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Diabase
Diabase

Tonalite
Tonalite



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Diabase vs Tonalite

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Definition

Definition

Diabase is a fine-grained igneous rock which is composed mostly of pyroxene and feldspar
Tonalite is a coarse-grained plutonic rock consisting mainly of sodic plagioclase, quartz, and hornblende or other mafic minerals with phaneritic texture

History

Origin

Germany
Tonale, Italy

Discoverer

Christian Leopold von Buch
Warren Hamilton

Etymology

From Greek di + base
From Tonale Pass, northern Italy, + -ite1

Class

Igneous Rocks
Igneous Rocks

Sub-Class

Durable Rock, Hard Rock
Durable Rock, Hard Rock

Family

Group

Volcanic
Plutonic

Other Categories

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

Texture

Texture

Aphanitic, Granular
Phaneritic

Color

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

Maintenance

Less
Less

Durability

Durable
Durable

Water Resistant

Scratch Resistant

Stain Resistant

Wind Resistant

Acid Resistant

Appearance

Vesicular
Banded and Foilated

Uses

Architecture

Interior Uses

Countertops, Decorative Aggregates, Homes, Interior Decoration, Kitchens
Decorative Aggregates, Entryways, Flooring, Homes, Interior Decoration

Exterior Uses

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

Other Architectural Uses

Curbing
Curbing

Industry

Construction Industry

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

Medical Industry

-
-

Antiquity Uses

Artifacts, Monuments, Sculpture, Small Figurines
Artifacts, Sculpture

Other Uses

Commercial Uses

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

Types

Types

Dolerite
Dacite

Features

Smooth to touch
Is one of the oldest rock, Typically speckled black and white.

Archaeological Significance

Monuments

-
-

Famous Monuments

Stonehenge in English county of Wiltshire
-

Sculpture

-
-

Famous Sculptures

-
-

Pictographs

-
-

Petroglyphs

-
-

Figurines

-
-

Fossils

Absent
Absent

Formation

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.
When alkali feldspar is extracted from granite, it changes to granitoid and later, it becomes tonalite with quartz as major mineral.

Composition

Mineral Content

Augite, Chlorite, Olivine, Plagioclase, Pyroxene, Pyrrhotite, Serpentine
Albite, Amphibole, Apatite, Biotite, Feldspar, Hornblade, Ilmenite, Magnetite, Manganese Oxides, Olivine, Plagioclase, Pyroxene, Quartz, Sulfides, Titanite, Zircon

Compound Content

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

Transformation

Metamorphism

Types of Metamorphism

Burial Metamorphism, Cataclastic Metamorphism, Contact Metamorphism, Regional Metamorphism
Burial Metamorphism, Cataclastic Metamorphism, Contact Metamorphism, Hydrothermal Metamorphism, Impact Metamorphism, Regional Metamorphism

Weathering

Types of Weathering

Biological Weathering, Chemical Weathering
Biological Weathering, Chemical Weathering, Mechanical Weathering

Erosion

Types of Erosion

Chemical Erosion, Coastal Erosion, Water Erosion
Wind Erosion

Properties

Physical Properties

Hardness

76-7
1 7
👆🏻

Grain Size

Fine to Medium Grained
Medium to Fine Coarse Grained

Fracture

Conchoidal
Conchoidal

Streak

Black
Bluish Black

Porosity

Highly Porous
Very Less Porous

Luster

-
Subvitreous to Dull

Compressive Strength

225.00 N/mm2185.00 N/mm2
0.15 450
👆🏻

Cleavage

-
-

Toughness

1.6
2.1

Specific Gravity

2.86-2.872.86-3
0 8.4
👆🏻

Transparency

Opaque
Opaque

Density

2.7-3.3 g/cm32.73 g/cm3
0 1400
👆🏻

Thermal Properties

Specific Heat Capacity

0.84 kJ/Kg K0.92 kJ/Kg K
0.14 3.2
👆🏻

Resistance

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

Reserves

Deposits in Eastern Continents

Asia

India
-

Africa

South Africa, Tanzania
Egypt

Europe

Germany, Greece, Italy, Scotland, Turkey
Finland, Germany, Italy, Romania, Sweden, Turkey

Others

Antarctica, Greenland
-

Deposits in Western Continents

North America

Canada, USA
USA

South America

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

Deposits in Oceania Continent

Australia

Central Australia, New Zealand, Queensland, Western Australia
New Zealand, South Australia, Western Australia

Diabase vs Tonalite 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 Tonalite Reserves. Diabase is a fine-grained igneous rock which is composed mostly of pyroxene and feldspar. Tonalite is a coarse-grained plutonic rock consisting mainly of sodic plagioclase, quartz, and hornblende or other mafic minerals with phaneritic texture. 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 Tonalite information and Diabase vs Tonalite characteristics in the upcoming sections.

Diabase 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. Diabase vs Tonalite characteristics assist us to distinguish and recognize rocks. Also you can check about Properties of Diabase and Properties of Tonalite. Learn more about Diabase vs Tonalite in the next section. The interior uses of Diabase include Countertops, Decorative aggregates, Homes, Interior decoration and Kitchens whereas the interior uses of Tonalite include Decorative aggregates, Entryways, Flooring, Homes and Interior decoration. Due to some exceptional properties of Diabase and Tonalite, 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 Tonalite include As dimension stone, Cement manufacture, Cobblestones, Construction aggregate, For road aggregate.

More about Diabase and Tonalite

Here you can know more about Diabase and Tonalite. The life cycle of a rock consists of formation of rock, composition of rock and transformation of rock. The composition of Diabase and Tonalite consists of mineral content and compound content. The mineral content of Diabase includes Augite, Chlorite, Olivine, Plagioclase, Pyroxene, Pyrrhotite, Serpentine 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 Diabase vs Tonalite, 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, Tonalite is available in black, brown, light to dark grey, white colors. Appearance of Diabase is Vesicular and that of Tonalite is Banded and Foilated. Properties of rock is another aspect for Diabase vs Tonalite. The hardness of Diabase is 7 and that of Tonalite is 6-7. The types of Diabase are Dolerite 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 Diabase is black while that of Tonalite is bluish black. The specific heat capacity of Diabase is 0.84 kJ/Kg K 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.Diabase is heat resistant, impact resistant, pressure resistant, wear resistant whereas Tonalite is heat resistant, pressure resistant, water resistant.