Diabase

Amphibolite

Diabase vs Amphibolite

Diabase

Amphibolite

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1 Definition

1.1 Definition

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

Amphibolite can be defined as a granular metamorphic rock which mainly consist of hornblende and plagioclase

1.2 History

1.2.1 Origin

Germany

Unknown

1.2.2 Discoverer

Christian Leopold von Buch

Alexandre Brongniart

1.3 Etymology

From Greek di + base

From Amphibole + -ite

1.4 Class

Igneous Rocks

Metamorphic Rocks

1.4.1 Sub-Class

Durable Rock, Hard Rock

1.5 Family

1.5.1 Group

Volcanic

Not Applicable

1.6 Other Categories

Fine Grained Rock, Medium Grained Rock, Opaque Rock

Coarse Grained Rock, Medium Grained Rock, Opaque Rock

2 Texture

2.1 Texture

Aphanitic, Granular

Banded, Foliated, Massive

2.2 Color

Dark Grey to Black

Black, Brown, Green, Grey

2.3 Maintenance

Less

2.4 Durability

Durable

2.4.1 Water Resistant

✔ ✘

2.4.2 Scratch Resistant

✔ ✘

2.4.3 Stain Resistant

✔ ✘

2.4.4 Wind Resistant

✔ ✘

2.4.5 Acid Resistant

✔ ✘

2.5 Appearance

Vesicular

Foliated

3 Uses

3.1 Architecture

3.1.1 Interior Uses

Countertops, Decorative Aggregates, Homes, Interior Decoration, Kitchens

Countertops, Decorative Aggregates, Entryways, Floor Tiles, Flooring, Homes, Hotels, Kitchens

3.1.2 Exterior Uses

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

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

3.1.3 Other Architectural Uses

Curbing

3.2 Industry

3.2.1 Construction Industry

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

As Dimension Stone, Building houses or walls, Cobblestones, Construction Aggregate, for Road Aggregate, Landscaping, Production of Glass and Ceramics, Roadstone

3.2.2 Medical Industry

Not Yet Used

3.3 Antiquity Uses

Artifacts, Monuments, Sculpture, Small Figurines

Artifacts, Sculpture, Small Figurines

3.4 Other Uses

3.4.1 Commercial Uses

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

Cemetery Markers, Commemorative Tablets, Creating Artwork

4 Types

4.1 Types

Not Available

Hornblendite

4.2 Features

Smooth to touch

Clasts are smooth to touch, Matrix variable, Surfaces are often shiny

4.3 Archaeological Significance

4.3.1 Monuments

Used

4.3.2 Famous Monuments

Stonehenge in English county of Wiltshire

Data Not Available

4.3.3 Sculpture

Used

4.3.4 Famous Sculptures

Data Not Available

4.3.5 Pictographs

Not Used

4.3.6 Petroglyphs

Not Used

4.3.7 Figurines

Used

4.4 Fossils

Absent

5 Formation

5.1 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.

Amphibolite is a coarse-grained metamorphic rock which forms by metamorphism of mafic igneous rocks like basalt and gabbro or from the metamorphism of clay-rich sedimentary rocks like marl or graywacke.

5.2 Composition

5.2.1 Mineral Content

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

Amphibole, Andalusite, Biotite, Calcite, Epidote, Garnet, Hornblade, Kyanite, Magnetite, Olivine, Plagioclase, Pyroxene, Staurolite, Wollastonite

5.2.2 Compound Content

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

Aluminium Oxide, CaO, Iron(III) Oxide, FeO, Potassium Oxide, MgO, MnO, Sodium Oxide, Phosphorus Pentoxide, Silicon Dioxide, Titanium Dioxide

5.3 Transformation

5.3.1 Metamorphism

✔ ✘

5.3.2 Types of Metamorphism

Burial Metamorphism, Cataclastic Metamorphism, Contact Metamorphism, Regional Metamorphism

Not Applicable

5.3.3 Weathering

✔ ✘

5.3.4 Types of Weathering

Biological Weathering, Chemical Weathering

Chemical Weathering, Mechanical Weathering

5.3.5 Erosion

✔ ✘

5.3.6 Types of Erosion

Chemical Erosion, Coastal Erosion, Water Erosion

Chemical Erosion, Glacier Erosion, Sea Erosion, Wind Erosion

6 Properties

6.1 Physical Properties

6.1.1 Hardness

76-7

1 7

6.1.2 Grain Size

Fine to Medium Grained

Medium to Coarse Grained

6.1.3 Fracture

Conchoidal

Irregular to Conchoidal

6.1.4 Streak

Black

White to Grey

6.1.5 Porosity

Highly Porous

Less Porous

6.1.6 Luster

Not Available

Vitreous to Dull

6.1.7 Compressive Strength

225.00 N/mm²NA

0.15 450

6.1.8 Cleavage

Not Available

Irregular

6.1.9 Toughness

1.6

2.3

6.1.10 Specific Gravity

2.86-2.872.5

0 8.4

6.1.11 Transparency

Opaque

6.1.12 Density

2.7-3.3 g/cm³2.85-3.07 g/cm³

0 1400

6.2 Thermal Properties

6.2.1 Specific Heat Capacity

NANA

0.14 3.2

6.2.2 Resistance

Heat Resistant, Impact Resistant, Pressure Resistant, Wear Resistant

Heat Resistant, Pressure Resistant, Wear Resistant

7 Reserves

7.1 Deposits in Eastern Continents

7.1.1 Asia

India

Russia, Turkey

7.1.2 Africa

South Africa, Tanzania

Burundi, Djibouti, Eritrea, Ethiopia, Kenya, Madagascar, Rwanda, Somalia, South Africa, Sudan, Tanzania, Uganda

7.1.3 Europe

Germany, Greece, Italy, Scotland, Turkey

Germany, Greece, Iceland, Norway, Poland

7.1.4 Others

Antarctica, Greenland

Not Yet Found

7.2 Deposits in Western Continents

7.2.1 North America

Canada, USA

7.2.2 South America

Argentina, Brazil, Colombia, Venezuela

Brazil

7.3 Deposits in Oceania Continent

7.3.1 Australia

Central Australia, New Zealand, Queensland, Western Australia

South Australia, Western Australia

Diabase vs Amphibolite 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 Diabase and Amphibolite Reserves. Diabase is a fine-grained igneous rock which is composed mostly of pyroxene and feldspar. Amphibolite can be defined as a granular metamorphic rock which mainly consist of hornblende and plagioclase. 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 Diabase vs Amphibolite information and Diabase vs Amphibolite characteristics in the upcoming sections.

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Diabase vs Amphibolite 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. Diabase vs Amphibolite characteristics assist us to distinguish and recognize rocks. Also you can check about Properties of Diabase and Properties of Amphibolite. Learn more about Diabase vs Amphibolite in the next section. The interior uses of Diabase include Countertops, Decorative aggregates, Homes, Interior decoration and Kitchens whereas the interior uses of Amphibolite include Countertops, Decorative aggregates, Entryways, Floor tiles, Flooring, Homes, Hotels and Kitchens. Due to some exceptional properties of Diabase and Amphibolite, they have various applications in construction industry. The uses of Diabase in construction industry include As dimension stone, Building houses or walls, Cement manufacture, Construction aggregate, For road aggregate and that of Amphibolite include As dimension stone, Building houses or walls, Cobblestones, Construction aggregate, For road aggregate, Landscaping, Production of glass and ceramics, Roadstone.

More about Diabase and Amphibolite

Here you can know more about Diabase and Amphibolite. The life cycle of a rock consists of formation of rock, composition of rock and transformation of rock. The composition of Diabase and Amphibolite consists of mineral content and compound content. The mineral content of Diabase includes Augite, Chlorite, Olivine, Plagioclase, Pyroxene, Pyrrhotite, Serpentine and mineral content of Amphibolite includes Amphibole, Andalusite, Biotite, Calcite, Epidote, Garnet, Hornblade, Kyanite, Magnetite, Olivine, Plagioclase, Pyroxene, Staurolite, Wollastonite. You can also check out the list of all Igneous Rocks. When we have to compare Diabase vs Amphibolite, the texture, color and appearance plays an important role in determining the type of rock. Diabase is available in dark grey to black colors whereas, Amphibolite is available in black, brown, green, grey colors. Appearance of Diabase is Vesicular and that of Amphibolite is Foliated. Properties of rock is another aspect for Diabase vs Amphibolite. The hardness of Diabase is 7 and that of Amphibolite is 6-7. The types of Diabase are Not Available whereas types of Amphibolite are Hornblendite. Streak of rock is the color of powder produced when it is dragged across an unweathered surface. The streak of Diabase is black while that of Amphibolite is white to grey. The specific heat capacity of Diabase is Not Available and that of Amphibolite is Not Available. Depending on the properties like hardness, toughness, specific heat capacity, porosity etc., rocks are resistant to heat, wear, impact, etc.Diabase is heat resistant, impact resistant, pressure resistant, wear resistant whereas Amphibolite is heat resistant, pressure resistant, wear resistant.