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Chert
Chert

Diorite
Diorite



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Chert vs Diorite

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Definition

Definition

Chert is a hard, dark, opaque sedimentary rock which is composed of silica with an amorphous fine-grained texture
Diorite is a grey to dark-grey intermediate intrusive igneous rock composed principally of plagioclase feldspar,biotite, hornblende, and pyroxene

History

Origin

-
-

Discoverer

Unknown
Unknown

Etymology

From flint-like quartz, 1670s, of unknown origin- a local term, which has been taken into geological use
From early 19th century coined in French, formed irregularly from Greek diorizein distinguish

Class

Sedimentary Rocks
Igneous Rocks

Sub-Class

Durable Rock, Hard Rock
Durable Rock, Hard Rock

Family

Group

-
Plutonic

Other Categories

Fine Grained Rock, Opaque Rock
Coarse Grained Rock, Medium Grained Rock, Opaque Rock

Texture

Texture

Banded, Rough
Phaneritic

Color

Black, Brown, Green, Grey, Red, White
Black, Brown, Light to Dark Grey, White

Maintenance

Less
Less

Durability

Durable
Durable

Water Resistant

Scratch Resistant

Stain Resistant

Wind Resistant

Acid Resistant

Appearance

Glassy or Pearly
Shiny

Uses

Architecture

Interior Uses

Decorative Aggregates, Homes
Decorative Aggregates, Interior Decoration

Exterior Uses

As Building Stone, As Facing Stone, Garden Decoration, Office Buildings
As Building Stone, As Facing Stone, Garden Decoration

Other Architectural Uses

Curbing
Curbing

Industry

Construction Industry

Arrowheads, Construction Aggregate, Cutting Tool, Spear Points
As Dimension Stone, Cement Manufacture, Cobblestones, Construction Aggregate, for Road Aggregate

Medical Industry

-
-

Antiquity Uses

Artifacts, Monuments
Artifacts, Monuments, Sculpture, Small Figurines

Other Uses

Commercial Uses

Creating Artwork, Gemstone, In fire-starting tools, Jewelry, To ignite fire, Used in flintlock firearms
Creating Artwork, Curling

Types

Types

Flint, Jasper, Radiolarite, Common Chert, Chalcedony, Agate, Onyx, Opal, Magadi-type Chert, Porcelanite, Siliceous Sinter
Plagioclase Diorite and Quartz Diorite

Features

Clasts are smooth to touch, Easily splits into thin plates, Has High structural resistance against erosion and climate
Typically speckled black and white.

Archaeological Significance

Monuments

-
-

Famous Monuments

-
-

Sculpture

-
-

Famous Sculptures

-
-

Pictographs

-
-

Petroglyphs

-
-

Figurines

-
-

Fossils

Present
Absent

Formation

Formation

Chert forms when microcrystals of silicon dioxide grow within soft sediments that become limestone or chalk. The chert formation can be either of chemical or biological origin.
Diorite is a coarse-grained intrusive igneous rock which contains large interlocking and randomly oriented crystals and forms when molten lava does not reach the Earth’s surface and cools down in the Earth’s crust.

Composition

Mineral Content

Quartz, Silicon
Albite, Amphibole, Apatite, Biotite, Feldspar, Hornblade, Ilmenite, Magnetite, Muscovite or Illite, Olivine, Plagioclase, Pyroxene, Quartz, Sulfides, Titanite, Zircon

Compound Content

Silicon Dioxide
Silicon Dioxide

Transformation

Metamorphism

Types of Metamorphism

-
Cataclastic Metamorphism, Contact Metamorphism, Regional Metamorphism

Weathering

Types of Weathering

-
Biological Weathering, Chemical Weathering, Mechanical Weathering

Erosion

Types of Erosion

Chemical Erosion
Chemical Erosion, Coastal Erosion, Water Erosion

Properties

Physical Properties

Hardness

6.5-76-7
1 7
👆🏻

Grain Size

Very fine-grained
Medium to Coarse Grained

Fracture

Uneven, Splintery or Conchoidal
-

Streak

White
Bluish Black

Porosity

Highly Porous
Very Less Porous

Luster

Waxy and Dull
Shiny

Compressive Strength

450.00 N/mm2225.00 N/mm2
0.15 450
👆🏻

Cleavage

-
-

Toughness

1.5
2.1

Specific Gravity

2.5-2.82.8-3
0 8.4
👆🏻

Transparency

Translucent to Opaque
Opaque

Density

2.7 g/cm32.8-3 g/cm3
0 1400
👆🏻

Thermal Properties

Specific Heat Capacity

0.74 kJ/Kg K0.84 kJ/Kg K
0.14 3.2
👆🏻

Resistance

Heat Resistant, Impact Resistant, Pressure Resistant, Wear Resistant
Heat Resistant, Pressure Resistant, Wear Resistant

Reserves

Deposits in Eastern Continents

Asia

China, India, Iran, Japan, Oman, Russia, Saudi Arabia, Taiwan, Thailand, Vietnam
-

Africa

Kenya, Morocco, South Africa, Tanzania
Egypt

Europe

Austria, France, Greece, Italy, Malta, Poland, Portugal, Serbia, Spain, Sweden, United Kingdom
Finland, Germany, Italy, Romania, Sweden, Turkey, United Kingdom

Others

Greenland, Mid-Atlantic Ridge
-

Deposits in Western Continents

North America

Canada, Mexico, USA
USA

South America

Bolivia, Brazil
Argentina, Bolivia, Chile, Colombia, Ecuador, Peru

Deposits in Oceania Continent

Australia

New South Wales, Queensland, South Australia, Western Australia
New Zealand, Western Australia

Chert vs Diorite Information

Earth’s outer layer is covered by rocks and these rocks have different physical and chemical properties. As two rocks are not same, it’s fun to compare them. You can also know more about Chert and Diorite Reserves. Chert is a hard, dark, opaque sedimentary rock which is composed of silica with an amorphous fine-grained texture. Diorite is a grey to dark-grey intermediate intrusive igneous rock composed principally of plagioclase feldspar,biotite, hornblende, and pyroxene. These rocks are composed of many distinct minerals. The process of formation of rocks is different for various rocks. Rocks are quarried from many years for various purposes. You can check out Chert vs Diorite information and Chert vs Diorite characteristics in the upcoming sections.

Chert vs Diorite 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. Chert vs Diorite characteristics assist us to distinguish and recognize rocks. Also you can check about Properties of Chert and Properties of Diorite. Learn more about Chert vs Diorite in the next section. The interior uses of Chert include Decorative aggregates and Homes whereas the interior uses of Diorite include Decorative aggregates and Interior decoration. Due to some exceptional properties of Chert and Diorite, they have various applications in construction industry. The uses of Chert in construction industry include Arrowheads, Construction aggregate, Cutting tool, Spear points and that of Diorite include As dimension stone, Cement manufacture, Cobblestones, Construction aggregate, For road aggregate.

More about Chert and Diorite

Here you can know more about Chert and Diorite. The life cycle of a rock consists of formation of rock, composition of rock and transformation of rock. The composition of Chert and Diorite consists of mineral content and compound content. The mineral content of Chert includes Quartz, Silicon and mineral content of Diorite includes Albite, Amphibole, Apatite, Biotite, Feldspar, Hornblade, Ilmenite, Magnetite, Muscovite or Illite, Olivine, Plagioclase, Pyroxene, Quartz, Sulfides, Titanite, Zircon. You can also check out the list of all Sedimentary Rocks. When we have to compare Chert vs Diorite, the texture, color and appearance plays an important role in determining the type of rock. Chert is available in black, brown, green, grey, red, white colors whereas, Diorite is available in black, brown, light to dark grey, white colors. Appearance of Chert is Glassy or Pearly and that of Diorite is Shiny. Properties of rock is another aspect for Chert vs Diorite. The hardness of Chert is 6.5-7 and that of Diorite is 6-7. The types of Chert are Flint, Jasper, Radiolarite, Common Chert, Chalcedony, Agate, Onyx, Opal, Magadi-type Chert, Porcelanite, Siliceous Sinter whereas types of Diorite are Plagioclase Diorite and Quartz Diorite. Streak of rock is the color of powder produced when it is dragged across an unweathered surface. The streak of Chert is white while that of Diorite is bluish black. The specific heat capacity of Chert is 0.74 kJ/Kg K and that of Diorite is 0.84 kJ/Kg K. Depending on the properties like hardness, toughness, specific heat capacity, porosity etc., rocks are resistant to heat, wear, impact, etc.Chert is heat resistant, impact resistant, pressure resistant, wear resistant whereas Diorite is heat resistant, pressure resistant, wear resistant.