Definition
Charnockite is a variety of granite containing minerals like orthopyroxene, quartz, and feldspar
Tonalite is a coarse-grained plutonic rock consisting mainly of sodic plagioclase, quartz, and hornblende or other mafic minerals with phaneritic texture
Origin
Tamil Nadu, India
Tonale, Italy
Discoverer
T. H. Holland
Unknown
Etymology
From Job Charnock, an administtrator of East India Company
From Tonale Pass, northern Italy, + -ite1
Class
Igneous Rocks
Igneous Rocks
Sub-Class
Durable Rock, Hard Rock
Durable Rock, Hard Rock
Other Categories
Coarse Grained Rock, Opaque Rock
Coarse Grained Rock, Fine Grained Rock, Medium Grained Rock, Opaque Rock
Texture
Granular
Phaneritic
Color
Black, Grey, Orange, Pink, White
Black, Brown, Light to Dark Grey, White
Durability
Durable
Durable
Scratch Resistant
Yes
Yes
Appearance
Veined or Pebbled
Banded and Foilated
Interior Uses
Bathrooms, Countertops, Decorative Aggregates, Entryways, Floor Tiles, Homes, Hotels, Kitchens, Stair Treads
Decorative Aggregates, Entryways, Flooring, Homes, Interior Decoration
Exterior Uses
As Building Stone, As Facing Stone, Bridges, Paving Stone, Garden Decoration, Office Buildings, Resorts
As Building Stone, As Facing Stone, Paving Stone, Garden Decoration, Office Buildings
Other Architectural Uses
Curbing
Curbing
Construction Industry
As Dimension Stone
As Dimension Stone, Cement Manufacture, Cobblestones, Construction Aggregate, for Road Aggregate
Medical Industry
Not Yet Used
Not Yet Used
Antiquity Uses
Artifacts, Monuments, Sculpture, Small Figurines
Artifacts, Sculpture
Commercial Uses
Curling, Gemstone, Laboratory bench tops, Tombstones
Cemetery Markers, Creating Artwork
Features
Available in Lots of Colors and Patterns, It is One of the Oldest, Strongest and Hardest Rock
Is one of the oldest rock, Typically speckled black and white.
Archaeological Significance
Monuments
Used
Not Yet Used
Famous Monuments
Data Not Available
Not Applicable
Famous Sculptures
Data Not Available
Data Not Available
Pictographs
Not Used
Not Used
Petroglyphs
Not Used
Not Used
Formation
Charnockite is an intrusive igneous rock which is very hard and is formed due to weathering of existing rocks.
When alkali feldspar is extracted from granite, it changes to granitoid and later, it becomes tonalite with quartz as major mineral.
Mineral Content
Amphibole, Biotite, Feldspar, Hornblade, Micas, Muscovite or Illite, Olivine, Plagioclase, Pyroxene, Quartz
Albite, Amphibole, Apatite, Biotite, Feldspar, Hornblade, Ilmenite, Magnetite, Manganese Oxides, Olivine, Plagioclase, Pyroxene, Quartz, Sulfides, Titanite, Zircon
Compound Content
Aluminium Oxide, CaO, Iron(III) Oxide, FeO, Potassium Oxide, MgO, MnO, Sodium Oxide, Phosphorus Pentoxide, Silicon Dioxide, Titanium Dioxide
NaCl, CaO, MgO, Silicon Dioxide
Types of Metamorphism
Burial Metamorphism, Contact Metamorphism, Regional 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, Water Erosion, Wind Erosion
Wind Erosion
Grain Size
Coarse Grained
Medium to Fine Coarse Grained
Fracture
Not Available
Conchoidal
Streak
White
Bluish Black
Porosity
Very Less Porous
Very Less Porous
Luster
Not Available
Subvitreous to Dull
Cleavage
Not Available
Not Available
Toughness
Not Available
2.1
Specific Gravity
Not Available
2.86-3
Transparency
Opaque
Opaque
Density
2.6 g/cm3
2.73 g/cm3
Specific Heat Capacity
Not Available
Resistance
Heat Resistant, Wear Resistant
Heat Resistant, Pressure Resistant, Water Resistant
Deposits in Eastern Continents
Africa
East Africa, Ethiopia, Madagascar, Morocco, Mozambique
Egypt
Europe
Albania, Romania, Scotland, United Kingdom
Finland, Germany, Italy, Romania, Sweden, Turkey
Others
Not Yet Found
Not Yet Found
Deposits in Western Continents
South America
Brazil, Colombia, Venezuela
Argentina, Bolivia, Chile, Colombia, Ecuador, Peru
Deposits in Oceania Continent
Australia
Central Australia, Western Australia
New Zealand, South Australia, Western Australia
Charnockite vs Tonalite 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. Charnockite vs Tonalite characteristics assist us to distinguish and recognize rocks. Also you can check about Properties of Charnockite and Properties of Tonalite. Learn more about Charnockite vs Tonalite in the next section. The interior uses of Charnockite include Bathrooms, Countertops, Decorative aggregates, Entryways, Floor tiles, Homes, Hotels, Kitchens and Stair treads whereas the interior uses of Tonalite include Decorative aggregates, Entryways, Flooring, Homes and Interior decoration. Due to some exceptional properties of Charnockite and Tonalite, they have various applications in construction industry. The uses of Charnockite in construction industry include As dimension stone and that of Tonalite include As dimension stone, Cement manufacture, Cobblestones, Construction aggregate, For road aggregate.
More about Charnockite and Tonalite
Here you can know more about Charnockite and Tonalite. The life cycle of a rock consists of formation of rock, composition of rock and transformation of rock. The composition of Charnockite and Tonalite consists of mineral content and compound content. The mineral content of Charnockite includes Amphibole, Biotite, Feldspar, Hornblade, Micas, Muscovite or Illite, Olivine, Plagioclase, Pyroxene, Quartz and mineral content of Tonalite includes Albite, Amphibole, Apatite, Biotite, Feldspar, Hornblade, Ilmenite, Magnetite, Manganese Oxides, Olivine, Plagioclase, Pyroxene, Quartz, Sulfides, Titanite, Zircon. You can also check out the list of all Igneous Rocks. When we have to compare Charnockite vs Tonalite, the texture, color and appearance plays an important role in determining the type of rock. Charnockite is available in black, grey, orange, pink, white colors whereas, Tonalite is available in black, brown, light to dark grey, white colors. Appearance of Charnockite is Veined or Pebbled and that of Tonalite is Banded and Foilated. Properties of rock is another aspect for Charnockite vs Tonalite. Hardness of Charnockite and Tonalite is 6-7. The types of Charnockite are Enderbite whereas types of Tonalite are Dacite. Streak of rock is the color of powder produced when it is dragged across an unweathered surface. The streak of Charnockite is white while that of Tonalite is bluish black. The specific heat capacity of Charnockite is Not Available and that of Tonalite is 0.92 kJ/Kg K. Depending on the properties like hardness, toughness, specific heat capacity, porosity etc., rocks are resistant to heat, wear, impact, etc.Charnockite is heat resistant, wear resistant whereas Tonalite is heat resistant, pressure resistant, water resistant.