Diabase

Anorthosite

Diabase and Anorthosite

Diabase

Anorthosite

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Definition

Diabase is a fine-grained igneous rock which is composed mostly of pyroxene and feldspar

Anorthosite is a granular igneous rock composed largely of labradorite or plagioclase

History

Origin

Germany

Discoverer

Christian Leopold von Buch

Unknown

Etymology

From Greek di + base

From French anorthose plagioclase + -ite1

Class

Igneous Rocks

Sub-Class

Durable Rock, Hard Rock

Durable Rock, Medium Hardness Rock

Family

Group

Volcanic

Plutonic

Other Categories

Fine Grained Rock, Medium Grained Rock, Opaque Rock

Coarse Grained Rock, Opaque Rock

Texture

Aphanitic, Granular

Foliated, Glassy

Color

Dark Grey to Black

Black, Bluish - Grey, Brown, Green, Grey, Light Greenish Grey, Pink, White

Maintenance

Less

Durability

Durable

Water Resistant

✔ ✘

Scratch Resistant

✔ ✘

Stain Resistant

✔ ✘

Wind Resistant

✔ ✘

Acid Resistant

✔ ✘

Appearance

Vesicular

Layered, Banded, Veined and Shiny

Uses

Architecture

Interior Uses

Countertops, Decorative Aggregates, Homes, Interior Decoration, Kitchens

Decorative Aggregates, Floor Tiles, Homes, Interior Decoration

Exterior Uses

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

As Building Stone, As Facing Stone, Garden Decoration

Other Architectural Uses

Curbing

Industry

Construction Industry

As Dimension Stone, Building houses or walls, Cement Manufacture, Construction Aggregate, for Road Aggregate

As Dimension Stone, Cement Manufacture, for Road Aggregate

Medical Industry

Antiquity Uses

Artifacts, Monuments, Sculpture, Small Figurines

Artifacts, Sculpture, Small Figurines

Other Uses

Commercial Uses

An Oil and Gas Reservoir, Cemetery Markers, Commemorative Tablets, Laboratory bench tops, Jewelry, Sea Defence, Tombstones

Creating Artwork, Curling

Types

Dolerite

Proterozoic Anorthosite and Archean Anorthosite

Features

Smooth to touch

Generally rough to touch, Is one of the oldest rock

Archaeological Significance

Monuments

Famous Monuments

Stonehenge in English county of Wiltshire

Sculpture

Famous Sculptures

Pictographs

Petroglyphs

Figurines

Fossils

Absent

Formation

Diabase forms when molten igneous rock is squeezed up into a vertical crack in other rocks, the crack is usually forced apart and the molten rock cools in the space to form a tabular igneous intrusion cutting across the surrounding rocks and is known as a dike.

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.

Composition

Mineral Content

Augite, Chlorite, Olivine, Plagioclase, Pyroxene, Pyrrhotite, Serpentine

Amphibole, Clinopyroxene, Ilmenite, Magnetite, Olivine, Orthopyroxene

Compound Content

Aluminium Oxide, CaO, Chromium(III) Oxide, Iron(III) Oxide, Potassium Oxide, MgO, Sodium Oxide, Silicon Dioxide, Sulfur Trioxide

Ca, CaO, Chromium(III) Oxide, MgO, Sulfur Trioxide

Transformation

Metamorphism

✔ ✘

Types of Metamorphism

Burial Metamorphism, Cataclastic Metamorphism, Contact Metamorphism, Regional Metamorphism

Cataclastic Metamorphism, Contact Metamorphism

Weathering

✔ ✘

Types of Weathering

Biological Weathering, Chemical Weathering

Biological Weathering

Erosion

✔ ✘

Types of Erosion

Chemical Erosion, Coastal Erosion, Water Erosion

Chemical Erosion, Wind Erosion

Properties

Physical Properties

Hardness

75-6

1 7

👆🏻

Grain Size

Fine to Medium Grained

Coarse Grained

Fracture

Conchoidal

Irregular

Streak

Black

White

Porosity

Highly Porous

Less Porous

Luster

Pearly to Subvitreous

Compressive Strength

225.00 N/mm²180.00 N/mm²

0.15 450

👆🏻

Cleavage

Toughness

1.6

Specific Gravity

2.86-2.872.62-2.82

0 8.4

👆🏻

Transparency

Opaque

Translucent

Density

2.7-3.3 g/cm³2.7-4 g/cm³

0 1400

👆🏻

Thermal Properties

Specific Heat Capacity

0.84 kJ/Kg K0.84 kJ/Kg K

0.14 3.2

👆🏻

Resistance

Heat Resistant, Impact Resistant, Pressure Resistant, Wear Resistant

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

Reserves

Deposits in Eastern Continents

Asia

India

Africa

South Africa, Tanzania

Europe

Germany, Greece, Italy, Scotland, Turkey

Bulgaria, France, Germany, Greece, Hungary, Italy, Latvia, Lithuania, Malta, Poland, Portugal, Romania, Slovenia, Spain, Sweden, The Czech Republic

Others

Antarctica, Greenland

Deposits in Western Continents

North America

Canada, USA

Canada

South America

Argentina, Brazil, Colombia, Venezuela

Bolivia, Colombia

Deposits in Oceania Continent

Australia

Central Australia, New Zealand, Queensland, Western Australia

Central Australia, South Australia, Western Australia

All about Diabase and Anorthosite Properties

Know all about Diabase and Anorthosite properties here. All properties of rocks are important as they define the type of rock and its application. Diabase and Anorthosite belong to Igneous Rocks.Texture of Diabase is Aphanitic, Granular whereas that of Anorthosite is Foliated, Glassy. Diabase appears Vesicular and Anorthosite appears Layered, Banded, Veined and Shiny. The luster of Diabase is while that of Anorthosite is pearly to subvitreous. Diabase is available in dark grey to black colors whereas Anorthosite is available in black, bluish - grey, brown, green, grey, light greenish grey, pink, white colors. The commercial uses of Diabase are an oil and gas reservoir, cemetery markers, commemorative tablets, laboratory bench tops, jewelry, sea defence, tombstones and that of Anorthosite are creating artwork, curling.