Definition
Anorthosite is a granular igneous rock composed largely of labradorite or plagioclase
Nephelinite is a fine-grained or aphanitic igneous rock made up almost entirely of nepheline and clinopyroxene (variety augite).
Discoverer
Unknown
Unknown
Etymology
From French anorthose plagioclase + -ite1
from French néphéline, from Greek nephelē
Class
Igneous Rocks
Igneous Rocks
Sub-Class
Durable Rock, Medium Hardness Rock
Durable Rock, Hard 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
Black, Brown, Colourless, Green, Grey, White
Durability
Durable
Durable
Appearance
Layered, Banded, Veined and Shiny
Skeletal
Interior Uses
Decorative Aggregates, Floor Tiles, Homes, Interior Decoration
Decorative Aggregates, Homes, Interior Decoration
Exterior Uses
As Building Stone, As Facing Stone, Garden Decoration
As Building Stone, As Facing Stone, Garden Decoration, Office Buildings, Paving Stone
Other Architectural Uses
Curbing
Curbing
Construction Industry
As Dimension Stone, Cement Manufacture, for Road Aggregate
As Dimension Stone, Cement Manufacture, Construction Aggregate, for Road 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
Creating Artwork, Soil Conditioner, Source of Magnesia (MgO)
Types
Proterozoic Anorthosite and Archean Anorthosite
Peralkaline Nephelinite
Features
Generally rough to touch, Is one of the oldest rock
Host Rock for Lead
Archaeological Significance
Monuments
Not Yet Used
Used
Famous Monuments
Not Applicable
Data Not Available
Famous Sculptures
Not Applicable
Data Not Available
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.
Nephelinite 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
Clinopyroxene, Nepheline, Plagioclase
Compound Content
Ca, CaO, Chromium(III) Oxide, MgO, Sulfur Trioxide
Ca, CaO, Carbon, Cl, MgO
Types of Metamorphism
Cataclastic Metamorphism, Contact Metamorphism
Contact Metamorphism
Types of Weathering
Biological Weathering
Biological Weathering, Chemical Weathering, Mechanical Weathering
Types of Erosion
Chemical Erosion, Wind Erosion
Chemical Erosion, Water Erosion, Wind Erosion
Grain Size
Coarse Grained
Fine Grained
Porosity
Less Porous
Less Porous
Luster
Pearly to Subvitreous
Vitreous to Metallic
Compressive Strength
Not Available
Cleavage
Irregular
Imperfect
Toughness
Not Available
2.7
Specific Gravity
2.62-2.82
2.4-2.9
Transparency
Translucent
Opaque
Density
2.7-4 g/cm3
2.5-3 g/cm3
Resistance
Heat Resistant, Impact Resistant, Pressure Resistant, Scratch Resistant, Wear Resistant
Heat Resistant
Deposits in Eastern Continents
Africa
Not Yet Found
Rwanda, Tanzania
Europe
Bulgaria, France, Germany, Greece, Hungary, Italy, Latvia, Lithuania, Malta, Poland, Portugal, Romania, Slovenia, Spain, Sweden, The Czech Republic
Not Yet Found
Others
Not Yet Found
Hawaii Islands
Deposits in Western Continents
North America
Canada
Canada, USA
South America
Bolivia, Colombia
Colombia
Deposits in Oceania Continent
Australia
Central Australia, South Australia, Western Australia
Not Yet Found
Anorthosite vs Nephelinite 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 Nephelinite characteristics assist us to distinguish and recognize rocks. Also you can check about Properties of Anorthosite and Properties of Nephelinite. Learn more about Anorthosite vs Nephelinite in the next section. The interior uses of Anorthosite include Decorative aggregates, Floor tiles, Homes and Interior decoration whereas the interior uses of Nephelinite include Decorative aggregates, Homes and Interior decoration. Due to some exceptional properties of Anorthosite and Nephelinite, 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 Nephelinite include As dimension stone, Cement manufacture, Construction aggregate, For road aggregate.
More about Anorthosite and Nephelinite
Here you can know more about Anorthosite and Nephelinite. The life cycle of a rock consists of formation of rock, composition of rock and transformation of rock. The composition of Anorthosite and Nephelinite consists of mineral content and compound content. The mineral content of Anorthosite includes Amphibole, Clinopyroxene, Ilmenite, Magnetite, Olivine, Orthopyroxene and mineral content of Nephelinite includes Clinopyroxene, Nepheline, Plagioclase. You can also check out the list of all Igneous Rocks. When we have to compare Anorthosite vs Nephelinite, 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, Nephelinite is available in black, brown, colourless, green, grey, white colors. Appearance of Anorthosite is Layered, Banded, Veined and Shiny and that of Nephelinite is Skeletal. Properties of rock is another aspect for Anorthosite vs Nephelinite. The hardness of Anorthosite is 5-6 and that of Nephelinite is 6.5. The types of Anorthosite are Proterozoic Anorthosite and Archean Anorthosite whereas types of Nephelinite are Peralkaline Nephelinite. Streak of rock is the color of powder produced when it is dragged across an unweathered surface. The streak of Anorthosite and Nephelinite is white. The specific heat capacity of Anorthosite is 0.84 kJ/Kg K and that of Nephelinite is 0.88 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 Nephelinite is heat resistant.