Diorite

Pseudotachylite

Diorite and Pseudotachylite

Diorite

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Definition

Diorite is a grey to dark-grey intermediate intrusive igneous rock composed principally of plagioclase feldspar,biotite, hornblende, and pyroxene

Very fine grained fault rock which is composed of glassy matrix that often contains inclusions of wall-rock fragments.

History

Origin

USA

Discoverer

Unknown

Etymology

From early 19th century coined in French, formed irregularly from Greek diorizein distinguish

From pseudo- +‎ tachylite, a glassy rock generated by frictional heat within faults.

Class

Igneous Rocks

Metamorphic Rocks

Sub-Class

Durable Rock, Hard Rock

Family

Group

Plutonic

Other Categories

Coarse Grained Rock, Medium Grained Rock, Opaque Rock

Fine Grained Rock, Opaque Rock

Texture

Phaneritic

Quench

Color

Black, Brown, Light to Dark Grey, White

Black, Brown, Green, Grey, Pink, White

Maintenance

Less

Durability

Durable

Water Resistant

✔ ✘

Scratch Resistant

✔ ✘

Stain Resistant

✔ ✘

Wind Resistant

✔ ✘

Acid Resistant

✔ ✘

Appearance

Shiny

Dull and Soft

Uses

Architecture

Interior Uses

Decorative Aggregates, Interior Decoration

Decorative Aggregates, Entryways, Interior Decoration

Exterior Uses

As Building Stone, As Facing Stone, Garden Decoration

Other Architectural Uses

Curbing

Industry

Construction Industry

As Dimension Stone, Cement Manufacture, Cobblestones, Construction Aggregate, for Road Aggregate

As Dimension Stone, Cement Manufacture, for Road Aggregate, Making natural cement

Medical Industry

Antiquity Uses

Artifacts, Monuments, Sculpture, Small Figurines

Artifacts, Monuments

Other Uses

Commercial Uses

Creating Artwork, Curling

Creating Artwork, Gemstone

Types

Plagioclase Diorite and Quartz Diorite

Cataclastic rock

Features

Typically speckled black and white.

Host Rock for Lead

Archaeological Significance

Monuments

Famous Monuments

Sculpture

Famous Sculptures

Pictographs

Petroglyphs

Figurines

Fossils

Absent

Formation

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.

Due to change in environmental conditions, rocks are heated and pressurized deep inside the Earth's surface. Pseudotachylite is formed from the extreme heat caused by magma or by the intense collisions and friction of tectonic plates.

Composition

Mineral Content

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

Iron Oxides, Pyroxene, Quartz, Stishovite, Sulfides

Compound Content

Silicon Dioxide

Carbon Dioxide, Silicon Dioxide, Sulfur Dioxide, Sulphur

Transformation

Metamorphism

✔ ✘

Types of Metamorphism

Cataclastic Metamorphism, Contact Metamorphism, Regional Metamorphism

Burial Metamorphism, Cataclastic Metamorphism, Contact Metamorphism

Weathering

✔ ✘

Types of Weathering

Biological Weathering, Chemical Weathering, Mechanical Weathering

Erosion

✔ ✘

Types of Erosion

Chemical Erosion, Coastal Erosion, Water Erosion

Properties

Physical Properties

Hardness

6-77

1 7

👆🏻

Grain Size

Medium to Coarse Grained

Very fine-grained

Fracture

Uneven

Streak

Bluish Black

Light to dark brown

Porosity

Very Less Porous

Less Porous

Luster

Shiny

Vitreous

Compressive Strength

225.00 N/mm²60.00 N/mm²

0.15 450

👆🏻

Cleavage

Toughness

2.1

Specific Gravity

2.8-32.46-2.86

0 8.4

👆🏻

Transparency

Opaque

Transparent to Translucent

Density

2.8-3 g/cm³2.7-2.9 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, Pressure Resistant, Wear Resistant

Heat Resistant

Reserves

Deposits in Eastern Continents

Asia

South Korea

Africa

Egypt

Western Africa

Europe

Finland, Germany, Italy, Romania, Sweden, Turkey, United Kingdom

Great Britain, Switzerland

Others

Deposits in Western Continents

North America

USA

South America

Argentina, Bolivia, Chile, Colombia, Ecuador, Peru

Deposits in Oceania Continent

Australia

New Zealand, Western Australia

Central Australia, Western Australia

All about Diorite and Pseudotachylite Properties

Know all about Diorite and Pseudotachylite properties here. All properties of rocks are important as they define the type of rock and its application. Diorite belongs to Igneous Rocks while Pseudotachylite belongs to Metamorphic Rocks.Texture of Diorite is Phaneritic whereas that of Pseudotachylite is Quench. Diorite appears Shiny and Pseudotachylite appears Dull and Soft. The luster of Diorite is shiny while that of Pseudotachylite is vitreous. Diorite is available in black, brown, light to dark grey, white colors whereas Pseudotachylite is available in black, brown, green, grey, pink, white colors. The commercial uses of Diorite are creating artwork, curling and that of Pseudotachylite are creating artwork, gemstone.