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Felsite vs Andesite


Andesite vs 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   
Andesite is a dark, fine-grained, brown or greyish intermediate volcanic rock which is a commonly found in lava   

History
  
  

Origin
Unknown   
North America   

Discoverer
Unknown   
Unknown   

Etymology
From English feldspar and -ite   
From Andes mountains, where it is found in abundance   

Class
Igneous Rocks   
Igneous Rocks   

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

Family
  
  

Group
Volcanic   
Volcanic   

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

Texture

Texture
Arborescent Patterned, Vitreous   
Aphanitic to Porphyritic   

Color
Black, Blue, Brown, Green, Orange, Red, Tan, Yellow   
Bluish - Grey, Grey, Pink, Yellow   

Maintenance
Less   
More   

Durability
Durable   
Durable   

Water Resistant
Yes   
No   

Scratch Resistant
Yes   
Yes   

Stain Resistant
No   
Yes   

Wind Resistant
Yes   
No   

Acid Resistant
No   
Yes   

Appearance
Layered, Banded, Veined and Shiny   
Dull and Soft   

Uses

Architecture
  
  

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

Exterior Uses
Paving Stone, Garden Decoration   
Office Buildings, Roof Tiles   

Other Architectural Uses
Curbing   
Curbing   

Industry
  
  

Construction Industry
Arrowheads, Cutting Tool, Knives, Scrapers, Spear Points   
Cobblestones, Construction Aggregate, for Road Aggregate   

Medical Industry
Surgery   
Not Yet Used   

Antiquity Uses
Artifacts   
Artifacts, Monuments, Sculpture, Small Figurines   

Other Uses
  
  

Commercial Uses
Mirror, Jewelry   
Commemorative Tablets, Creating Artwork   

Types

Types
Not Available   
Icelandite   

Features
Available in Lots of Colors and Patterns, Clasts are smooth to touch, Splintery, Very fine grained rock   
Generally rough to touch, High silica content, Is one of the oldest rock   

Archaeological Significance
  
  

Monuments
Not Yet Used   
Used   

Famous Monuments
Not Applicable   
Middle of the Earth in Ecuador   

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   

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.   
Andesite is a fine-grained igneous rock that forms when the magma is erupted onto the surface and is crystallized quickly.   

Composition
  
  

Mineral Content
Feldspar, Iron Oxides   
Amphibole, Apatite, Biotite, Feldspar, Garnet, Hornblade, Ilmenite, Magnetite, Plagioclase, Pyroxene, Zircon   

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

Transformation
  
  

Metamorphism
Yes   
Yes   

Types of Metamorphism
Burial Metamorphism, Contact Metamorphism, Impact 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   
Yes   

Types of Erosion
Chemical Erosion, Glacier Erosion, Water Erosion   
Chemical Erosion, Coastal Erosion, Glacier Erosion   

Properties

Physical Properties
  
  

Hardness
5-5.5   
7   

Grain Size
Fine Grained   
Very fine-grained   

Fracture
Conchoidal   
Uneven   

Streak
White   
White   

Porosity
Very Less Porous   
Less Porous   

Luster
Vitreous   
Vitreous   

Compressive Strength
0.15 N/mm2   
33
225.00 N/mm2   
7

Cleavage
Non-Existent   
Not Available   

Toughness
Not Available   
1.1   

Specific Gravity
2.6-2.7   
2.5-2.8   

Transparency
Translucent   
Opaque   

Density
2.6 g/cm3   
2.11-2.36 g/cm3   

Thermal Properties
  
  

Specific Heat Capacity
0.92 kJ/Kg K   
10
2.39 kJ/Kg K   
2

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

Reserves

Deposits in Eastern Continents
  
  

Asia
Afghanistan, Indonesia, Japan, Russia   
India, Indonesia, Japan, Nepal, South Korea   

Africa
Kenya   
Egypt, Ethiopia, Morocco, Namibia, South Africa, Tanzania   

Europe
Greece, Hungary, Iceland, Italy, Turkey   
Austria, Finland, Germany, Italy, Romania, Turkey, United Kingdom   

Others
Not Yet Found   
Not Yet Found   

Deposits in Western Continents
  
  

North America
Canada, Mexico, USA   
Mexico, USA   

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

Deposits in Oceania Continent
  
  

Australia
New Zealand   
New South Wales, New Zealand, Western Australia   

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Felsite vs Andesite 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 Felsite and Andesite Reserves. 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. Andesite is a dark, fine-grained, brown or greyish intermediate volcanic rock which is a commonly found in lava. 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 Felsite vs Andesite information and Felsite vs Andesite characteristics in the upcoming sections.

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Felsite vs Andesite 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. Felsite vs Andesite characteristics assist us to distinguish and recognize rocks. Also you can check about Properties of Felsite and Properties of Andesite. Learn more about Felsite vs Andesite in the next section. The interior uses of Felsite include Decorative aggregates, Flooring and Interior decoration whereas the interior uses of Andesite include Decorative aggregates, Floor tiles, Homes, Interior decoration and Kitchens. Due to some exceptional properties of Felsite and Andesite, they have various applications in construction industry. The uses of Felsite in construction industry include Arrowheads, Cutting tool, Knives, Scrapers, Spear points and that of Andesite include Cobblestones, Construction aggregate, For road aggregate.

More about Felsite and Andesite

Here you can know more about Felsite and Andesite. The life cycle of a rock consists of formation of rock, composition of rock and transformation of rock. The composition of Felsite and Andesite consists of mineral content and compound content. The mineral content of Felsite includes Feldspar, Iron Oxides and mineral content of Andesite includes Amphibole, Apatite, Biotite, Feldspar, Garnet, Hornblade, Ilmenite, Magnetite, Plagioclase, Pyroxene, Zircon. You can also check out the list of all Igneous Rocks. When we have to compare Felsite vs Andesite, the texture, color and appearance plays an important role in determining the type of rock. Felsite is available in black, blue, brown, green, orange, red, tan, yellow colors whereas, Andesite is available in bluish - grey, grey, pink, yellow colors. Appearance of Felsite is Layered, Banded, Veined and Shiny and that of Andesite is Dull and Soft. Properties of rock is another aspect for Felsite vs Andesite. The hardness of Felsite is 5-5.5 and that of Andesite is 7. The types of Felsite are Not Available whereas types of Andesite are Icelandite. Streak of rock is the color of powder produced when it is dragged across an unweathered surface. The streak of Felsite and Andesite is white. The specific heat capacity of Felsite is 0.92 kJ/Kg K and that of Andesite is 2.39 kJ/Kg K. Depending on the properties like hardness, toughness, specific heat capacity, porosity etc., rocks are resistant to heat, wear, impact, etc.Felsite is heat resistant, impact resistant whereas Andesite is heat resistant, pressure resistant, wear resistant.

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