Definition
Diorite is a grey to dark-grey intermediate intrusive igneous rock composed principally of plagioclase feldspar,biotite, hornblende, and pyroxene
Hornfels is a metamorphic rock formed by the contact between mudstone or other clay rich rock, and a hot igneous body, and represents a heat altered equivalent of the original rock
Discoverer
Unknown
Unknown
Etymology
From early 19th century coined in French, formed irregularly from Greek diorizein distinguish
From German which means hornstone
Class
Igneous Rocks
Metamorphic Rocks
Sub-Class
Durable Rock, Hard Rock
Durable Rock, Soft Rock
Other Categories
Coarse Grained Rock, Medium Grained Rock, Opaque Rock
Fine Grained Rock, Opaque Rock
Texture
Phaneritic
Granular, Platy
Color
Black, Brown, Light to Dark Grey, White
Brown, Dark Greenish - Grey, Green, Reddish Brown
Durability
Durable
Durable
Interior Uses
Decorative Aggregates, Interior Decoration
Decorative Aggregates, Flooring, Homes, Interior Decoration
Exterior Uses
As Building Stone, As Facing Stone, Garden Decoration
As Building Stone, As Facing Stone, Garden Decoration, Office Buildings, Paving Stone
Other Architectural Uses
Curbing
Curbing
Construction Industry
As Dimension Stone, Cement Manufacture, Cobblestones, Construction Aggregate, for Road Aggregate
for Road Aggregate, Roadstone
Antiquity Uses
Artifacts, Monuments, Sculpture, Small Figurines
Artifacts, Monuments
Commercial Uses
Creating Artwork, Curling
Cemetery Markers, Commemorative Tablets, Creating Artwork
Types
Plagioclase Diorite and Quartz Diorite
Biotite hornfels
Features
Typically speckled black and white.
Smooth to touch
Archaeological Significance
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. Hornfels is formed 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
Andalusite
Compound Content
Silicon Dioxide
Fe, Mg
Types of Metamorphism
Cataclastic Metamorphism, Contact Metamorphism, Regional Metamorphism
-
Types of Weathering
Biological Weathering, Chemical Weathering, Mechanical Weathering
Biological Weathering
Types of Erosion
Chemical Erosion, Coastal Erosion, Water Erosion
Chemical Erosion, Glacier Erosion, Sea Erosion, Water Erosion, Wind Erosion
Grain Size
Medium to Coarse Grained
Fine Grained
Porosity
Very Less Porous
Highly Porous
Specific Gravity
2.8-3
3.4-3.9
Transparency
Opaque
Opaque
Density
2.8-3 g/cm3
0.25-0.30 g/cm3
Resistance
Heat Resistant, Pressure Resistant, Wear Resistant
Heat Resistant, Impact Resistant, Pressure Resistant
Deposits in Eastern Continents
Asia
-
Bangladesh, Bhutan, China, India, North Korea, Qatar, Russia, Saudi Arabia, South Korea, Thailand
Africa
Egypt
Cameroon, East Africa, Tanzania, Western Africa
Europe
Finland, Germany, Italy, Romania, Sweden, Turkey, United Kingdom
United Kingdom
Deposits in Western Continents
North America
USA
Canada, USA
South America
Argentina, Bolivia, Chile, Colombia, Ecuador, Peru
Bolivia, Brazil, Colombia, Ecuador
Deposits in Oceania Continent
Australia
New Zealand, Western Australia
New South Wales, New Zealand, Queensland, Western Australia
Diorite vs Hornfels 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 Hornfels characteristics assist us to distinguish and recognize rocks. Also you can check about Properties of Diorite and Properties of Hornfels. Learn more about Diorite vs Hornfels in the next section. The interior uses of Diorite include Decorative aggregates and Interior decoration whereas the interior uses of Hornfels include Decorative aggregates, Flooring, Homes and Interior decoration. Due to some exceptional properties of Diorite and Hornfels, 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 Hornfels include For road aggregate, Roadstone.
More about Diorite and Hornfels
Here you can know more about Diorite and Hornfels. The life cycle of a rock consists of formation of rock, composition of rock and transformation of rock. The composition of Diorite and Hornfels 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 Hornfels includes Andalusite. You can also check out the list of all Igneous Rocks. When we have to compare Diorite vs Hornfels, 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, Hornfels is available in brown, dark greenish - grey, green, reddish brown colors. Appearance of Diorite is Shiny and that of Hornfels is Dull. Properties of rock is another aspect for Diorite vs Hornfels. The hardness of Diorite is 6-7 and that of Hornfels is 2-3. The types of Diorite are Plagioclase Diorite and Quartz Diorite whereas types of Hornfels are Biotite hornfels. 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 Hornfels is . The specific heat capacity of Diorite is 0.84 kJ/Kg K and that of Hornfels 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 Hornfels is heat resistant, impact resistant, pressure resistant.