Definition
A water-soluble mineral sediment resulting from concentration and crystallization by evaporation from an aqueous solution
Porphyry is a reddish-brown to purple igneous rock containing large phenocrysts of various minerals embedded in a fine-grained matrix
Discoverer
Usiglio
Unknown
Etymology
From a sediment left after the evaporation
From Old French porfire, from Italian porfiro and in some cases directly from Latin porphyrites
Class
Sedimentary Rocks
Igneous Rocks
Sub-Class
Durable Rock, Soft Rock
Durable Rock, Hard Rock
Group
Not Applicable
Plutonic
Other Categories
Coarse Grained Rock, Fine Grained Rock, Medium Grained Rock, Opaque Rock
Fine Grained Rock, Opaque Rock
Texture
Earthy
Porphyritic
Color
Colourless, Green, Grey, Silver, White
Black, Brown, Colourless, Green, Grey, Red, Rust, White
Durability
Durable
Durable
Appearance
Glassy, Vesicular and Foilated
Dull
Interior Uses
Decorative Aggregates, Entryways, Flooring, Homes, Interior Decoration
Decorative Aggregates, Interior Decoration
Exterior Uses
As Building Stone, As Facing Stone, Garden Decoration, Paving Stone
Garden Decoration, Paving Stone
Other Architectural Uses
Curbing
Curbing
Construction Industry
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, Cement Manufacture, for Road Aggregate, Making natural cement, Manufacture of Magnesium and Dolomite Refractories
Construction Aggregate
Medical Industry
Taken as a Supplement for Calcium or Magnesium
Not Yet Used
Antiquity Uses
Artifacts
Artifacts, Monuments, Sculpture
Commercial Uses
Used in the manufacture of Ceramic Powder, Used in the preparation of Sulfuric Acid and Silicon Diborite
Creating Artwork, Gemstone, Jewelry
Types
Not Available
Rhomb Porphyry
Features
Generally rough to touch, Splintery, Veined
Generally rough to touch, Is one of the oldest rock, Surfaces are often shiny
Archaeological Significance
Monuments
Not Yet Used
Used
Famous Monuments
Not Applicable
Data Not Available
Sculpture
Not Yet Used
Used
Famous Sculptures
Not Applicable
Data Not Available
Pictographs
Used
Not Used
Petroglyphs
Used
Not Used
Figurines
Not Yet Used
Used
Formation
Evaporite is water-soluble mineral sediment which forms from concentration and crystallization by evaporation from an aqueous solution.
Porphyry is formed in two stages: the magma cools slowly deep within the crust or the magma is cools rapidly as it erupts from a volcano, creating small grains that are usually invisible to naked eye.
Mineral Content
Calcite, Cancrinite, Gypsum, Kyanite, Magnetite
Biotite, Chert, Feldspar, Garnet, Graphite, Quartz, Silica
Compound Content
CaMg(CO3)2, CaO, Calcium Sulfate, KCl, MgO, NaCl
Aluminium Oxide, CaO, Iron(III) Oxide, Potassium Oxide, MgO, Sodium Oxide, Silicon Dioxide, Titanium Dioxide
Types of Metamorphism
Burial Metamorphism, Cataclastic Metamorphism, Contact Metamorphism, Impact Metamorphism, Regional Metamorphism
Burial Metamorphism, Cataclastic Metamorphism, Contact Metamorphism, Hydrothermal Metamorphism, Impact Metamorphism, Regional Metamorphism
Types of Weathering
Not Applicable
Biological Weathering, Chemical Weathering, Not Registered
Types of Erosion
Not Applicable
Chemical Erosion, Coastal Erosion, Glacier Erosion
Grain Size
Medium to Fine Coarse Grained
Fine Grained
Fracture
Conchoidal
Irregular
Porosity
Less Porous
Less Porous
Luster
Subvitreous to Dull
Dull
Compressive Strength
Not Available
Cleavage
Perfect
Imperfect
Toughness
Not Available
1.7
Specific Gravity
2.86-2.99
2.5-4
Transparency
Translucent
Translucent to Opaque
Density
2.8-2.9 g/cm3
2.5-2.52 g/cm3
Specific Heat Capacity
Not Available
Resistance
Heat Resistant, Pressure Resistant
Heat Resistant, Impact Resistant
Deposits in Eastern Continents
Asia
Not Available
China, Kazakhstan, South Korea, Thailand, Turkey, Vietnam
Africa
Not Available
Egypt, Ethiopia, Ghana, South Africa
Europe
United Kingdom
Finland, France, Germany, Great Britain, Hungary, Iceland, Ireland, Italy, Netherlands, Norway, Romania, Sweden, Switzerland
Others
Not Yet Found
Greenland
Deposits in Western Continents
North America
USA
Canada, Cuba, Jamaica, USA
South America
Colombia, Paraguay
Bolivia, Brazil, Colombia, Ecuador, Paraguay
Deposits in Oceania Continent
Australia
Central Australia, Western Australia
New South Wales, New Zealand, Western Australia
Evaporite vs Porphyry 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. Evaporite vs Porphyry characteristics assist us to distinguish and recognize rocks. Also you can check about Properties of Evaporite and Properties of Porphyry. Learn more about Evaporite vs Porphyry in the next section. The interior uses of Evaporite include Decorative aggregates, Entryways, Flooring, Homes and Interior decoration whereas the interior uses of Porphyry include Decorative aggregates and Interior decoration. Due to some exceptional properties of Evaporite and Porphyry, they have various applications in construction industry. The uses of Evaporite in construction industry 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, Cement manufacture, For road aggregate, Making natural cement, Manufacture of magnesium and dolomite refractories and that of Porphyry include Construction aggregate.
More about Evaporite and Porphyry
Here you can know more about Evaporite and Porphyry. The life cycle of a rock consists of formation of rock, composition of rock and transformation of rock. The composition of Evaporite and Porphyry consists of mineral content and compound content. The mineral content of Evaporite includes Calcite, Cancrinite, Gypsum, Kyanite, Magnetite and mineral content of Porphyry includes Biotite, Chert, Feldspar, Garnet, Graphite, Quartz, Silica. You can also check out the list of all Sedimentary Rocks. When we have to compare Evaporite vs Porphyry, the texture, color and appearance plays an important role in determining the type of rock. Evaporite is available in colourless, green, grey, silver, white colors whereas, Porphyry is available in black, brown, colourless, green, grey, red, rust, white colors. Appearance of Evaporite is Glassy, Vesicular and Foilated and that of Porphyry is Dull. Properties of rock is another aspect for Evaporite vs Porphyry. The hardness of Evaporite is 2-3 and that of Porphyry is 6-7. The types of Evaporite are Not Available whereas types of Porphyry are Rhomb Porphyry. Streak of rock is the color of powder produced when it is dragged across an unweathered surface. The streak of Evaporite and Porphyry is white. The specific heat capacity of Evaporite is 0.92 kJ/Kg K and that of Porphyry is Not Available. Depending on the properties like hardness, toughness, specific heat capacity, porosity etc., rocks are resistant to heat, wear, impact, etc.Evaporite is heat resistant, pressure resistant whereas Porphyry is heat resistant, impact resistant.