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Diorite vs Variolite


Variolite vs Diorite


Definition

Definition
Diorite is a grey to dark-grey intermediate intrusive igneous rock composed principally of plagioclase feldspar,biotite, hornblende, and pyroxene  
Variolites are a group of dark green basic igneous rocks which exhibit pale colored spots, or spherules, especially on weathered surfaces, that give them a pockmarked appearance  

History
  
  

Origin
-  
France  

Discoverer
Unknown  
Unknown  

Etymology
From early 19th century coined in French, formed irregularly from Greek diorizein distinguish  
From Latin varius, speckled, variegated  

Class
Igneous Rocks  
Igneous Rocks  

Sub-Class
Durable Rock, Hard Rock  
Durable Rock, Hard Rock  

Family
  
  

Group
Plutonic  
Volcanic  

Other Categories
Coarse Grained Rock, Medium Grained Rock, Opaque Rock  
Opaque Rock  

Texture

Texture
Phaneritic  
Glassy, Massive, Porphyritic, Scoriaceous, Vesicular  

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

Maintenance
Less  
Less  

Durability
Durable  
Durable  

Water Resistant
No  
Yes  

Scratch Resistant
No  
Yes  

Stain Resistant
No  
No  

Wind Resistant
Yes  
No  

Acid Resistant
No  
Yes  

Appearance
Shiny  
Dull and Soft  

Uses

Architecture
  
  

Interior Uses
Decorative Aggregates, Interior Decoration  
Floor Tiles, Flooring, Homes, Hotels, Kitchens  

Exterior Uses
As Building Stone, As Facing Stone, Garden Decoration  
Garden Decoration, Office Buildings  

Other Architectural Uses
Curbing  
Curbing  

Industry
  
  

Construction Industry
As Dimension Stone, Cement Manufacture, Cobblestones, Construction Aggregate, for Road Aggregate  
As Dimension Stone, Cobblestones, Rail Track Ballast, Roadstone  

Medical Industry
-  
-  

Antiquity Uses
Artifacts, Monuments, Sculpture, Small Figurines  
Artifacts, Monuments, Sculpture  

Other Uses
  
  

Commercial Uses
Creating Artwork, Curling  
Cemetery Markers, Creating Artwork  

Types

Types
Plagioclase Diorite and Quartz Diorite  
Metamorphic rock  

Features
Typically speckled black and white.  
Has High structural resistance against erosion and climate, Very fine grained rock  

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.  
Variolites are a group of dark green basic igneous rocks that exhibit pale colored spots on weathered surfaces that give them a pockmarked appearance.  

Composition
  
  

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

Compound Content
Silicon Dioxide  
Aluminium Oxide, CaO, Iron(III) Oxide, FeO, Potassium Oxide, MgO, MnO, Sodium Oxide, Phosphorus Pentoxide, Silicon Dioxide, Titanium Dioxide  

Transformation
  
  

Metamorphism
Yes  
Yes  

Types of Metamorphism
Cataclastic Metamorphism, Contact Metamorphism, Regional Metamorphism  
Burial Metamorphism, Cataclastic Metamorphism, Contact Metamorphism, Hydrothermal Metamorphism, Impact Metamorphism, Regional Metamorphism  

Weathering
Yes  
Yes  

Types of Weathering
Biological Weathering, Chemical Weathering, Mechanical Weathering  
Biological Weathering, Chemical Weathering, Mechanical Weathering  

Erosion
Yes  
No  

Types of Erosion
Chemical Erosion, Coastal Erosion, Water Erosion  
-  

Properties

Physical Properties
  
  

Hardness
6-7  
6  

Grain Size
Medium to Coarse Grained  
-  

Fracture
-  
Conchoidal  

Streak
Bluish Black  
White to Grey  

Porosity
Very Less Porous  
Less Porous  

Luster
Shiny  
-  

Compressive Strength
225.00 N/mm2  
8
37.50 N/mm2  
99+

Cleavage
-  
-  

Toughness
2.1  
2.3  

Specific Gravity
2.8-3  
2.8-3  

Transparency
Opaque  
Opaque  

Density
2.8-3 g/cm3  
2.9-3.1 g/cm3  

Thermal Properties
  
  

Specific Heat Capacity
0.84 kJ/Kg K  
15
0.84 kJ/Kg K  
15

Resistance
Heat Resistant, Pressure Resistant, Wear Resistant  
Heat Resistant, Pressure Resistant, Wear Resistant  

Reserves

Deposits in Eastern Continents
  
  

Asia
-  
India, Russia  

Africa
Egypt  
South Africa  

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

Others
-  
-  

Deposits in Western Continents
  
  

North America
USA  
Canada, USA  

South America
Argentina, Bolivia, Chile, Colombia, Ecuador, Peru  
Brazil  

Deposits in Oceania Continent
  
  

Australia
New Zealand, Western Australia  
-  

Definition >>
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Diorite vs Variolite 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 Variolite Reserves. Diorite is a grey to dark-grey intermediate intrusive igneous rock composed principally of plagioclase feldspar,biotite, hornblende, and pyroxene. Variolites are a group of dark green basic igneous rocks which exhibit pale colored spots, or spherules, especially on weathered surfaces, that give them a pockmarked appearance. 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 Variolite information and Diorite vs Variolite characteristics in the upcoming sections.

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Diorite vs Variolite 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 Variolite characteristics assist us to distinguish and recognize rocks. Also you can check about Properties of Diorite and Properties of Variolite. Learn more about Diorite vs Variolite in the next section. The interior uses of Diorite include Decorative aggregates and Interior decoration whereas the interior uses of Variolite include Floor tiles, Flooring, Homes, Hotels and Kitchens. Due to some exceptional properties of Diorite and Variolite, 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 Variolite include As dimension stone, Cobblestones, Rail track ballast, Roadstone.

More about Diorite and Variolite

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

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