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Gabbro
Gabbro

Pyroxenite
Pyroxenite



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Gabbro
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Pyroxenite

Gabbro vs Pyroxenite

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Definition

Definition

Gabbro is an intrusive igneous rock which is chemically equivalent to plutonic Basalt
Pyroxenite is a dark, greenish, granular intrusive igneous rock consisting mainly of pyroxenes and olivine

History

Origin

Germany
-

Discoverer

Christian Leopold von Buch
Unknown

Etymology

From Latin glaber bare, smooth, bald
From pyro- fire + Greek xenos stranger as the mineral group was new to igneous rocks

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, Opaque Rock

Texture

Texture

Phaneritic
Clastic, Granular, Phaneritic, Porphyritic

Color

Dark Grey to Black
Black to Grey, Bluish - Grey, Dark Greenish - Grey, Green, Light Greenish Grey

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
Countertops, Decorative Aggregates, Interior Decoration, 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

Industry

Construction Industry

As Dimension Stone, Building houses or walls, Cement Manufacture, Construction Aggregate, for Road Aggregate
As Dimension Stone, Building houses or walls, Cement Manufacture, Construction Aggregate, for Road Aggregate

Medical Industry

-
-

Antiquity Uses

Artifacts, Monuments, Sculpture
Artifacts

Other Uses

Commercial Uses

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

Types

Types

Anorthosite Gabbro and Norite Gabbro
Clinopyroxenites, Orthopyroxenites and Websterites

Features

Smooth to touch
Generally rough to touch, Host rock for Diamond, 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.
Pyroxenites are ultramafic igneous rocks which are made up of minerals of the pyroxene group, such as augite and diopside, hypersthene, bronzite or enstatite.

Composition

Mineral Content

Augite, Olivine, Plagioclase, Pyroxene
Amphibole, Augite, Bronzite, Chromite, Diopside, Enstatite, Garnet, Hornblende, Hypersthene, Magnetite, Pyroxene

Compound Content

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

Transformation

Metamorphism

Types of Metamorphism

Impact Metamorphism
Burial Metamorphism, Impact Metamorphism, Regional Metamorphism

Weathering

Types of Weathering

Chemical Weathering
Biological Weathering, Chemical Weathering, Mechanical Weathering

Erosion

Types of Erosion

Coastal Erosion
Chemical Erosion, Coastal Erosion, Water Erosion

Properties

Physical Properties

Hardness

77
1 7
👆🏻

Grain Size

Coarse Grained
Coarse Grained

Fracture

Conchoidal
Uneven

Streak

Black
White, Greenish White or Grey

Porosity

Highly Porous
Less Porous

Luster

-
Dull to Vitreous to Submetallic

Compressive Strength

225.00 N/mm2150.00 N/mm2
0.15 450
👆🏻

Cleavage

-
-

Toughness

1.6
-

Specific Gravity

2.86-2.873.2-3.5
0 8.4
👆🏻

Transparency

Opaque
Opaque

Density

2.7-3.3 g/cm33.1-3.6 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
Impact Resistant, Pressure Resistant, Wear Resistant

Reserves

Deposits in Eastern Continents

Asia

India, Russia
India, Russia

Africa

South Africa
South Africa

Europe

Germany, Greece, Italy, Scotland, Turkey
Germany, Greece, Italy, Scotland, Turkey

Others

Greenland
Greenland

Deposits in Western Continents

North America

Canada, USA
Canada, USA

South America

Brazil, Colombia, Venezuela
Brazil, Colombia, Venezuela

Deposits in Oceania Continent

Australia

New Zealand, Queensland
New Zealand, Queensland

Gabbro vs Pyroxenite 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 Pyroxenite Reserves. Gabbro is an intrusive igneous rock which is chemically equivalent to plutonic Basalt. Pyroxenite is a dark, greenish, granular intrusive igneous rock consisting mainly of pyroxenes and olivine. 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 Pyroxenite information and Gabbro vs Pyroxenite characteristics in the upcoming sections.

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

More about Gabbro and Pyroxenite

Here you can know more about Gabbro and Pyroxenite. The life cycle of a rock consists of formation of rock, composition of rock and transformation of rock. The composition of Gabbro and Pyroxenite consists of mineral content and compound content. The mineral content of Gabbro includes Augite, Olivine, Plagioclase, Pyroxene and mineral content of Pyroxenite includes Amphibole, Augite, Bronzite, Chromite, Diopside, Enstatite, Garnet, Hornblende, Hypersthene, Magnetite, Pyroxene. You can also check out the list of all Igneous Rocks. When we have to compare Gabbro vs Pyroxenite, 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, Pyroxenite is available in black to grey, bluish - grey, dark greenish - grey, green, light greenish grey colors. Appearance of Gabbro is Veined and Shiny and that of Pyroxenite is Layered, Banded, Veined and Shiny. Properties of rock is another aspect for Gabbro vs Pyroxenite. Hardness of Gabbro and Pyroxenite is 7. The types of Gabbro are Anorthosite Gabbro and Norite Gabbro whereas types of Pyroxenite are Clinopyroxenites, Orthopyroxenites and Websterites. 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 Pyroxenite is white, greenish white or grey. The specific heat capacity of Gabbro is 0.71 kJ/Kg K and that of Pyroxenite 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 Pyroxenite is impact resistant, pressure resistant, wear resistant.