Definition
Gabbro is an intrusive igneous rock which is chemically equivalent to plutonic Basalt
Tephrite is an aphanitic to porphyritic textured, volcanic igneous rock
Discoverer
Christian Leopold von Buch
Van Tooren
Etymology
From Latin glaber bare, smooth, bald
From Greek tephra, ashes from Indo-European base, to burn
Class
Igneous Rocks
Igneous Rocks
Sub-Class
Durable Rock, Hard Rock
Durable Rock, Hard Rock
Other Categories
Coarse Grained Rock, Opaque Rock
Coarse Grained Rock, Fine Grained Rock, Medium Grained Rock, Opaque Rock
Texture
Phaneritic
Aphanitic to Porphyritic
Color
Dark Grey to Black
Black, Brown, Green, Grey, White
Durability
Durable
Durable
Scratch Resistant
Yes
Yes
Appearance
Veined and Shiny
Vesicular
Interior Uses
Countertops, Decorative Aggregates, Homes, Interior Decoration
Decorative Aggregates, Flooring, 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, Office Buildings
Other Architectural Uses
Curbing
Curbing
Construction Industry
As Dimension Stone, Building houses or walls, Cement Manufacture, Construction Aggregate, for Road Aggregate
Landscaping
Antiquity Uses
Artifacts, Monuments, Sculpture
Artifacts, Sculpture
Commercial Uses
Cemetery Markers, Commemorative Tablets, Laboratory bench tops, Jewelry, Sea Defence, Tombstones
Production of Lime, Soil Conditioner
Types
Anorthosite Gabbro and Norite Gabbro
Igneous rock
Features
Smooth to touch
Host Rock for Lead
Archaeological Significance
Formation
Gabbro, a mafic rock, forms due to cooling and crystallization of magma underneath Earth's surface.
Tephrite 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
Alkali feldspar, Nepheline, Plagioclase, Pyroxene
Compound Content
Aluminium Oxide, CaO, Chromium(III) Oxide, Iron(III) Oxide, Potassium Oxide, MgO, Sodium Oxide, Silicon Dioxide, Sulfur Trioxide
CaO, Carbon Dioxide, MgO, Silicon Dioxide
Types of Metamorphism
Impact Metamorphism
Cataclastic Metamorphism, Contact Metamorphism, Impact Metamorphism, Regional Metamorphism
Types of Weathering
Chemical Weathering
Biological Weathering, Chemical Weathering, Mechanical Weathering
Types of Erosion
Coastal Erosion
Chemical Erosion, Coastal Erosion, Glacier Erosion, Sea Erosion, Water Erosion
Grain Size
Coarse Grained
Medium to Fine Coarse Grained
Fracture
Conchoidal
Uneven
Streak
Black
Bluish Black
Porosity
Highly Porous
Very Less Porous
Luster
-
Subvitreous to Dull
Cleavage
-
Crenulation and Pervasive
Specific Gravity
2.86-2.87
2.86
Transparency
Opaque
Opaque
Density
2.7-3.3 g/cm3
2.8-2.9 g/cm3
Resistance
Impact Resistant, Pressure Resistant, Wear Resistant
Heat Resistant, Impact Resistant
Deposits in Eastern Continents
Africa
South Africa
Namibia, Uganda
Europe
Germany, Greece, Italy, Scotland, Turkey
Germany, Hungary, Italy, Portugal, Spain
Deposits in Western Continents
North America
Canada, USA
USA
South America
Brazil, Colombia, Venezuela
-
Deposits in Oceania Continent
Australia
New Zealand, Queensland
New Zealand, Western Australia
Gabbro vs Tephrite 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 Tephrite characteristics assist us to distinguish and recognize rocks. Also you can check about Properties of Gabbro and Properties of Tephrite. Learn more about Gabbro vs Tephrite in the next section. The interior uses of Gabbro include Countertops, Decorative aggregates, Homes and Interior decoration whereas the interior uses of Tephrite include Decorative aggregates, Flooring, Homes and Interior decoration. Due to some exceptional properties of Gabbro and Tephrite, 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 Tephrite include Landscaping.
More about Gabbro and Tephrite
Here you can know more about Gabbro and Tephrite. The life cycle of a rock consists of formation of rock, composition of rock and transformation of rock. The composition of Gabbro and Tephrite consists of mineral content and compound content. The mineral content of Gabbro includes Augite, Olivine, Plagioclase, Pyroxene and mineral content of Tephrite includes Alkali feldspar, Nepheline, Plagioclase, Pyroxene. You can also check out the list of all Igneous Rocks. When we have to compare Gabbro vs Tephrite, 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, Tephrite is available in black, brown, green, grey, white colors. Appearance of Gabbro is Veined and Shiny and that of Tephrite is Vesicular. Properties of rock is another aspect for Gabbro vs Tephrite. The hardness of Gabbro is 7 and that of Tephrite is 6.5. The types of Gabbro are Anorthosite Gabbro and Norite Gabbro whereas types of Tephrite are Igneous rock. 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 Tephrite is bluish black. The specific heat capacity of Gabbro is 0.71 kJ/Kg K and that of Tephrite is 0.92 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 Tephrite is heat resistant, impact resistant.