Definition
Anorthosite is a granular igneous rock composed largely of labradorite or plagioclase
Pyrolite is an igneous rock consisting of about three parts of peridotite and one part of basalt
Origin
Unknown
Pike County, U.S
Discoverer
Unknown
Unknown
Etymology
From French anorthose plagioclase + -ite1
From the chemical and mineralogical composition of the upper mantle of the Earth
Class
Igneous Rocks
Igneous Rocks
Sub-Class
Durable Rock, Medium Hardness Rock
Durable Rock, Medium Hardness Rock
Other Categories
Coarse Grained Rock, Opaque Rock
Coarse Grained Rock, Opaque Rock
Texture
Foliated, Glassy
Phaneritic
Color
Black, Bluish - Grey, Brown, Green, Grey, Light Greenish Grey, Pink, White
Dark Greenish - Grey
Durability
Durable
Durable
Appearance
Layered, Banded, Veined and Shiny
Rough and Shiny
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
Construction Industry
As Dimension Stone, Cement Manufacture, for Road Aggregate
As Dimension Stone, Cobblestones
Medical Industry
Not Yet Used
Not Yet Used
Antiquity Uses
Artifacts, Sculpture, Small Figurines
Artifacts, Monuments, Sculpture
Commercial Uses
Creating Artwork, Curling
Creating Artwork, Gemstone, Jewelry, Source of Chromite, Platinum, Nickel and Garnet, Source of Diamonds
Types
Proterozoic Anorthosite and Archean Anorthosite
Dunite, Wehrlite, Harzburgite, Lherzolite
Features
Generally rough to touch, Is one of the oldest rock
Constitutes upper part of the Earth's mantle, Generally rough to touch, Is one of the oldest rock
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.
Pyrolite 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
Amphibole, Chromite, Garnet, Magnesium, Olivine, Phlogopite, Plagioclase, Pyroxene
Compound Content
Ca, CaO, Chromium(III) Oxide, MgO, Sulfur Trioxide
Ca, Fe, Mg, Potassium, Silicon Dioxide, Sodium, Titanium Dioxide
Types of Metamorphism
Cataclastic Metamorphism, Contact Metamorphism
Burial Metamorphism, Cataclastic Metamorphism, Contact Metamorphism, Hydrothermal 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, Coastal Erosion, Glacier Erosion, Sea Erosion, Water Erosion, Wind Erosion
Grain Size
Coarse Grained
Coarse Grained
Fracture
Irregular
Irregular
Porosity
Less Porous
Less Porous
Luster
Pearly to Subvitreous
Shiny
Compressive Strength
Not Available
Cleavage
Irregular
Imperfect
Toughness
Not Available
2.1
Specific Gravity
2.62-2.82
3-3.01
Transparency
Translucent
Translucent to Opaque
Density
2.7-4 g/cm3
3.1-3.4 g/cm3
Resistance
Heat Resistant, Impact Resistant, Pressure Resistant, Scratch Resistant, Wear Resistant
Heat Resistant, Pressure Resistant, Wear Resistant
Deposits in Eastern Continents
Asia
Not Yet Found
China, India, Indonesia, Kazakhstan, Russia, South Korea, Thailand, Turkey
Africa
Not Yet Found
Morocco, South Africa
Europe
Bulgaria, France, Germany, Greece, Hungary, Italy, Latvia, Lithuania, Malta, Poland, Portugal, Romania, Slovenia, Spain, Sweden, The Czech Republic
Finland, France, Georgia, Germany, Great Britain, Italy, Kazakhstan, Netherlands, Norway, Spain, Switzerland, Venezuela
Others
Not Yet Found
Not Yet Found
Deposits in Western Continents
North America
Canada
Canada, USA
South America
Bolivia, Colombia
Brazil
Deposits in Oceania Continent
Australia
Central Australia, South Australia, Western Australia
New Zealand, Western Australia
Anorthosite vs Pyrolite 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 Pyrolite characteristics assist us to distinguish and recognize rocks. Also you can check about Properties of Anorthosite and Properties of Pyrolite. Learn more about Anorthosite vs Pyrolite in the next section. The interior uses of Anorthosite include Decorative aggregates, Floor tiles, Homes and Interior decoration whereas the interior uses of Pyrolite include Decorative aggregates and Interior decoration. Due to some exceptional properties of Anorthosite and Pyrolite, 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 Pyrolite include As dimension stone, Cobblestones.
More about Anorthosite and Pyrolite
Here you can know more about Anorthosite and Pyrolite. The life cycle of a rock consists of formation of rock, composition of rock and transformation of rock. The composition of Anorthosite and Pyrolite consists of mineral content and compound content. The mineral content of Anorthosite includes Amphibole, Clinopyroxene, Ilmenite, Magnetite, Olivine, Orthopyroxene and mineral content of Pyrolite includes Amphibole, Chromite, Garnet, Magnesium, Olivine, Phlogopite, Plagioclase, Pyroxene. You can also check out the list of all Igneous Rocks. When we have to compare Anorthosite vs Pyrolite, 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, Pyrolite is available in dark greenish - grey colors. Appearance of Anorthosite is Layered, Banded, Veined and Shiny and that of Pyrolite is Rough and Shiny. Properties of rock is another aspect for Anorthosite vs Pyrolite. The hardness of Anorthosite is 5-6 and that of Pyrolite is 5.5-6. The types of Anorthosite are Proterozoic Anorthosite and Archean Anorthosite whereas types of Pyrolite are Dunite, Wehrlite, Harzburgite, Lherzolite. Streak of rock is the color of powder produced when it is dragged across an unweathered surface. The streak of Anorthosite and Pyrolite is white. The specific heat capacity of Anorthosite is 0.84 kJ/Kg K and that of Pyrolite is 1.25 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 Pyrolite is heat resistant, pressure resistant, wear resistant.