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Diorite vs Anorthosite


Anorthosite vs Diorite


Definition

Definition
Diorite is a grey to dark-grey intermediate intrusive igneous rock composed principally of plagioclase feldspar,biotite, hornblende, and pyroxene   
Anorthosite is a granular igneous rock composed largely of labradorite or plagioclase   

History
  
  

Discoverer
Unknown   
Unknown   

Etymology
From early 19th century coined in French, formed irregularly from Greek diorizein distinguish   
From French anorthose plagioclase + -ite1   

Class
Igneous Rocks   
Igneous Rocks   

Sub-Class
Durable Rock, Hard Rock   
Durable Rock, Medium Hardness Rock   

Family
  
  

Group
Plutonic   
Plutonic   

Other Categories
Coarse Grained Rock, Medium Grained Rock, Opaque Rock   
Coarse Grained Rock, Opaque Rock   

Texture

Texture
Phaneritic   
Foliated, Glassy   

Color
Black, Brown, Light to Dark Grey, White   
Black, Bluish - Grey, Brown, Green, Grey, Light Greenish Grey, Pink, White   

Maintenance
Less   
Less   

Durability
Durable   
Durable   

Water Resistant
No   
Yes   

Scratch Resistant
No   
No   

Stain Resistant
No   
No   

Wind Resistant
Yes   
Yes   

Acid Resistant
No   
No   

Appearance
Shiny   
Layered, Banded, Veined and Shiny   

Uses

Architecture
  
  

Interior Uses
Decorative Aggregates, Interior Decoration   
Decorative Aggregates, Floor Tiles, Homes, Interior Decoration   

Exterior Uses
As Building Stone, As Facing Stone, Garden Decoration   
As Building Stone, As Facing Stone, Garden Decoration   

Other Architectural Uses
Curbing   
Curbing   

Industry
  
  

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

Medical Industry
Not Yet Used   
Not Yet Used   

Antiquity Uses
Artifacts, Monuments, Sculpture, Small Figurines   
Artifacts, Sculpture, Small Figurines   

Other Uses
  
  

Commercial Uses
Creating Artwork, Curling   
Creating Artwork, Curling   

Types

Types
Not Available   
Proterozoic Anorthosite and Archean Anorthosite   

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

Archaeological Significance
  
  

Monuments
Used   
Not Yet Used   

Famous Monuments
Data Not Available   
Not Applicable   

Sculpture
Used   
Used   

Famous Sculptures
Data Not Available   
Not Applicable   

Pictographs
Not Used   
Not Used   

Petroglyphs
Not Used   
Not Used   

Figurines
Used   
Used   

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

Compound Content
Silicon Dioxide   
Ca, CaO, Chromium(III) Oxide, MgO, Sulfur Trioxide   

Transformation
  
  

Metamorphism
Yes   
Yes   

Types of Metamorphism
Cataclastic Metamorphism, Contact Metamorphism, Regional Metamorphism   
Cataclastic Metamorphism, Contact Metamorphism   

Weathering
Yes   
Yes   

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

Erosion
Yes   
Yes   

Types of Erosion
Chemical Erosion, Coastal Erosion, Water Erosion   
Chemical Erosion, Wind Erosion   

Properties

Physical Properties
  
  

Hardness
6-7   
5-6   

Grain Size
Medium to Coarse Grained   
Coarse Grained   

Fracture
Not Available   
Irregular   

Streak
Bluish Black   
White   

Porosity
Very Less Porous   
Less Porous   

Luster
Shiny   
Pearly to Subvitreous   

Compressive Strength
225.00 N/mm2   
7
Not Available   

Cleavage
Not Available   
Irregular   

Toughness
2.1   
Not Available   

Specific Gravity
2.8-3   
2.62-2.82   

Transparency
Opaque   
Translucent   

Density
2.8-3 g/cm3   
2.7-4 g/cm3   

Thermal Properties
  
  

Specific Heat Capacity
Not Available   
0.84 kJ/Kg K   
15

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

Reserves

Deposits in Eastern Continents
  
  

Asia
Not Yet Found   
Not Yet Found   

Africa
Egypt   
Not Yet Found   

Europe
Finland, Germany, Italy, Romania, Sweden, Turkey, United Kingdom   
Bulgaria, France, Germany, Greece, Hungary, Italy, Latvia, Lithuania, Malta, Poland, Portugal, Romania, Slovenia, Spain, Sweden, The Czech Republic   

Others
Not Yet Found   
Not Yet Found   

Deposits in Western Continents
  
  

North America
USA   
Canada   

South America
Argentina, Bolivia, Chile, Colombia, Ecuador, Peru   
Bolivia, Colombia   

Deposits in Oceania Continent
  
  

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

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Diorite vs Anorthosite 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 Anorthosite Reserves. Diorite is a grey to dark-grey intermediate intrusive igneous rock composed principally of plagioclase feldspar,biotite, hornblende, and pyroxene. Anorthosite is a granular igneous rock composed largely of labradorite or 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 Diorite vs Anorthosite information and Diorite vs Anorthosite characteristics in the upcoming sections.

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

More about Diorite and Anorthosite

Here you can know more about Diorite and Anorthosite. The life cycle of a rock consists of formation of rock, composition of rock and transformation of rock. The composition of Diorite and Anorthosite 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 Anorthosite includes Amphibole, Clinopyroxene, Ilmenite, Magnetite, Olivine, Orthopyroxene. You can also check out the list of all Igneous Rocks. When we have to compare Diorite vs Anorthosite, 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, Anorthosite is available in black, bluish - grey, brown, green, grey, light greenish grey, pink, white colors. Appearance of Diorite is Shiny and that of Anorthosite is Layered, Banded, Veined and Shiny. Properties of rock is another aspect for Diorite vs Anorthosite. The hardness of Diorite is 6-7 and that of Anorthosite is 5-6. The types of Diorite are Not Available whereas types of Anorthosite are Proterozoic Anorthosite and Archean Anorthosite. 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 Anorthosite is white. The specific heat capacity of Diorite is Not Available and that of Anorthosite is 0.84 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 Anorthosite is heat resistant, impact resistant, pressure resistant, scratch resistant, wear resistant.

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