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Diorite
Diorite

Skarn
Skarn



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Diorite
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Diorite vs Skarn

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Definition

Definition

Diorite is a grey to dark-grey intermediate intrusive igneous rock composed principally of plagioclase feldspar,biotite, hornblende, and pyroxene
Skarns are formed during regional or contact metamorphism and from a variety of metasomatic processes involving fluids of magmatic, metamorphic, and/or marine origin

History

Origin

-
USA, Australia

Discoverer

Unknown
Tornebohm

Etymology

From early 19th century coined in French, formed irregularly from Greek diorizein distinguish
From an old Swedish mining term originally used to describe a type of silicate gangue or waste rock.

Class

Igneous Rocks
Metamorphic Rocks

Sub-Class

Durable Rock, Hard Rock
Durable Rock, Hard Rock

Family

Group

Plutonic
-

Other Categories

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

Texture

Texture

Phaneritic
Earthy, Mud-rich, Rough

Color

Black, Brown, Light to Dark Grey, White
Black, Brown, Green, Grey, White

Maintenance

Less
Less

Durability

Durable
Durable

Water Resistant

Scratch Resistant

Stain Resistant

Wind Resistant

Acid Resistant

Appearance

Shiny
Dull

Uses

Architecture

Interior Uses

Decorative Aggregates, Interior Decoration
Decorative Aggregates, Entryways, Interior Decoration

Exterior Uses

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

Other Architectural Uses

Curbing
Curbing

Industry

Construction Industry

As Dimension Stone, Cement Manufacture, Cobblestones, Construction Aggregate, for Road Aggregate
As a Flux in the Production of Steel and Pig Iron, As a Sintering Agent in Steel Industry to process Iron Ore, As Dimension Stone, Gold and Silver production, Manufacture of Magnesium and Dolomite Refractories

Medical Industry

-
-

Antiquity Uses

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

Other Uses

Commercial Uses

Creating Artwork, Curling
Creating Artwork, Gemstone, Jewelry, Metallurgical Flux, Source of Magnesia (MgO)

Types

Types

Plagioclase Diorite and Quartz Diorite
Endoskarns

Features

Typically speckled black and white.
Host Rock for Lead, Zinc and Copper Deposits

Archaeological Significance

Monuments

-
-

Famous Monuments

-
-

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.
Due to change in environmental conditions, rocks are heated and pressurized deep inside the Earth's surface. Skarn is formed from the extreme heat caused by magma or by the intense collisions and friction of tectonic plates.

Composition

Mineral Content

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

Compound Content

Silicon Dioxide
Au, CaO, Carbon Dioxide, Cu, Fe, MgO

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
-

Erosion

Types of Erosion

Chemical Erosion, Coastal Erosion, Water Erosion
-

Properties

Physical Properties

Hardness

6-76.5
1 7
👆🏻

Grain Size

Medium to Coarse Grained
Fine Grained

Fracture

-
Irregular

Streak

Bluish Black
Light to dark brown

Porosity

Very Less Porous
Less Porous

Luster

Shiny
Waxy and Dull

Compressive Strength

225.00 N/mm270.00 N/mm2
0.15 450
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Cleavage

-
Slaty

Toughness

2.1
2.4

Specific Gravity

2.8-32.86
0 8.4
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Transparency

Opaque
Opaque

Density

2.8-3 g/cm32.8-2.9 g/cm3
0 1400
👆🏻

Thermal Properties

Specific Heat Capacity

0.84 kJ/Kg K0.92 kJ/Kg K
0.14 3.2
👆🏻

Resistance

Heat Resistant, Pressure Resistant, Wear Resistant
Heat Resistant

Reserves

Deposits in Eastern Continents

Asia

-
China, India, Russia, Saudi Arabia, South Korea, Sri Lanka

Africa

Egypt
South Africa, Western Africa

Europe

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

Others

-
-

Deposits in Western Continents

North America

USA
Canada

South America

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

Deposits in Oceania Continent

Australia

New Zealand, Western Australia
Central Australia, Western Australia

Diorite vs Skarn 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 Skarn Reserves. Diorite is a grey to dark-grey intermediate intrusive igneous rock composed principally of plagioclase feldspar,biotite, hornblende, and pyroxene. Skarns are formed during regional or contact metamorphism and from a variety of metasomatic processes involving fluids of magmatic, metamorphic, and/or marine origin. 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 Skarn information and Diorite vs Skarn characteristics in the upcoming sections.

Diorite vs Skarn 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 Skarn characteristics assist us to distinguish and recognize rocks. Also you can check about Properties of Diorite and Properties of Skarn. Learn more about Diorite vs Skarn in the next section. The interior uses of Diorite include Decorative aggregates and Interior decoration whereas the interior uses of Skarn include Decorative aggregates, Entryways and Interior decoration. Due to some exceptional properties of Diorite and Skarn, 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 Skarn include As a flux in the production of steel and pig iron, As a sintering agent in steel industry to process iron ore, As dimension stone, Gold and silver production, Manufacture of magnesium and dolomite refractories.

More about Diorite and Skarn

Here you can know more about Diorite and Skarn. The life cycle of a rock consists of formation of rock, composition of rock and transformation of rock. The composition of Diorite and Skarn 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 Skarn includes Calcite, Enstatite, Epidote, Garnet, Magnetite, Pyroxene, Titanite. You can also check out the list of all Igneous Rocks. When we have to compare Diorite vs Skarn, 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, Skarn is available in black, brown, green, grey, white colors. Appearance of Diorite is Shiny and that of Skarn is Dull. Properties of rock is another aspect for Diorite vs Skarn. The hardness of Diorite is 6-7 and that of Skarn is 6.5. The types of Diorite are Plagioclase Diorite and Quartz Diorite whereas types of Skarn are Endoskarns. 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 Skarn is light to dark brown. The specific heat capacity of Diorite is 0.84 kJ/Kg K and that of Skarn is 0.92 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 Skarn is heat resistant.