Definition
Diorite is a grey to dark-grey intermediate intrusive igneous rock composed principally of plagioclase feldspar,biotite, hornblende, and pyroxene
Cataclasite is a type of cataclastic rock that is formed by fracturing and comminution during faulting. It is normally cohesive and non-foliated, consisting of angular clasts in a finer-grained matrix
Origin
Unknown
Swiss Alps, Europe
Discoverer
Unknown
Michael Tellinger
Etymology
From early 19th century coined in French, formed irregularly from Greek diorizein distinguish
From the Italian word cataclasi
Class
Igneous Rocks
Metamorphic Rocks
Sub-Class
Durable Rock, Hard Rock
Durable Rock, Medium Hardness Rock
Group
Plutonic
Not Applicable
Other Categories
Coarse Grained Rock, Medium Grained Rock, Opaque Rock
Fine Grained Rock, Opaque Rock
Texture
Phaneritic
Clastic
Color
Black, Brown, Light to Dark Grey, White
Brown, Green, White, Yellow
Durability
Durable
Durable
Appearance
Shiny
Dull and Banded
Interior Uses
Decorative Aggregates, Interior Decoration
Decorative Aggregates, Homes
Exterior Uses
As Building Stone, As Facing Stone, Garden Decoration
As Building Stone, As Facing Stone, Paving Stone
Other Architectural Uses
Curbing
Curbing
Construction Industry
As Dimension Stone, Cement Manufacture, Cobblestones, Construction Aggregate, for Road Aggregate
As Dimension Stone, Building houses or walls, Cement Manufacture, Construction Aggregate, for Road Aggregate
Medical Industry
Not Yet Used
Not Yet Used
Antiquity Uses
Artifacts, Monuments, Sculpture, Small Figurines
Artifacts
Commercial Uses
Creating Artwork, Curling
Commemorative Tablets, Creating Artwork
Types
Not Available
Protocataclasite, Mesocataclasite, Ultracataclasite and Foliated cataclasite
Features
Typically speckled black and white.
Easily splits into thin plates, Is one of the oldest rock
Archaeological Significance
Monuments
Used
Not Yet Used
Famous Monuments
Data Not Available
Not Applicable
Sculpture
Used
Not Yet Used
Famous Sculptures
Data Not Available
Not Applicable
Pictographs
Not Used
Used
Petroglyphs
Not Used
Used
Figurines
Used
Not Yet Used
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.
Cataclasiste rocks mainly form by pressure deep under the Earth's surface, from the extreme heat caused by magma or by the intense collisions and friction of tectonic plates.
Mineral Content
Albite, Amphibole, Apatite, Biotite, Feldspar, Hornblade, Ilmenite, Magnetite, Muscovite or Illite, Olivine, Plagioclase, Pyroxene, Quartz, Sulfides, Titanite, Zircon
Albite, Apatite, Augite, Biotite, Calcite, Enstatite, Epidote, Feldspar, Micas, Muscovite or Illite, Pyroxene, Quartz
Compound Content
Silicon Dioxide
Silicon Dioxide
Types of Metamorphism
Cataclastic Metamorphism, Contact Metamorphism, Regional Metamorphism
Not Applicable
Types of Weathering
Biological Weathering, Chemical Weathering, Mechanical Weathering
Mechanical Weathering
Types of Erosion
Chemical Erosion, Coastal Erosion, Water Erosion
Coastal Erosion, Wind Erosion
Grain Size
Medium to Coarse Grained
Fine Grained
Fracture
Not Available
NA
Streak
Bluish Black
Black
Porosity
Very Less Porous
Less Porous
Compressive Strength
Not Available
Cleavage
Not Available
Not Available
Toughness
2.1
Not Available
Specific Gravity
2.8-3
2.1
Transparency
Opaque
Translucent to Opaque
Density
2.8-3 g/cm3
2.9-3.1 g/cm3
Resistance
Heat Resistant, Pressure Resistant, Wear Resistant
Heat Resistant, Impact Resistant, Pressure Resistant
Deposits in Eastern Continents
Asia
Not Yet Found
China, India, Russia, Saudi Arabia, South Korea
Africa
Egypt
Egypt, Ethiopia, Kenya, Madagascar, Morocco, South Africa
Europe
Finland, Germany, Italy, Romania, Sweden, Turkey, United Kingdom
England, Finland, France, Spain, United Kingdom
Others
Not Yet Found
Not Yet Found
Deposits in Western Continents
North America
USA
Canada, USA
South America
Argentina, Bolivia, Chile, Colombia, Ecuador, Peru
Argentina, Colombia
Deposits in Oceania Continent
Australia
New Zealand, Western Australia
Central Australia, Western Australia
Diorite vs Cataclasite 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 Cataclasite characteristics assist us to distinguish and recognize rocks. Also you can check about Properties of Diorite and Properties of Cataclasite. Learn more about Diorite vs Cataclasite in the next section. The interior uses of Diorite include Decorative aggregates and Interior decoration whereas the interior uses of Cataclasite include Decorative aggregates and Homes. Due to some exceptional properties of Diorite and Cataclasite, 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 Cataclasite include As dimension stone, Building houses or walls, Cement manufacture, Construction aggregate, For road aggregate.
More about Diorite and Cataclasite
Here you can know more about Diorite and Cataclasite. The life cycle of a rock consists of formation of rock, composition of rock and transformation of rock. The composition of Diorite and Cataclasite 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 Cataclasite includes Albite, Apatite, Augite, Biotite, Calcite, Enstatite, Epidote, Feldspar, Micas, Muscovite or Illite, Pyroxene, Quartz. You can also check out the list of all Igneous Rocks. When we have to compare Diorite vs Cataclasite, 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, Cataclasite is available in brown, green, white, yellow colors. Appearance of Diorite is Shiny and that of Cataclasite is Dull and Banded. Properties of rock is another aspect for Diorite vs Cataclasite. The hardness of Diorite is 6-7 and that of Cataclasite is 3-4. The types of Diorite are Not Available whereas types of Cataclasite are Protocataclasite, Mesocataclasite, Ultracataclasite and Foliated cataclasite. 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 Cataclasite is black. The specific heat capacity of Diorite is Not Available and that of Cataclasite is Not Available. 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 Cataclasite is heat resistant, impact resistant, pressure resistant.