×

Diorite
Diorite

Andesite
Andesite



ADD
Compare
X
Diorite
X
Andesite

Diorite vs Andesite

Add ⊕

Definition

Definition

Diorite is a grey to dark-grey intermediate intrusive igneous rock composed principally of plagioclase feldspar,biotite, hornblende, and pyroxene
Andesite is a dark, fine-grained, brown or greyish intermediate volcanic rock which is a commonly found in lava

History

Origin

-
North America

Discoverer

Unknown
Theodor von Gümbel

Etymology

From early 19th century coined in French, formed irregularly from Greek diorizein distinguish
From Andes mountains, where it is found in abundance

Class

Igneous Rocks
Igneous Rocks

Sub-Class

Durable Rock, Hard Rock
Durable Rock, Hard Rock

Family

Group

Plutonic
Volcanic

Other Categories

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

Texture

Texture

Phaneritic
Aphanitic to Porphyritic

Color

Black, Brown, Light to Dark Grey, White
Bluish - Grey, Grey, Pink, Yellow

Maintenance

Less
More

Durability

Durable
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, Floor Tiles, Homes, Interior Decoration, Kitchens

Exterior Uses

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

Other Architectural Uses

Curbing
Curbing

Industry

Construction Industry

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

Medical Industry

-
-

Antiquity Uses

Artifacts, Monuments, Sculpture, Small Figurines
Artifacts, Monuments, Sculpture, Small Figurines

Other Uses

Commercial Uses

Creating Artwork, Curling
Commemorative Tablets, Creating Artwork

Types

Types

Plagioclase Diorite and Quartz Diorite
Icelandite

Features

Typically speckled black and white.
Generally rough to touch, High silica content, Is one of the oldest rock

Archaeological Significance

Monuments

-
-

Famous Monuments

-
Middle of the Earth in Ecuador

Sculpture

-
-

Famous Sculptures

-
-

Pictographs

-
-

Petroglyphs

-
-

Figurines

-
-

Fossils

Absent
Absent

Formation

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.
Andesite is a fine-grained igneous rock that forms when the magma is erupted onto the surface and is crystallized quickly.

Composition

Mineral Content

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

Compound Content

Silicon Dioxide
Silicon Dioxide

Transformation

Metamorphism

Types of 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, Mechanical Weathering
Biological Weathering, Chemical Weathering, Mechanical Weathering

Erosion

Types of Erosion

Chemical Erosion, Coastal Erosion, Water Erosion
Chemical Erosion, Coastal Erosion, Glacier Erosion

Properties

Physical Properties

Hardness

6-77
1 7
👆🏻

Grain Size

Medium to Coarse Grained
Very fine-grained

Fracture

-
Uneven

Streak

Bluish Black
White

Porosity

Very Less Porous
Less Porous

Luster

Shiny
Vitreous

Compressive Strength

225.00 N/mm2225.00 N/mm2
0.15 450
👆🏻

Cleavage

-
-

Toughness

2.1
1.1

Specific Gravity

2.8-32.5-2.8
0 8.4
👆🏻

Transparency

Opaque
Opaque

Density

2.8-3 g/cm32.11-2.36 g/cm3
0 1400
👆🏻

Thermal Properties

Specific Heat Capacity

0.84 kJ/Kg K2.39 kJ/Kg K
0.14 3.2
👆🏻

Resistance

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

Reserves

Deposits in Eastern Continents

Asia

-
India, Indonesia, Japan, Nepal, South Korea

Africa

Egypt
Egypt, Ethiopia, Morocco, Namibia, South Africa, Tanzania

Europe

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

Others

-
-

Deposits in Western Continents

North America

USA
Mexico, USA

South America

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

Deposits in Oceania Continent

Australia

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

Diorite vs Andesite 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 Diorite and Andesite Reserves. Diorite is a grey to dark-grey intermediate intrusive igneous rock composed principally of plagioclase feldspar,biotite, hornblende, and pyroxene. Andesite is a dark, fine-grained, brown or greyish intermediate volcanic rock which is a commonly found in lava. 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 Diorite vs Andesite information and Diorite vs Andesite characteristics in the upcoming sections.

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

More about Diorite and Andesite

Here you can know more about Diorite and Andesite. The life cycle of a rock consists of formation of rock, composition of rock and transformation of rock. The composition of Diorite and Andesite consists of mineral content and compound content. The mineral content of Diorite includes Albite, Amphibole, Apatite, Biotite, Feldspar, Hornblade, Ilmenite, Magnetite, Muscovite or Illite, Olivine, Plagioclase, Pyroxene, Quartz, Sulfides, Titanite, Zircon and mineral content of Andesite includes Amphibole, Apatite, Biotite, Feldspar, Garnet, Hornblade, Ilmenite, Magnetite, Plagioclase, Pyroxene, Zircon. You can also check out the list of all Igneous Rocks. When we have to compare Diorite vs Andesite, the texture, color and appearance plays an important role in determining the type of rock. Diorite is available in black, brown, light to dark grey, white colors whereas, Andesite is available in bluish - grey, grey, pink, yellow colors. Appearance of Diorite is Shiny and that of Andesite is Dull and Soft. Properties of rock is another aspect for Diorite vs Andesite. The hardness of Diorite is 6-7 and that of Andesite is 7. The types of Diorite are Plagioclase Diorite and Quartz Diorite whereas types of Andesite are Icelandite. Streak of rock is the color of powder produced when it is dragged across an unweathered surface. The streak of Diorite is bluish black while that of Andesite is white. The specific heat capacity of Diorite is 0.84 kJ/Kg K and that of Andesite is 2.39 kJ/Kg K. Depending on the properties like hardness, toughness, specific heat capacity, porosity etc., rocks are resistant to heat, wear, impact, etc.Diorite is heat resistant, pressure resistant, wear resistant whereas Andesite is heat resistant, pressure resistant, wear resistant.