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Felsite and Anorthosite


Anorthosite and Felsite


Definition

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
  
  

Discoverer
Unknown   
Unknown   

Etymology
From English feldspar and -ite   
From French anorthose plagioclase + -ite1   

Class
Igneous Rocks   
Igneous Rocks   

Sub-Class
Durable Rock, Medium Hardness Rock   
Durable Rock, Medium Hardness Rock   

Family
  
  

Group
Volcanic   
Plutonic   

Other Categories
Fine Grained Rock, Opaque Rock   
Coarse Grained Rock, Opaque Rock   

Texture

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   
Less   

Durability
Durable   
Durable   

Water Resistant
Yes   
Yes   

Scratch Resistant
Yes   
No   

Stain Resistant
No   
No   

Wind Resistant
Yes   
Yes   

Acid Resistant
No   
No   

Appearance
Layered, Banded, Veined and Shiny   
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   
Curbing   

Industry
  
  

Construction Industry
Arrowheads, Cutting Tool, Knives, Scrapers, Spear Points   
As Dimension Stone, Cement Manufacture, for Road Aggregate   

Medical Industry
Surgery   
Not Yet Used   

Antiquity Uses
Artifacts   
Artifacts, Sculpture, Small Figurines   

Other Uses
  
  

Commercial Uses
Mirror, Jewelry   
Creating Artwork, Curling   

Types

Types
Not Available   
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
Not Yet Used   
Not Yet Used   

Famous Monuments
Not Applicable   
Not Applicable   

Sculpture
Not Yet Used   
Used   

Famous Sculptures
Not Applicable   
Not Applicable   

Pictographs
Used   
Not Used   

Petroglyphs
Used   
Not Used   

Figurines
Not Yet Used   
Used   

Fossils
Absent   
Absent   

Formation

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
Yes   
Yes   

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

Weathering
Yes   
Yes   

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

Erosion
Yes   
Yes   

Types of Erosion
Chemical Erosion, Glacier Erosion, Water Erosion   
Chemical Erosion, Wind Erosion   

Properties

Physical Properties
  
  

Hardness
5-5.5   
5-6   

Grain Size
Fine Grained   
Coarse Grained   

Fracture
Conchoidal   
Irregular   

Streak
White   
White   

Porosity
Very Less Porous   
Less Porous   

Luster
Vitreous   
Pearly to Subvitreous   

Compressive Strength
0.15 N/mm2   
33
Not Available   

Cleavage
Non-Existent   
Irregular   

Toughness
Not Available   
Not Available   

Specific Gravity
2.6-2.7   
2.62-2.82   

Transparency
Translucent   
Translucent   

Density
2.6 g/cm3   
2.7-4 g/cm3   

Thermal Properties
  
  

Specific Heat Capacity
0.92 kJ/Kg K   
10
0.84 kJ/Kg K   
15

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   
Not Yet Found   

Africa
Kenya   
Not Yet Found   

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
Not Yet Found   
Not Yet Found   

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   

Summary >>
<< Reserves

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.

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