Definition
Diorite is a grey to dark-grey intermediate intrusive igneous rock composed principally of plagioclase feldspar,biotite, hornblende, and pyroxene
Tephrite is an aphanitic to porphyritic textured, volcanic igneous rock
Discoverer
Unknown
Van Tooren
Etymology
From early 19th century coined in French, formed irregularly from Greek diorizein distinguish
From Greek tephra, ashes from Indo-European base, to burn
Class
Igneous Rocks
Igneous Rocks
Sub-Class
Durable Rock, Hard Rock
Durable Rock, Hard Rock
Other Categories
Coarse Grained Rock, Medium Grained Rock, Opaque Rock
Coarse Grained Rock, Fine Grained Rock, Medium Grained Rock, Opaque Rock
Texture
Phaneritic
Aphanitic to Porphyritic
Color
Black, Brown, Light to Dark Grey, White
Black, Brown, Colourless, Green, Grey, White
Durability
Durable
Durable
Appearance
Shiny
Vesicular
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
Other Architectural Uses
Curbing
Curbing
Construction Industry
As Dimension Stone, Cement Manufacture, Cobblestones, Construction Aggregate, for Road Aggregate
Landscaping
Medical Industry
Not Yet Used
Not Yet Used
Antiquity Uses
Artifacts, Monuments, Sculpture, Small Figurines
Artifacts, Sculpture
Commercial Uses
Creating Artwork, Curling
Production of Lime, Soil Conditioner
Types
Not Available
Not Available
Features
Typically speckled black and white.
Host Rock for Lead
Archaeological Significance
Monuments
Used
Not Yet Used
Famous Monuments
Data Not Available
Not Applicable
Famous Sculptures
Data Not Available
Data Not Available
Pictographs
Not Used
Not Used
Petroglyphs
Not Used
Not 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.
Tephrite is a fine-grained, hard rock which is a type of metasomatite, essentially altered basalt. It forms with or without crystallization, either below the surface as intrusive rocks or on the surface as extrusive rocks.
Mineral Content
Albite, Amphibole, Apatite, Biotite, Feldspar, Hornblade, Ilmenite, Magnetite, Muscovite or Illite, Olivine, Plagioclase, Pyroxene, Quartz, Sulfides, Titanite, Zircon
Alkali feldspar, Nepheline, Plagioclase, Pyroxene
Compound Content
Silicon Dioxide
CaO, Carbon Dioxide, MgO, Silicon Dioxide
Types of Metamorphism
Cataclastic Metamorphism, Contact Metamorphism, Regional Metamorphism
Cataclastic Metamorphism, Contact Metamorphism, Impact Metamorphism, Regional Metamorphism
Types of Weathering
Biological Weathering, Chemical Weathering, Mechanical Weathering
Biological Weathering, Chemical Weathering, Mechanical Weathering
Types of Erosion
Chemical Erosion, Coastal Erosion, Water Erosion
Chemical Erosion, Coastal Erosion, Glacier Erosion, Sea Erosion, Water Erosion
Grain Size
Medium to Coarse Grained
Medium to Fine Coarse Grained
Fracture
Not Available
Uneven
Streak
Bluish Black
Bluish Black
Porosity
Very Less Porous
Very Less Porous
Luster
Shiny
Subvitreous to Dull
Cleavage
Not Available
Crenulation and Pervasive
Specific Gravity
2.8-3
2.86
Transparency
Opaque
Opaque
Density
2.8-3 g/cm3
2.8-2.9 g/cm3
Specific Heat Capacity
Not Available
Resistance
Heat Resistant, Pressure Resistant, Wear Resistant
Heat Resistant, Impact Resistant
Deposits in Eastern Continents
Asia
Not Yet Found
Not Yet Found
Africa
Egypt
Namibia, Uganda
Europe
Finland, Germany, Italy, Romania, Sweden, Turkey, United Kingdom
Germany, Hungary, Italy, Portugal, Spain
Others
Not Yet Found
Not Yet Found
Deposits in Western Continents
South America
Argentina, Bolivia, Chile, Colombia, Ecuador, Peru
Not Yet Found
Deposits in Oceania Continent
Australia
New Zealand, Western Australia
New Zealand, Western Australia
Diorite vs Tephrite 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 Tephrite characteristics assist us to distinguish and recognize rocks. Also you can check about Properties of Diorite and Properties of Tephrite. Learn more about Diorite vs Tephrite in the next section. The interior uses of Diorite include Decorative aggregates and Interior decoration whereas the interior uses of Tephrite include Decorative aggregates, Flooring, Homes and Interior decoration. Due to some exceptional properties of Diorite and Tephrite, 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 Tephrite include Landscaping.
More about Diorite and Tephrite
Here you can know more about Diorite and Tephrite. The life cycle of a rock consists of formation of rock, composition of rock and transformation of rock. The composition of Diorite and Tephrite 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 Tephrite includes Alkali feldspar, Nepheline, Plagioclase, Pyroxene. You can also check out the list of all Igneous Rocks. When we have to compare Diorite vs Tephrite, 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, Tephrite is available in black, brown, colourless, green, grey, white colors. Appearance of Diorite is Shiny and that of Tephrite is Vesicular. Properties of rock is another aspect for Diorite vs Tephrite. The hardness of Diorite is 6-7 and that of Tephrite is 6.5. The types of Diorite are Not Available whereas types of Tephrite are Not Available. Streak of rock is the color of powder produced when it is dragged across an unweathered surface. The streak of Diorite and Tephrite is bluish black. The specific heat capacity of Diorite is Not Available and that of Tephrite 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 Tephrite is heat resistant, impact resistant.
