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Gabbro
Gabbro

Anorthosite
Anorthosite



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Gabbro
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Anorthosite

Gabbro vs Anorthosite

Definition

Definition

Gabbro is an intrusive igneous rock which is chemically equivalent to plutonic Basalt
Anorthosite is a granular igneous rock composed largely of labradorite or plagioclase

History

Origin

Germany
-

Discoverer

Christian Leopold von Buch
Unknown

Etymology

From Latin glaber bare, smooth, bald
From French anorthose plagioclase + -ite1

Class

Igneous Rocks
Igneous Rocks

Sub-Class

Durable Rock, Hard Rock
Durable Rock, Medium Hardness Rock

Family

Group

Plutonic
Plutonic

Other Categories

Coarse Grained Rock, Opaque Rock
Coarse Grained Rock, Opaque Rock

Texture

Texture

Phaneritic
Foliated, Glassy

Color

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

Maintenance

Less
Less

Durability

Durable
Durable

Water Resistant

Scratch Resistant

Stain Resistant

Wind Resistant

Acid Resistant

Appearance

Veined and Shiny
Layered, Banded, Veined and Shiny

Uses

Architecture

Interior Uses

Countertops, Decorative Aggregates, Homes, Interior Decoration
Decorative Aggregates, Floor Tiles, Homes, Interior Decoration

Exterior Uses

As Building Stone, As Facing Stone, Garden Decoration, Office Buildings, Paving Stone
As Building Stone, As Facing Stone, Garden Decoration

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, Cement Manufacture, for Road Aggregate

Medical Industry

-
-

Antiquity Uses

Artifacts, Monuments, Sculpture
Artifacts, Sculpture, Small Figurines

Other Uses

Commercial Uses

Cemetery Markers, Commemorative Tablets, Laboratory bench tops, Jewelry, Sea Defence, Tombstones
Creating Artwork, Curling

Types

Types

Anorthosite Gabbro and Norite Gabbro
Proterozoic Anorthosite and Archean Anorthosite

Features

Smooth to touch
Generally rough to touch, Is one of the oldest rock

Archaeological Significance

Monuments

-
-

Famous Monuments

-
-

Sculpture

-
-

Famous Sculptures

-
-

Pictographs

-
-

Petroglyphs

-
-

Figurines

-
-

Fossils

Absent
Absent

Formation

Formation

Gabbro, a mafic rock, forms due to cooling and crystallization of magma underneath Earth's surface.
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

Augite, Olivine, Plagioclase, Pyroxene
Amphibole, Clinopyroxene, Ilmenite, Magnetite, Olivine, Orthopyroxene

Compound Content

Aluminium Oxide, CaO, Chromium(III) Oxide, Iron(III) Oxide, Potassium Oxide, MgO, Sodium Oxide, Silicon Dioxide, Sulfur Trioxide
Ca, CaO, Chromium(III) Oxide, MgO, Sulfur Trioxide

Transformation

Metamorphism

Types of Metamorphism

Impact Metamorphism
Cataclastic Metamorphism, Contact Metamorphism

Weathering

Types of Weathering

Chemical Weathering
Biological Weathering

Erosion

Types of Erosion

Coastal Erosion
Chemical Erosion, Wind Erosion

Properties

Physical Properties

Hardness

75-6
1 7
👆🏻

Grain Size

Coarse Grained
Coarse Grained

Fracture

Conchoidal
Irregular

Streak

Black
White

Porosity

Highly Porous
Less Porous

Luster

-
Pearly to Subvitreous

Compressive Strength

225.00 N/mm2180.00 N/mm2
0.15 450
👆🏻

Cleavage

-
-

Toughness

1.6
-

Specific Gravity

2.86-2.872.62-2.82
0 8.4
👆🏻

Transparency

Opaque
Translucent

Density

2.7-3.3 g/cm32.7-4 g/cm3
0 1400
👆🏻

Thermal Properties

Specific Heat Capacity

0.71 kJ/Kg K0.84 kJ/Kg K
0.14 3.2
👆🏻

Resistance

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

Reserves

Deposits in Eastern Continents

Asia

India, Russia
-

Africa

South Africa
-

Europe

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

Others

Greenland
-

Deposits in Western Continents

North America

Canada, USA
Canada

South America

Brazil, Colombia, Venezuela
Bolivia, Colombia

Deposits in Oceania Continent

Australia

New Zealand, Queensland
Central Australia, South Australia, Western Australia

Gabbro vs Anorthosite 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 Gabbro and Anorthosite Reserves. Gabbro is an intrusive igneous rock which is chemically equivalent to plutonic Basalt. Anorthosite is a granular igneous rock composed largely of labradorite or plagioclase. 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 Gabbro vs Anorthosite information and Gabbro vs Anorthosite characteristics in the upcoming sections.

Gabbro vs Anorthosite 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 Anorthosite characteristics assist us to distinguish and recognize rocks. Also you can check about Properties of Gabbro and Properties of Anorthosite. Learn more about Gabbro vs Anorthosite in the next section. The interior uses of Gabbro include Countertops, Decorative aggregates, Homes and Interior decoration whereas the interior uses of Anorthosite include Decorative aggregates, Floor tiles, Homes and Interior decoration. Due to some exceptional properties of Gabbro and Anorthosite, 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 Anorthosite include As dimension stone, Cement manufacture, For road aggregate.

More about Gabbro and Anorthosite

Here you can know more about Gabbro and Anorthosite. The life cycle of a rock consists of formation of rock, composition of rock and transformation of rock. The composition of Gabbro and Anorthosite consists of mineral content and compound content. The mineral content of Gabbro includes Augite, Olivine, Plagioclase, Pyroxene and mineral content of Anorthosite includes Amphibole, Clinopyroxene, Ilmenite, Magnetite, Olivine, Orthopyroxene. You can also check out the list of all Igneous Rocks. When we have to compare Gabbro vs Anorthosite, 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, Anorthosite is available in black, bluish - grey, brown, green, grey, light greenish grey, pink, white colors. Appearance of Gabbro is Veined and Shiny and that of Anorthosite is Layered, Banded, Veined and Shiny. Properties of rock is another aspect for Gabbro vs Anorthosite. The hardness of Gabbro is 7 and that of Anorthosite is 5-6. The types of Gabbro are Anorthosite Gabbro and Norite Gabbro whereas types of Anorthosite are Proterozoic Anorthosite and Archean Anorthosite. 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 Anorthosite is white. The specific heat capacity of Gabbro is 0.71 kJ/Kg K and that of Anorthosite is 0.84 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 Anorthosite is heat resistant, impact resistant, pressure resistant, scratch resistant, wear resistant.