Definition
Gabbro is an intrusive igneous rock which is chemically equivalent to plutonic Basalt
Migmatite is typically a granitic rock within a metamorphic host rock which is composed of two intermingled but distinguishable components
Origin
Germany
Southern Alps, France
Discoverer
Christian Leopold von Buch
Jakob Sederholm
Etymology
From Latin glaber bare, smooth, bald
From the Greek word migma which means a mixture
Class
Igneous Rocks
Metamorphic Rocks
Sub-Class
Durable Rock, Hard Rock
Durable Rock, Medium Hardness Rock
Other Categories
Coarse Grained Rock, Opaque Rock
Coarse Grained Rock, Fine Grained Rock, Medium Grained Rock, Opaque Rock
Texture
Phaneritic
Foliated
Color
Dark Grey to Black
Black, Bluish - Grey, Brown, Brown- Black, Dark Greenish - Grey, Dark Grey to Black
Durability
Durable
Durable
Scratch Resistant
Yes
Yes
Appearance
Veined and Shiny
Dull, Banded and Foilated
Interior Uses
Countertops, Decorative Aggregates, Homes, Interior Decoration
Countertops, Flooring, Kitchens
Exterior Uses
As Building Stone, As Facing Stone, Garden Decoration, Office Buildings, Paving Stone
As Building Stone, As Facing Stone
Other Architectural Uses
Curbing
Curbing
Construction Industry
As Dimension Stone, Building houses or walls, Cement Manufacture, Construction Aggregate, for Road Aggregate
As Dimension Stone, Cement Manufacture, for Road Aggregate, Making natural cement
Antiquity Uses
Artifacts, Monuments, Sculpture
Artifacts
Commercial Uses
Cemetery Markers, Commemorative Tablets, Laboratory bench tops, Jewelry, Sea Defence, Tombstones
Cemetery Markers, Jewelry, Tombstones, Used to manufracture paperweights and bookends
Types
Anorthosite Gabbro and Norite Gabbro
Diatexites and Metatexites
Features
Smooth to touch
Generally rough to touch, Is one of the oldest rock
Archaeological Significance
Formation
Gabbro, a mafic rock, forms due to cooling and crystallization of magma underneath Earth's surface.
Migmatites form by high temperature regional and thermal metamorphism of protolith rocks where rocks melt partially due to high temperature.
Mineral Content
Augite, Olivine, Plagioclase, Pyroxene
Biotite, Chlorite, Feldspar, Garnet, Graphite, Hornblade, Micas, Muscovite or Illite, Quartz, Quartzite, Silica, Zircon
Compound Content
Aluminium Oxide, CaO, Chromium(III) Oxide, Iron(III) Oxide, Potassium Oxide, MgO, Sodium Oxide, Silicon Dioxide, Sulfur Trioxide
Aluminium Oxide, NaCl, CaO, Carbon Dioxide, Iron(III) Oxide, FeO, Potassium Oxide, Magnesium Carbonate, MgO, MnO, Phosphorus Pentoxide, Silicon Dioxide, Titanium Dioxide
Types of Metamorphism
Impact Metamorphism
Burial Metamorphism, Cataclastic Metamorphism, Regional Metamorphism
Types of Weathering
Chemical Weathering
Biological Weathering, Chemical Weathering, Mechanical Weathering
Types of Erosion
Coastal Erosion
Chemical Erosion, Glacier Erosion, Water Erosion, Wind Erosion
Grain Size
Coarse Grained
Medium to Fine Coarse Grained
Fracture
Conchoidal
Irregular
Porosity
Highly Porous
Very Less Porous
Luster
-
Dull to Pearly to Subvitreous
Specific Gravity
2.86-2.87
2.65-2.75
Transparency
Opaque
Opaque
Density
2.7-3.3 g/cm3
-9999 g/cm3
Resistance
Impact Resistant, Pressure Resistant, Wear Resistant
Heat Resistant, Pressure Resistant
Deposits in Eastern Continents
Asia
India, Russia
China, India, Iran, Iraq, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Mongolia, Russia
Africa
South Africa
Cameroon, Ethiopia, Ghana, Kenya, Madagascar, Morocco, Mozambique, Namibia, Nigeria, Tanzania, Togo
Europe
Germany, Greece, Italy, Scotland, Turkey
Albania, Austria, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Finland, France, Georgia, Germany, Hungary, Italy, Kosovo, Monaco, Norway, Poland, Romania, Serbia, Slovakia, Slovenia, Sweden, Switzerland, Ukraine, United Kingdom
Deposits in Western Continents
North America
Canada, USA
Canada, Costa Rica, Cuba, Mexico, Panama, USA
South America
Brazil, Colombia, Venezuela
Argentina, Bolivia, Brazil, Chile, Colombia, Ecuador, Peru, Venezuela
Deposits in Oceania Continent
Australia
New Zealand, Queensland
New South Wales, New Zealand, Queensland, Victoria
Gabbro vs Migmatite 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 Migmatite characteristics assist us to distinguish and recognize rocks. Also you can check about Properties of Gabbro and Properties of Migmatite. Learn more about Gabbro vs Migmatite in the next section. The interior uses of Gabbro include Countertops, Decorative aggregates, Homes and Interior decoration whereas the interior uses of Migmatite include Countertops, Flooring and Kitchens. Due to some exceptional properties of Gabbro and Migmatite, 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 Migmatite include As dimension stone, Cement manufacture, For road aggregate, Making natural cement.
More about Gabbro and Migmatite
Here you can know more about Gabbro and Migmatite. The life cycle of a rock consists of formation of rock, composition of rock and transformation of rock. The composition of Gabbro and Migmatite consists of mineral content and compound content. The mineral content of Gabbro includes Augite, Olivine, Plagioclase, Pyroxene and mineral content of Migmatite includes Biotite, Chlorite, Feldspar, Garnet, Graphite, Hornblade, Micas, Muscovite or Illite, Quartz, Quartzite, Silica, Zircon. You can also check out the list of all Igneous Rocks. When we have to compare Gabbro vs Migmatite, 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, Migmatite is available in black, bluish - grey, brown, brown- black, dark greenish - grey, dark grey to black colors. Appearance of Gabbro is Veined and Shiny and that of Migmatite is Dull, Banded and Foilated. Properties of rock is another aspect for Gabbro vs Migmatite. The hardness of Gabbro is 7 and that of Migmatite is 5.5-6.5. The types of Gabbro are Anorthosite Gabbro and Norite Gabbro whereas types of Migmatite are Diatexites and Metatexites. 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 Migmatite is white. The specific heat capacity of Gabbro is 0.71 kJ/Kg K and that of Migmatite is 0.79 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 Migmatite is heat resistant, pressure resistant.