Definition
Gabbro is an intrusive igneous rock which is chemically equivalent to plutonic Basalt
Icelandite belongs to volcanic igneous rocks which is rich in iron and belongs to andesite rock
Discoverer
Christian Leopold von Buch
Ian S. E. Carmichael
Etymology
From Latin glaber bare, smooth, bald
From its origin place near Cenozoic volcano near the parsonage Þingmúli in East Iceland
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, Jewellery, Sculpture, Small Figurines
Commercial Uses
Cemetery Markers, Commemorative Tablets, Laboratory bench tops, Jewelry, Sea Defence, Tombstones
Cemetery Markers, Creating Artwork
Types
Not Available
Not Available
Features
Smooth to touch
Generally rough to touch, High silica content, Is one of the oldest rock
Archaeological Significance
Monuments
Used
Not Yet Used
Famous Monuments
Data Not Available
Not Applicable
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.
Icelandite 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.
Mineral Content
Augite, Olivine, Plagioclase, Pyroxene
Amphibole, Apatite, Biotite, Feldspar, Garnet, Hornblade, Ilmenite, Magnetite, Plagioclase, Pyroxene, Quartz, 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
Types of Erosion
Coastal Erosion
Chemical Erosion, Coastal Erosion, Sea Erosion, Water Erosion, Wind Erosion
Grain Size
Coarse Grained
Very fine-grained
Fracture
Conchoidal
Uneven
Porosity
Highly Porous
Less Porous
Luster
Not Available
Vitreous
Compressive Strength
Not Available
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, Scratch 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 Icelandite 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 Icelandite characteristics assist us to distinguish and recognize rocks. Also you can check about Properties of Gabbro and Properties of Icelandite. Learn more about Gabbro vs Icelandite in the next section. The interior uses of Gabbro include Countertops, Decorative aggregates, Homes and Interior decoration whereas the interior uses of Icelandite include Decorative aggregates, Floor tiles, Homes, Interior decoration and Kitchens. Due to some exceptional properties of Gabbro and Icelandite, 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 Icelandite include Cobblestones, Construction aggregate, For road aggregate.
More about Gabbro and Icelandite
Here you can know more about Gabbro and Icelandite. The life cycle of a rock consists of formation of rock, composition of rock and transformation of rock. The composition of Gabbro and Icelandite consists of mineral content and compound content. The mineral content of Gabbro includes Augite, Olivine, Plagioclase, Pyroxene and mineral content of Icelandite includes Amphibole, Apatite, Biotite, Feldspar, Garnet, Hornblade, Ilmenite, Magnetite, Plagioclase, Pyroxene, Quartz, Zircon. You can also check out the list of all Igneous Rocks. When we have to compare Gabbro vs Icelandite, 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, Icelandite is available in bluish - grey, grey, pink, yellow colors. Appearance of Gabbro is Veined and Shiny and that of Icelandite is Dull and Soft. Properties of rock is another aspect for Gabbro vs Icelandite. Hardness of Gabbro and Icelandite is 7. The types of Gabbro are Not Available whereas types of Icelandite 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 Icelandite is white. The specific heat capacity of Gabbro is Not Available and that of Icelandite 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 Icelandite is heat resistant, pressure resistant, scratch resistant, wear resistant.