Definition
Gabbro is an intrusive igneous rock which is chemically equivalent to plutonic Basalt
  
Amphibolite can be defined as a granular metamorphic rock which mainly consist of hornblende and plagioclase
  
History
  
  
Origin
Germany
  
Unknown
  
Discoverer
Christian Leopold von Buch
  
Alexandre Brongniart
  
Etymology
From Latin glaber bare, smooth, bald
  
From Amphibole + -ite
  
Class
Igneous Rocks
  
Metamorphic Rocks
  
Sub-Class
Durable Rock, Hard Rock
  
Durable Rock, Hard Rock
  
Family
  
  
Group
Plutonic
  
Not Applicable
  
Other Categories
Coarse Grained Rock, Opaque Rock
  
Coarse Grained Rock, Medium Grained Rock, Opaque Rock
  
Texture
Phaneritic
  
Banded, Foliated, Massive
  
Color
Dark Grey to Black
  
Black, Brown, Green, Grey
  
Maintenance
Less
  
Less
  
Durability
Durable
  
Durable
  
Water Resistant
Yes
  
Yes
  
Scratch Resistant
Yes
  
Yes
  
Stain Resistant
Yes
  
Yes
  
Wind Resistant
Yes
  
No
  
Acid Resistant
Yes
  
Yes
  
Appearance
Veined and Shiny
  
Foliated
  
Architecture
  
  
Interior Uses
Countertops, Decorative Aggregates, Homes, Interior Decoration
  
Countertops, Decorative Aggregates, Entryways, Floor Tiles, Flooring, Homes, Hotels, Kitchens
  
Exterior Uses
As Building Stone, As Facing Stone, Garden Decoration, Office Buildings, Paving Stone
  
As Building Stone, As Facing Stone, Paving Stone, Office Buildings
  
Other Architectural Uses
Curbing
  
Curbing
  
Industry
  
  
Construction Industry
As Dimension Stone, Building houses or walls, Cement Manufacture, Construction Aggregate, for Road Aggregate
  
As Dimension Stone, Building houses or walls, Cobblestones, Construction Aggregate, for Road Aggregate, Landscaping, Production of Glass and Ceramics, Roadstone
  
Medical Industry
Not Yet Used
  
Not Yet Used
  
Antiquity Uses
Artifacts, Monuments, Sculpture
  
Artifacts, Sculpture, Small Figurines
  
Other Uses
  
  
Commercial Uses
Cemetery Markers, Commemorative Tablets, Laboratory bench tops, Jewelry, Sea Defence, Tombstones
  
Cemetery Markers, Commemorative Tablets, Creating Artwork
  
Types
Not Available
  
Hornblendite
  
Features
Smooth to touch
  
Clasts are smooth to touch, Matrix variable, Surfaces are often shiny
  
Archaeological Significance
  
  
Monuments
Used
  
Used
  
Famous Monuments
Data Not Available
  
Data Not Available
  
Sculpture
Used
  
Used
  
Famous Sculptures
Data Not Available
  
Data Not Available
  
Pictographs
Not Used
  
Not Used
  
Petroglyphs
Not Used
  
Not Used
  
Figurines
Used
  
Used
  
Fossils
Absent
  
Absent
  
Formation
Gabbro, a mafic rock, forms due to cooling and crystallization of magma underneath Earth's surface.
  
Amphibolite is a coarse-grained metamorphic rock which forms by metamorphism of mafic igneous rocks like basalt and gabbro or from the metamorphism of clay-rich sedimentary rocks like marl or graywacke.
  
Composition
  
  
Mineral Content
Augite, Olivine, Plagioclase, Pyroxene
  
Amphibole, Andalusite, Biotite, Calcite, Epidote, Garnet, Hornblade, Kyanite, Magnetite, Olivine, Plagioclase, Pyroxene, Staurolite, Wollastonite
  
Compound Content
Aluminium Oxide, CaO, Chromium(III) Oxide, Iron(III) Oxide, Potassium Oxide, MgO, Sodium Oxide, Silicon Dioxide, Sulfur Trioxide
  
Aluminium Oxide, CaO, Iron(III) Oxide, FeO, Potassium Oxide, MgO, MnO, Sodium Oxide, Phosphorus Pentoxide, Silicon Dioxide, Titanium Dioxide
  
Transformation
  
  
Metamorphism
Yes
  
No
  
Types of Metamorphism
Impact Metamorphism
  
Not Applicable
  
Weathering
Yes
  
Yes
  
Types of Weathering
Chemical Weathering
  
Chemical Weathering, Mechanical Weathering
  
Erosion
Yes
  
Yes
  
Types of Erosion
Coastal Erosion
  
Chemical Erosion, Glacier Erosion, Sea Erosion, Wind Erosion
  
Physical Properties
  
  
Hardness
7
  
6-7
  
Grain Size
Coarse Grained
  
Medium to Coarse Grained
  
Fracture
Conchoidal
  
Irregular to Conchoidal
  
Streak
Black
  
White to Grey
  
Porosity
Highly Porous
  
Less Porous
  
Luster
Not Available
  
Vitreous to Dull
  
Compressive Strength
225.00 N/mm
2
  
7
Not Available
  
Cleavage
Not Available
  
Irregular
  
Toughness
1.6
  
2.3
  
Specific Gravity
2.86-2.87
  
2.5
  
Transparency
Opaque
  
Opaque
  
Density
2.7-3.3 g/cm3
  
2.85-3.07 g/cm3
  
Thermal Properties
  
  
Resistance
Impact Resistant, Pressure Resistant, Wear Resistant
  
Heat Resistant, Pressure Resistant, Wear Resistant
  
Deposits in Eastern Continents
  
  
Asia
India, Russia
  
Russia, Turkey
  
Africa
South Africa
  
Burundi, Djibouti, Eritrea, Ethiopia, Kenya, Madagascar, Rwanda, Somalia, South Africa, Sudan, Tanzania, Uganda
  
Europe
Germany, Greece, Italy, Scotland, Turkey
  
Germany, Greece, Iceland, Norway, Poland
  
Others
Greenland
  
Not Yet Found
  
Deposits in Western Continents
  
  
North America
Canada, USA
  
Canada, USA
  
South America
Brazil, Colombia, Venezuela
  
Brazil
  
Deposits in Oceania Continent
  
  
Australia
New Zealand, Queensland
  
South Australia, Western Australia
  
Gabbro vs Amphibolite 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. Gabbro vs Amphibolite characteristics assist us to distinguish and recognize rocks. Also you can check about Properties of Gabbro and Properties of Amphibolite. Learn more about Gabbro vs Amphibolite in the next section. The interior uses of Gabbro include Countertops, Decorative aggregates, Homes and Interior decoration whereas the interior uses of Amphibolite include Countertops, Decorative aggregates, Entryways, Floor tiles, Flooring, Homes, Hotels and Kitchens. Due to some exceptional properties of Gabbro and Amphibolite, they have various applications in construction industry. The uses of Gabbro in construction industry include As dimension stone, Building houses or walls, Cement manufacture, Construction aggregate, For road aggregate and that of Amphibolite include As dimension stone, Building houses or walls, Cobblestones, Construction aggregate, For road aggregate, Landscaping, Production of glass and ceramics, Roadstone.
More about Gabbro and Amphibolite
Here you can know more about Gabbro and Amphibolite. The life cycle of a rock consists of formation of rock, composition of rock and transformation of rock. The composition of Gabbro and Amphibolite consists of mineral content and compound content. The mineral content of Gabbro includes Augite, Olivine, Plagioclase, Pyroxene and mineral content of Amphibolite includes Amphibole, Andalusite, Biotite, Calcite, Epidote, Garnet, Hornblade, Kyanite, Magnetite, Olivine, Plagioclase, Pyroxene, Staurolite, Wollastonite. You can also check out the list of all Igneous Rocks. When we have to compare Gabbro vs Amphibolite, the texture, color and appearance plays an important role in determining the type of rock. Gabbro is available in dark grey to black colors whereas, Amphibolite is available in black, brown, green, grey colors. Appearance of Gabbro is Veined and Shiny and that of Amphibolite is Foliated. Properties of rock is another aspect for Gabbro vs Amphibolite. The hardness of Gabbro is 7 and that of Amphibolite is 6-7. The types of Gabbro are Not Available whereas types of Amphibolite are Hornblendite. Streak of rock is the color of powder produced when it is dragged across an unweathered surface. The streak of Gabbro is black while that of Amphibolite is white to grey. The specific heat capacity of Gabbro is Not Available and that of Amphibolite is Not Available. Depending on the properties like hardness, toughness, specific heat capacity, porosity etc., rocks are resistant to heat, wear, impact, etc.Gabbro is impact resistant, pressure resistant, wear resistant whereas Amphibolite is heat resistant, pressure resistant, wear resistant.