Definition
Gabbro is an intrusive igneous rock which is chemically equivalent to plutonic Basalt
Andesite is a dark, fine-grained, brown or greyish intermediate volcanic rock which is a commonly found in lava
Origin
Germany
North America
Discoverer
Christian Leopold von Buch
Unknown
Etymology
From Latin glaber bare, smooth, bald
From Andes mountains, where it is found in abundance
Class
Igneous Rocks
Igneous Rocks
Sub-Class
Durable Rock, Hard Rock
Durable Rock, Hard Rock
Other Categories
Coarse Grained Rock, Opaque Rock
Fine Grained Rock, Opaque Rock
Texture
Phaneritic
Aphanitic to Porphyritic
Color
Dark Grey to Black
Bluish - Grey, Grey, Pink, Yellow
Durability
Durable
Durable
Scratch Resistant
Yes
Yes
Appearance
Veined and Shiny
Dull and Soft
Interior Uses
Countertops, Decorative Aggregates, Homes, Interior Decoration
Decorative Aggregates, Floor Tiles, Homes, Interior Decoration, Kitchens
Exterior Uses
As Building Stone, As Facing Stone, Garden Decoration, Office Buildings, Paving Stone
Office Buildings, Roof Tiles
Other Architectural Uses
Curbing
Curbing
Construction Industry
As Dimension Stone, Building houses or walls, Cement Manufacture, Construction Aggregate, for Road Aggregate
Cobblestones, Construction Aggregate, for Road Aggregate
Medical Industry
Not Yet Used
Not Yet Used
Antiquity Uses
Artifacts, Monuments, Sculpture
Artifacts, Monuments, Sculpture, Small Figurines
Commercial Uses
Cemetery Markers, Commemorative Tablets, Laboratory bench tops, Jewelry, Sea Defence, Tombstones
Commemorative Tablets, Creating Artwork
Types
Not Available
Icelandite
Features
Smooth to touch
Generally rough to touch, High silica content, Is one of the oldest rock
Archaeological Significance
Famous Monuments
Data Not Available
Middle of the Earth in Ecuador
Famous Sculptures
Data Not Available
Data Not Available
Pictographs
Not Used
Not Used
Petroglyphs
Not Used
Not Used
Formation
Gabbro, a mafic rock, forms due to cooling and crystallization of magma underneath Earth's surface.
Andesite is a fine-grained igneous rock that forms when the magma is erupted onto the surface and is crystallized quickly.
Mineral Content
Augite, Olivine, Plagioclase, Pyroxene
Amphibole, Apatite, Biotite, Feldspar, Garnet, Hornblade, Ilmenite, Magnetite, Plagioclase, Pyroxene, Zircon
Compound Content
Aluminium Oxide, CaO, Chromium(III) Oxide, Iron(III) Oxide, Potassium Oxide, MgO, Sodium Oxide, Silicon Dioxide, Sulfur Trioxide
Silicon Dioxide
Types of Metamorphism
Impact Metamorphism
Burial Metamorphism, Cataclastic Metamorphism, Contact Metamorphism, Hydrothermal Metamorphism, Impact Metamorphism, Regional Metamorphism
Types of Weathering
Chemical Weathering
Biological Weathering, Chemical Weathering, Mechanical Weathering
Types of Erosion
Coastal Erosion
Chemical Erosion, Coastal Erosion, Glacier Erosion
Grain Size
Coarse Grained
Very fine-grained
Fracture
Conchoidal
Uneven
Porosity
Highly Porous
Less Porous
Luster
Not Available
Vitreous
Cleavage
Not Available
Not Available
Specific Gravity
2.86-2.87
2.5-2.8
Transparency
Opaque
Opaque
Density
2.7-3.3 g/cm3
2.11-2.36 g/cm3
Specific Heat Capacity
Not Available
Resistance
Impact Resistant, Pressure Resistant, Wear Resistant
Heat Resistant, Pressure Resistant, Wear Resistant
Deposits in Eastern Continents
Asia
India, Russia
India, Indonesia, Japan, Nepal, South Korea
Africa
South Africa
Egypt, Ethiopia, Morocco, Namibia, South Africa, Tanzania
Europe
Germany, Greece, Italy, Scotland, Turkey
Austria, Finland, Germany, Italy, Romania, Turkey, United Kingdom
Others
Greenland
Not Yet Found
Deposits in Western Continents
North America
Canada, USA
Mexico, USA
South America
Brazil, Colombia, Venezuela
Argentina, Bolivia, Chile, Colombia, Ecuador, Peru, Venezuela
Deposits in Oceania Continent
Australia
New Zealand, Queensland
New South Wales, New Zealand, Western Australia
Gabbro 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. Gabbro vs Andesite characteristics assist us to distinguish and recognize rocks. Also you can check about Properties of Gabbro and Properties of Andesite. Learn more about Gabbro vs Andesite in the next section. The interior uses of Gabbro include Countertops, Decorative aggregates, Homes 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 Gabbro and Andesite, 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 Andesite include Cobblestones, Construction aggregate, For road aggregate.
More about Gabbro and Andesite
Here you can know more about Gabbro and Andesite. The life cycle of a rock consists of formation of rock, composition of rock and transformation of rock. The composition of Gabbro and Andesite consists of mineral content and compound content. The mineral content of Gabbro includes Augite, Olivine, Plagioclase, Pyroxene 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 . When we have to compare Gabbro vs Andesite, 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, Andesite is available in bluish - grey, grey, pink, yellow colors. Appearance of Gabbro is Veined and Shiny and that of Andesite is Dull and Soft. Properties of rock is another aspect for Gabbro vs Andesite. Hardness of Gabbro and Andesite is 7. The types of Gabbro 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 Gabbro is black while that of Andesite is white. The specific heat capacity of Gabbro is Not Available 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.Gabbro is impact resistant, pressure resistant, wear resistant whereas Andesite is heat resistant, pressure resistant, wear resistant.