Definition
Anorthosite is a granular igneous rock composed largely of labradorite or plagioclase
Sovite is a coarse-grained variety of carbonatite which belongs to intrusive igneous rock
Discoverer
Unknown
Unknown
Etymology
From French anorthose plagioclase + -ite1
Not Available
Class
Igneous Rocks
Igneous Rocks
Sub-Class
Durable Rock, Medium Hardness Rock
Durable Rock, Soft Rock
Other Categories
Coarse Grained Rock, Opaque Rock
Coarse Grained Rock, Fine Grained Rock, Medium Grained Rock, Opaque Rock
Texture
Foliated, Glassy
Granular, Poikiloblastic
Color
Black, Bluish - Grey, Brown, Green, Grey, Light Greenish Grey, Pink, White
Black, Brown, Colourless, Green, Grey, Pink, White
Durability
Durable
Durable
Appearance
Layered, Banded, Veined and Shiny
Dull, Banded and Foilated
Interior Uses
Decorative Aggregates, Floor Tiles, Homes, Interior Decoration
Decorative Aggregates, Homes
Exterior Uses
As Building Stone, As Facing Stone, Garden Decoration
As Building Stone, Garden Decoration, Office Buildings
Other Architectural Uses
Curbing
Curbing
Construction Industry
As Dimension Stone, Cement Manufacture, for Road Aggregate
As a Flux in the Production of Steel and Pig Iron, As a Sintering Agent in Steel Industry to process Iron Ore, As Dimension Stone, Cement Manufacture, for Road Aggregate, Making natural cement, Manufacture of Magnesium and Dolomite Refractories, Unknown, Unknown
Medical Industry
Not Yet Used
Taken as a Supplement for Calcium or Magnesium
Antiquity Uses
Artifacts, Sculpture, Small Figurines
Artifacts
Commercial Uses
Creating Artwork, Curling
An Oil and Gas Reservoir, As a Feed Additive for Livestock, Creating Artwork, Gemstone, Metallurgical Flux, Production of Lime, Soil Conditioner, Source of Magnesia (MgO)
Types
Proterozoic Anorthosite and Archean Anorthosite
Not Available
Features
Generally rough to touch, Is one of the oldest rock
Available in lots of colors, Generally rough to touch, Is one of the oldest rock
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.
Sovites are formed due to low degrees of partial melting of rocks.
Mineral Content
Amphibole, Clinopyroxene, Ilmenite, Magnetite, Olivine, Orthopyroxene
Ancylite, Apatite, Barite, Fluorite, Magnetite, Natrolite, Sodalite
Compound Content
Ca, CaO, Chromium(III) Oxide, MgO, Sulfur Trioxide
CaO, Carbon Dioxide, Sodium Oxide
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
Medium to Fine Coarse Grained
Fracture
Irregular
Conchoidal
Porosity
Less Porous
Less Porous
Luster
Pearly to Subvitreous
Subvitreous to Dull
Cleavage
Irregular
Not Available
Toughness
Not Available
1
Specific Gravity
2.62-2.82
2.86-2.87
Transparency
Translucent
Opaque
Density
2.7-4 g/cm3
2.84-2.86 g/cm3
Specific Heat Capacity
Not Available
Resistance
Heat Resistant, Impact Resistant, Pressure Resistant, Scratch Resistant, Wear Resistant
Heat Resistant, Pressure Resistant
Deposits in Eastern Continents
Asia
Not Yet Found
China, India, Kazakhstan, Mongolia, Russia, Uzbekistan
Africa
Not Yet Found
Namibia, Nigeria, South Africa
Europe
Bulgaria, France, Germany, Greece, Hungary, Italy, Latvia, Lithuania, Malta, Poland, Portugal, Romania, Slovenia, Spain, Sweden, The Czech Republic
Austria, Denmark, Germany, Great Britain, Netherlands, Norway, Poland, Sweden, Switzerland, United Kingdom
Others
Not Yet Found
Greenland
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 South Wales, New Zealand
Anorthosite vs Sovite 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 Sovite characteristics assist us to distinguish and recognize rocks. Also you can check about Properties of Anorthosite and Properties of Sovite. Learn more about Anorthosite vs Sovite in the next section. The interior uses of Anorthosite include Decorative aggregates, Floor tiles, Homes and Interior decoration whereas the interior uses of Sovite include Decorative aggregates and Homes. Due to some exceptional properties of Anorthosite and Sovite, 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 Sovite include As a flux in the production of steel and pig iron, As a sintering agent in steel industry to process iron ore, As dimension stone, Cement manufacture, For road aggregate, Making natural cement, Manufacture of magnesium and dolomite refractories, Unknown, Unknown.
More about Anorthosite and Sovite
Here you can know more about Anorthosite and Sovite. The life cycle of a rock consists of formation of rock, composition of rock and transformation of rock. The composition of Anorthosite and Sovite consists of mineral content and compound content. The mineral content of Anorthosite includes Amphibole, Clinopyroxene, Ilmenite, Magnetite, Olivine, Orthopyroxene and mineral content of Sovite includes Ancylite, Apatite, Barite, Fluorite, Magnetite, Natrolite, Sodalite. You can also check out the list of all Igneous Rocks. When we have to compare Anorthosite vs Sovite, 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, Sovite is available in black, brown, colourless, green, grey, pink, white colors. Appearance of Anorthosite is Layered, Banded, Veined and Shiny and that of Sovite is Dull, Banded and Foilated. Properties of rock is another aspect for Anorthosite vs Sovite. The hardness of Anorthosite is 5-6 and that of Sovite is 3. The types of Anorthosite are Proterozoic Anorthosite and Archean Anorthosite whereas types of Sovite 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 Sovite is white. The specific heat capacity of Anorthosite is 0.84 kJ/Kg K and that of Sovite 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 Sovite is heat resistant, pressure resistant.