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Gabbro vs Diorite


Diorite vs Gabbro


Definition

Definition
Gabbro is an intrusive igneous rock which is chemically equivalent to plutonic Basalt   
Diorite is a grey to dark-grey intermediate intrusive igneous rock composed principally of plagioclase feldspar,biotite, hornblende, and pyroxene   

History
  
  

Origin
Germany   
Unknown   

Discoverer
Christian Leopold von Buch   
Unknown   

Etymology
From Latin glaber bare, smooth, bald   
From early 19th century coined in French, formed irregularly from Greek diorizein distinguish   

Class
Igneous Rocks   
Igneous Rocks   

Sub-Class
Durable Rock, Hard Rock   
Durable Rock, Hard Rock   

Family
  
  

Group
Plutonic   
Plutonic   

Other Categories
Coarse Grained Rock, Opaque Rock   
Coarse Grained Rock, Medium Grained Rock, Opaque Rock   

Texture

Texture
Phaneritic   
Phaneritic   

Color
Dark Grey to Black   
Black, Brown, Light to Dark Grey, White   

Maintenance
Less   
Less   

Durability
Durable   
Durable   

Water Resistant
Yes   
No   

Scratch Resistant
Yes   
No   

Stain Resistant
Yes   
No   

Wind Resistant
Yes   
Yes   

Acid Resistant
Yes   
No   

Appearance
Veined and Shiny   
Shiny   

Uses

Architecture
  
  

Interior Uses
Countertops, Decorative Aggregates, Homes, Interior Decoration   
Decorative Aggregates, 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, Cobblestones, Construction Aggregate, for Road Aggregate   

Medical Industry
Not Yet Used   
Not Yet Used   

Antiquity Uses
Artifacts, Monuments, Sculpture   
Artifacts, Monuments, Sculpture, Small Figurines   

Other Uses
  
  

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

Types

Types
Not Available   
Not Available   

Features
Smooth to touch   
Typically speckled black and white.   

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

Formation
Gabbro, a mafic rock, forms due to cooling and crystallization of magma underneath Earth's surface.   
Diorite is a coarse-grained intrusive igneous rock which contains large interlocking and randomly oriented crystals and forms when molten lava does not reach the Earth’s surface and cools down in the Earth’s crust.   

Composition
  
  

Mineral Content
Augite, Olivine, Plagioclase, Pyroxene   
Albite, Amphibole, Apatite, Biotite, Feldspar, Hornblade, Ilmenite, Magnetite, Muscovite or Illite, Olivine, Plagioclase, Pyroxene, Quartz, Sulfides, Titanite, Zircon   

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

Transformation
  
  

Metamorphism
Yes   
Yes   

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

Weathering
Yes   
Yes   

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

Erosion
Yes   
Yes   

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

Properties

Physical Properties
  
  

Hardness
7   
6-7   

Grain Size
Coarse Grained   
Medium to Coarse Grained   

Fracture
Conchoidal   
Not Available   

Streak
Black   
Bluish Black   

Porosity
Highly Porous   
Very Less Porous   

Luster
Not Available   
Shiny   

Compressive Strength
225.00 N/mm2   
7
225.00 N/mm2   
7

Cleavage
Not Available   
Not Available   

Toughness
1.6   
2.1   

Specific Gravity
2.86-2.87   
2.8-3   

Transparency
Opaque   
Opaque   

Density
2.7-3.3 g/cm3   
2.8-3 g/cm3   

Thermal Properties
  
  

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

Reserves

Deposits in Eastern Continents
  
  

Asia
India, Russia   
Not Yet Found   

Africa
South Africa   
Egypt   

Europe
Germany, Greece, Italy, Scotland, Turkey   
Finland, Germany, Italy, Romania, Sweden, Turkey, United Kingdom   

Others
Greenland   
Not Yet Found   

Deposits in Western Continents
  
  

North America
Canada, USA   
USA   

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

Deposits in Oceania Continent
  
  

Australia
New Zealand, Queensland   
New Zealand, Western Australia   

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Gabbro vs Diorite 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 Diorite Reserves. Gabbro is an intrusive igneous rock which is chemically equivalent to plutonic Basalt. Diorite is a grey to dark-grey intermediate intrusive igneous rock composed principally of plagioclase feldspar,biotite, hornblende, and pyroxene. 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 Diorite information and Gabbro vs Diorite characteristics in the upcoming sections.

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

More about Gabbro and Diorite

Here you can know more about Gabbro and Diorite. The life cycle of a rock consists of formation of rock, composition of rock and transformation of rock. The composition of Gabbro and Diorite consists of mineral content and compound content. The mineral content of Gabbro includes Augite, Olivine, Plagioclase, Pyroxene and mineral content of Diorite includes Albite, Amphibole, Apatite, Biotite, Feldspar, Hornblade, Ilmenite, Magnetite, Muscovite or Illite, Olivine, Plagioclase, Pyroxene, Quartz, Sulfides, Titanite, Zircon. You can also check out the list of all Igneous Rocks. When we have to compare Gabbro vs Diorite, 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, Diorite is available in black, brown, light to dark grey, white colors. Appearance of Gabbro is Veined and Shiny and that of Diorite is Shiny. Properties of rock is another aspect for Gabbro vs Diorite. The hardness of Gabbro is 7 and that of Diorite is 6-7. The types of Gabbro are Not Available whereas types of Diorite are Not Available. 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 Diorite is bluish black. The specific heat capacity of Gabbro is Not Available and that of Diorite 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 Diorite is heat resistant, pressure resistant, wear resistant.

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