock, composition of rock and transformation of rock. The composition of Anorthosite and Ignimbrite consists of mineral content and compound content. The mineral content of Anorthosite includes Amphibole, Clinopyroxene, Ilmenite, Magnetite, Olivine, Orthopyroxene and mineral content of Ignimbrite includes Apatite, Biotite, Calcite, Chlorite, Feldspar, Hematite, Hornblade, Ilmenite, Magnetite, Olivine, Pyroxene, Quartz. You can also check out the list of all Igneous Rocks. When we have to compare Anorthosite vs Ignimbrite, 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, Ignimbrite is available in beige, black, brown, grey, pink, white colors. Appearance of Anorthosite is Layered, Banded, Veined and Shiny and that of Ignimbrite is Dull, Vesicular and Foilated. Properties of rock is another aspect for Anorthosite vs Ignimbrite. The hardness of Anorthosite is 5-6 and that of Ignimbrite is 4-6. The types of Anorthosite are Proterozoic Anorthosite and Archean Anorthosite whereas types of Ignimbrite 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 Ignimbrite is white. The specific heat capacity of Anorthosite is 0.84 kJ/Kg K and that of Ignimbrite is 0.20 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 Ignimbrite is heat resistant, impact resistant, pressure resistant, wear resistant.