Felsite

Anorthosite

Felsite and Anorthosite

Felsite

Anorthosite

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Definition

Felsite is a very fine grained volcanic rock that may or may not contain larger crystals and light colored rock that typically requires petrographic examination or chemical analysis for more precise definition

Anorthosite is a granular igneous rock composed largely of labradorite or plagioclase

History

Origin

Discoverer

Unknown

Etymology

From English feldspar and -ite

From French anorthose plagioclase + -ite1

Class

Igneous Rocks

Sub-Class

Durable Rock, Medium Hardness Rock

Family

Group

Volcanic

Plutonic

Other Categories

Fine Grained Rock, Opaque Rock

Coarse Grained Rock, Opaque Rock

Texture

Arborescent Patterned, Vitreous

Foliated, Glassy

Color

Black, Blue, Brown, Green, Orange, Red, Tan, Yellow

Black, Bluish - Grey, Brown, Green, Grey, Light Greenish Grey, Pink, White

Maintenance

Less

Durability

Durable

Water Resistant

✔ ✘

Scratch Resistant

✔ ✘

Stain Resistant

✔ ✘

Wind Resistant

✔ ✘

Acid Resistant

✔ ✘

Appearance

Layered, Banded, Veined and Shiny

Uses

Architecture

Interior Uses

Decorative Aggregates, Flooring, Interior Decoration

Decorative Aggregates, Floor Tiles, Homes, Interior Decoration

Exterior Uses

Paving Stone, Garden Decoration

As Building Stone, As Facing Stone, Garden Decoration

Other Architectural Uses

Curbing

Industry

Construction Industry

Arrowheads, Cutting Tool, Knives, Scrapers, Spear Points

As Dimension Stone, Cement Manufacture, for Road Aggregate

Medical Industry

Surgery

Antiquity Uses

Artifacts

Artifacts, Sculpture, Small Figurines

Other Uses

Commercial Uses

Mirror, Jewelry

Creating Artwork, Curling

Types

Igneous rock

Proterozoic Anorthosite and Archean Anorthosite

Features

Available in Lots of Colors and Patterns, Clasts are smooth to touch, Splintery, Very fine grained rock

Generally rough to touch, Is one of the oldest rock

Archaeological Significance

Monuments

Famous Monuments

Sculpture

Famous Sculptures

Pictographs

Petroglyphs

Figurines

Fossils

Absent

Formation

Felsite 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.

Anorthosite is a phaneritic, intrusive igneous rock which is characterized by a predominance of plagioclase feldspar which is almost 90–100%, and a minimal mafic component.

Composition

Mineral Content

Feldspar, Iron Oxides

Amphibole, Clinopyroxene, Ilmenite, Magnetite, Olivine, Orthopyroxene

Compound Content

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

Ca, CaO, Chromium(III) Oxide, MgO, Sulfur Trioxide

Transformation

Metamorphism

✔ ✘

Types of Metamorphism

Burial Metamorphism, Contact Metamorphism, Impact Metamorphism, Regional Metamorphism

Cataclastic Metamorphism, Contact Metamorphism

Weathering

✔ ✘

Types of Weathering

Biological Weathering, Chemical Weathering, Mechanical Weathering

Biological Weathering

Erosion

✔ ✘

Types of Erosion

Chemical Erosion, Glacier Erosion, Water Erosion

Chemical Erosion, Wind Erosion

Properties

Physical Properties

Hardness

5-5.55-6

1 7

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Grain Size

Fine Grained

Coarse Grained

Fracture

Conchoidal

Irregular

Streak

White

Porosity

Very Less Porous

Less Porous

Luster

Vitreous

Pearly to Subvitreous

Compressive Strength

0.15 N/mm²180.00 N/mm²

0.15 450

👆🏻

Cleavage

Toughness

Specific Gravity

2.6-2.72.62-2.82

0 8.4

👆🏻

Transparency

Translucent

Density

2.6 g/cm³2.7-4 g/cm³

0 1400

👆🏻

Thermal Properties

Specific Heat Capacity

0.92 kJ/Kg K0.84 kJ/Kg K

0.14 3.2

👆🏻

Resistance

Heat Resistant, Impact Resistant

Heat Resistant, Impact Resistant, Pressure Resistant, Scratch Resistant, Wear Resistant

Reserves

Deposits in Eastern Continents

Asia

Afghanistan, Indonesia, Japan, Russia

Africa

Kenya

Europe

Greece, Hungary, Iceland, Italy, Turkey

Bulgaria, France, Germany, Greece, Hungary, Italy, Latvia, Lithuania, Malta, Poland, Portugal, Romania, Slovenia, Spain, Sweden, The Czech Republic

Others

Deposits in Western Continents

North America

Canada, Mexico, USA

Canada

South America

Argentina, Chile, Ecuador, Peru

Bolivia, Colombia

Deposits in Oceania Continent

Australia

New Zealand

Central Australia, South Australia, Western Australia

All about Felsite and Anorthosite Properties

Know all about Felsite and Anorthosite properties here. All properties of rocks are important as they define the type of rock and its application. Felsite and Anorthosite belong to Igneous Rocks.Texture of Felsite is Arborescent Patterned, Vitreous whereas that of Anorthosite is Foliated, Glassy. Felsite appears Layered, Banded, Veined and Shiny and Anorthosite appears Layered, Banded, Veined and Shiny. The luster of Felsite is vitreous while that of Anorthosite is pearly to subvitreous. Felsite is available in black, blue, brown, green, orange, red, tan, yellow colors whereas Anorthosite is available in black, bluish - grey, brown, green, grey, light greenish grey, pink, white colors. The commercial uses of Felsite are mirror, jewelry and that of Anorthosite are creating artwork, curling.