Diorite

Gneiss

Diorite vs Gneiss

Diorite

Gneiss

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1 Definition

1.1 Definition

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

Gneiss is a common and widely distributed type of rock formed by high-grade regional metamorphic processes from pre-existing formations that were originally either igneous or sedimentary rocks

1.2 History

1.2.1 Origin

Unknown

1.2.2 Discoverer

Unknown

1.3 Etymology

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

From the Middle High German verb gneist (to spark; so called because the rock glitters)

1.4 Class

Igneous Rocks

Metamorphic Rocks

1.4.1 Sub-Class

Durable Rock, Hard Rock

1.5 Family

1.5.1 Group

Plutonic

Not Applicable

1.6 Other Categories

Coarse Grained Rock, Medium Grained Rock, Opaque Rock

2 Texture

2.1 Texture

Phaneritic

Banded, Foliated, Platy

2.2 Color

Black, Brown, Light to Dark Grey, White

Black, Brown, Pink, Red, White

2.3 Maintenance

Less

2.4 Durability

Durable

2.4.1 Water Resistant

✔ ✘

2.4.2 Scratch Resistant

✔ ✘

2.4.3 Stain Resistant

✔ ✘

2.4.4 Wind Resistant

✔ ✘

2.4.5 Acid Resistant

✔ ✘

2.5 Appearance

Shiny

Foliated

3 Uses

3.1 Architecture

3.1.1 Interior Uses

Decorative Aggregates, Interior Decoration

Countertops, Decorative Aggregates, Flooring, Interior Decoration

3.1.2 Exterior Uses

As Building Stone, As Facing Stone, Garden Decoration

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

3.1.3 Other Architectural Uses

Curbing

3.2 Industry

3.2.1 Construction Industry

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

As Dimension Stone

3.2.2 Medical Industry

Not Yet Used

3.3 Antiquity Uses

Artifacts, Monuments, Sculpture, Small Figurines

Artifacts

3.4 Other Uses

3.4.1 Commercial Uses

Creating Artwork, Curling

Cemetery Markers, Jewelry, Tombstones, Used in aquariums

4 Types

4.1 Types

Not Available

Augen Gneiss, Henderson Gneiss, Lewisian Gneiss, Archean and Proterozoic Gneiss.

4.2 Features

Typically speckled black and white.

Generally rough to touch, Is one of the oldest rock

4.3 Archaeological Significance

4.3.1 Monuments

Used

4.3.2 Famous Monuments

Data Not Available

Konark Sun Temple in India, Washington Monument, US

4.3.3 Sculpture

Used

Not Yet Used

4.3.4 Famous Sculptures

Data Not Available

Not Applicable

4.3.5 Pictographs

Not Used

4.3.6 Petroglyphs

Not Used

4.3.7 Figurines

Used

Not Yet Used

4.4 Fossils

Absent

5 Formation

5.1 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.

Gneiss is a high grade metamorphic rock i.e. it has been subjected to higher temperatures and pressures than schist. It is formed by the metamorphosis of Gneiss forms from volcanic rock, shale or granitie.

5.2 Composition

5.2.1 Mineral Content

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

Biotite, Chlorite, Feldspar, Garnet, Graphite, Hornblade, Micas, Muscovite or Illite, Quartz, Quartzite, Silica, Zircon

5.2.2 Compound Content

Silicon Dioxide

Aluminium Oxide, NaCl, CaO, Iron(III) Oxide, FeO, Potassium Oxide, Magnesium Carbonate, MgO, MnO, Phosphorus Pentoxide, Silicon Dioxide, Titanium Dioxide

5.3 Transformation

5.3.1 Metamorphism

✔ ✘

5.3.2 Types of Metamorphism

Cataclastic Metamorphism, Contact Metamorphism, Regional Metamorphism

Impact Metamorphism

5.3.3 Weathering

✔ ✘

5.3.4 Types of Weathering

Biological Weathering, Chemical Weathering, Mechanical Weathering

Biological Weathering, Mechanical Weathering

5.3.5 Erosion

✔ ✘

5.3.6 Types of Erosion

Chemical Erosion, Coastal Erosion, Water Erosion

Chemical Erosion, Coastal Erosion, Sea Erosion

6 Properties

6.1 Physical Properties

6.1.1 Hardness

6-77

1 7

6.1.2 Grain Size

Medium to Coarse Grained

6.1.3 Fracture

Not Available

Irregular

6.1.4 Streak

Bluish Black

White

6.1.5 Porosity

Very Less Porous

6.1.6 Luster

Shiny

Dull

6.1.7 Compressive Strength

225.00 N/mm²125.00 N/mm²

0.15 450

6.1.8 Cleavage

Not Available

Poor

6.1.9 Toughness

2.1

1.2

6.1.10 Specific Gravity

2.8-32.5-2.7

0 8.4

6.1.11 Transparency

Opaque

Translucent to Opaque

6.1.12 Density

2.8-3 g/cm³2.6-2.9 g/cm³

0 1400

6.2 Thermal Properties

6.2.1 Specific Heat Capacity

NANA

0.14 3.2

6.2.2 Resistance

Heat Resistant, Pressure Resistant, Wear Resistant

Heat Resistant, Pressure Resistant, Scratch Resistant, Wear Resistant

7 Reserves

7.1 Deposits in Eastern Continents

7.1.1 Asia

Not Yet Found

China, India, Iran, Iraq, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Mongolia, Russia

7.1.2 Africa

Egypt

Cameroon, Ethiopia, Ghana, Kenya, Madagascar, Morocco, Mozambique, Namibia, Nigeria, Tanzania, Togo

7.1.3 Europe

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

Albania, Austria, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Finland, France, Georgia, Germany, Hungary, Italy, Kosovo, Monaco, Norway, Poland, Romania, Serbia, Slovakia, Slovenia, Switzerland, Ukraine, United Kingdom

7.1.4 Others

Not Yet Found

7.2 Deposits in Western Continents

7.2.1 North America

USA

Canada, Costa Rica, Cuba, Mexico, Panama, USA

7.2.2 South America

Argentina, Bolivia, Chile, Colombia, Ecuador, Peru

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

7.3 Deposits in Oceania Continent

7.3.1 Australia

New Zealand, Western Australia

New South Wales, New Zealand, Queensland, Victoria

Diorite vs Gneiss 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 Gneiss Reserves. Diorite is a grey to dark-grey intermediate intrusive igneous rock composed principally of plagioclase feldspar,biotite, hornblende, and pyroxene. Gneiss is a common and widely distributed type of rock formed by high-grade regional metamorphic processes from pre-existing formations that were originally either igneous or sedimentary rocks. 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 Gneiss information and Diorite vs Gneiss characteristics in the upcoming sections.

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Diorite vs Gneiss 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 Gneiss characteristics assist us to distinguish and recognize rocks. Also you can check about Properties of Diorite and Properties of Gneiss. Learn more about Diorite vs Gneiss in the next section. The interior uses of Diorite include Decorative aggregates and Interior decoration whereas the interior uses of Gneiss include Countertops, Decorative aggregates, Flooring and Interior decoration. Due to some exceptional properties of Diorite and Gneiss, 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 Gneiss include As dimension stone.

More about Diorite and Gneiss

Here you can know more about Diorite and Gneiss. The life cycle of a rock consists of formation of rock, composition of rock and transformation of rock. The composition of Diorite and Gneiss 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 Gneiss includes Biotite, Chlorite, Feldspar, Garnet, Graphite, Hornblade, Micas, Muscovite or Illite, Quartz, Quartzite, Silica, Zircon. You can also check out the list of all Igneous Rocks. When we have to compare Diorite vs Gneiss, 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, Gneiss is available in black, brown, pink, red, white colors. Appearance of Diorite is Shiny and that of Gneiss is Foliated. Properties of rock is another aspect for Diorite vs Gneiss. The hardness of Diorite is 6-7 and that of Gneiss is 7. The types of Diorite are Not Available whereas types of Gneiss are Augen Gneiss, Henderson Gneiss, Lewisian Gneiss, Archean and Proterozoic Gneiss.. 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 Gneiss is white. The specific heat capacity of Diorite is Not Available and that of Gneiss 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 Gneiss is heat resistant, pressure resistant, scratch resistant, wear resistant.