Definition
Anorthosite is a granular igneous rock composed largely of labradorite or plagioclase
Schist is a medium grade metamorphic rock with medium to large, flat, sheet like grains in a preferred orientation
Discoverer
Unknown
Unknown
Etymology
From French anorthose plagioclase + -ite1
From French schiste, Greek skhistos i.e. split
Class
Igneous Rocks
Metamorphic Rocks
Sub-Class
Durable Rock, Medium Hardness Rock
Durable Rock, Medium Hardness Rock
Group
Plutonic
Not Applicable
Other Categories
Coarse Grained Rock, Opaque Rock
Coarse Grained Rock, Fine Grained Rock, Medium Grained Rock, Opaque Rock
Texture
Foliated, Glassy
Foliated, Platy
Color
Black, Bluish - Grey, Brown, Green, Grey, Light Greenish Grey, Pink, White
Black, Blue, Brown, Dark Brown, Green, Grey, Silver
Durability
Durable
Durable
Appearance
Layered, Banded, Veined and Shiny
Layered and Shiny
Interior Uses
Decorative Aggregates, Floor Tiles, Homes, Interior Decoration
Decorative Aggregates, Floor Tiles, Interior Decoration
Exterior Uses
As Building Stone, As Facing Stone, Garden Decoration
Garden Decoration, Paving Stone
Other Architectural Uses
Curbing
Not Yet Used
Construction Industry
As Dimension Stone, Cement Manufacture, for Road Aggregate
As Dimension Stone, Building houses or walls, Cement Manufacture, for Road Aggregate, Roadstone
Medical Industry
Not Yet Used
Not Yet Used
Antiquity Uses
Artifacts, Sculpture, Small Figurines
Artifacts
Commercial Uses
Creating Artwork, Curling
Used in aquariums, Writing Slates
Types
Proterozoic Anorthosite and Archean Anorthosite
Mica Schists, Calc-Silicate Schists, Graphite Schists, Blueschists, Whiteschists, Greenschists, Hornblende Schist, Talc Schist, Chlorite Schist, Garnet Schist, Glaucophane schist.
Features
Generally rough to touch, Is one of the oldest rock
Easily splits into thin plates, Smooth to touch
Archaeological Significance
Monuments
Not Yet Used
Not Yet Used
Famous Monuments
Not Applicable
Not Applicable
Sculpture
Used
Not Yet Used
Famous Sculptures
Not Applicable
Not Applicable
Pictographs
Not Used
Used
Petroglyphs
Not Used
Used
Figurines
Used
Not Yet 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.
Schist formed by dynamic metamorphism at high temperatures and pressures that aligns the grains of mica, hornblende and other elongated minerals into thin layers.
Mineral Content
Amphibole, Clinopyroxene, Ilmenite, Magnetite, Olivine, Orthopyroxene
Alusite, Amphibole, Biotite, Chlorite, Epidote, Feldspar, Garnet, Graphite, Hornblade, Kyanite, Micas, Muscovite or Illite, Porphyroblasts, Quartz, Sillimanite, Staurolite, Talc
Compound Content
Ca, CaO, Chromium(III) Oxide, MgO, Sulfur Trioxide
CaO, Carbon Dioxide, MgO
Types of Metamorphism
Cataclastic Metamorphism, Contact Metamorphism
Not Applicable
Types of Weathering
Biological Weathering
Biological Weathering, Chemical Weathering, Mechanical Weathering
Types of Erosion
Chemical Erosion, Wind Erosion
Chemical Erosion, Coastal Erosion, Glacier Erosion
Grain Size
Coarse Grained
Medium to Fine Coarse Grained
Fracture
Irregular
Conchoidal
Porosity
Less Porous
Highly Porous
Luster
Pearly to Subvitreous
Shiny
Toughness
Not Available
1.5
Specific Gravity
2.62-2.82
2.5-2.9
Transparency
Translucent
Opaque
Density
2.7-4 g/cm3
2.8-2.9 g/cm3
Specific Heat Capacity
Not Available
Resistance
Heat Resistant, Impact Resistant, Pressure Resistant, Scratch Resistant, Wear Resistant
Impact Resistant, Pressure Resistant, Water Resistant
Deposits in Eastern Continents
Asia
Not Yet Found
Afghanistan, Bangladesh, Bhutan, China, India, Japan, Kazakhstan, Malaysia, Pakistan, Russia, Thailand, Turkey, Vietnam
Africa
Not Yet Found
Egypt, Ethiopia, Morocco, Nigeria, South Africa
Europe
Bulgaria, France, Germany, Greece, Hungary, Italy, Latvia, Lithuania, Malta, Poland, Portugal, Romania, Slovenia, Spain, Sweden, The Czech Republic
Austria, England, France, Georgia, Germany, Italy, Liechtenstein, Monaco, Norway, Slovenia, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland
Others
Not Yet Found
Not Yet Found
Deposits in Western Continents
North America
Canada
Canada, Costa Rica, Cuba, Mexico, Panama, USA
South America
Bolivia, Colombia
Brazil, Colombia, Guyana
Deposits in Oceania Continent
Australia
Central Australia, South Australia, Western Australia
New South Wales, New Zealand, Queensland
Anorthosite vs Schist 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 Schist characteristics assist us to distinguish and recognize rocks. Also you can check about Properties of Anorthosite and Properties of Schist. Learn more about Anorthosite vs Schist in the next section. The interior uses of Anorthosite include Decorative aggregates, Floor tiles, Homes and Interior decoration whereas the interior uses of Schist include Decorative aggregates, Floor tiles and Interior decoration. Due to some exceptional properties of Anorthosite and Schist, 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 Schist include As dimension stone, Building houses or walls, Cement manufacture, For road aggregate, Roadstone.
More about Anorthosite and Schist
Here you can know more about Anorthosite and Schist. The life cycle of a rock consists of formation of rock, composition of rock and transformation of rock. The composition of Anorthosite and Schist consists of mineral content and compound content. The mineral content of Anorthosite includes Amphibole, Clinopyroxene, Ilmenite, Magnetite, Olivine, Orthopyroxene and mineral content of Schist includes Alusite, Amphibole, Biotite, Chlorite, Epidote, Feldspar, Garnet, Graphite, Hornblade, Kyanite, Micas, Muscovite or Illite, Porphyroblasts, Quartz, Sillimanite, Staurolite, Talc. You can also check out the list of all Igneous Rocks. When we have to compare Anorthosite vs Schist, 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, Schist is available in black, blue, brown, dark brown, green, grey, silver colors. Appearance of Anorthosite is Layered, Banded, Veined and Shiny and that of Schist is Layered and Shiny. Properties of rock is another aspect for Anorthosite vs Schist. The hardness of Anorthosite is 5-6 and that of Schist is 3.5-4. The types of Anorthosite are Proterozoic Anorthosite and Archean Anorthosite whereas types of Schist are Mica Schists, Calc-Silicate Schists, Graphite Schists, Blueschists, Whiteschists, Greenschists, Hornblende Schist, Talc Schist, Chlorite Schist, Garnet Schist, Glaucophane schist.. Streak of rock is the color of powder produced when it is dragged across an unweathered surface. The streak of Anorthosite and Schist is white. The specific heat capacity of Anorthosite is 0.84 kJ/Kg K and that of Schist is Not Available. 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 Schist is impact resistant, pressure resistant, water resistant.