Granite

Pseudotachylite

Granite and Pseudotachylite

Granite

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Definition

Granite is a very hard, granular, crystalline igneous rock which consists mainly of quartz, mica, and feldspar and is often used as building stone

Very fine grained fault rock which is composed of glassy matrix that often contains inclusions of wall-rock fragments.

History

Origin

USA

Discoverer

Alexander von Humboldt

Unknown

Etymology

From Italian granito, which means grained rock, from grano grain, and from Latin granum

From pseudo- +‎ tachylite, a glassy rock generated by frictional heat within faults.

Class

Igneous Rocks

Metamorphic Rocks

Sub-Class

Durable Rock, Hard Rock

Family

Group

Plutonic

Other Categories

Coarse Grained Rock, Opaque Rock

Fine Grained Rock, Opaque Rock

Texture

Granular, Phaneritic

Quench

Color

Black, Grey, Orange, Pink, White

Black, Brown, Green, Grey, Pink, White

Maintenance

Less

Durability

Durable

Water Resistant

✔ ✘

Scratch Resistant

✔ ✘

Stain Resistant

✔ ✘

Wind Resistant

✔ ✘

Acid Resistant

✔ ✘

Appearance

Veined or Pebbled

Dull and Soft

Uses

Architecture

Interior Uses

Countertops, Decorative Aggregates, Entryways, Floor Tiles, Flooring, Homes, Hotels, Interior Decoration, Kitchens, Stair Treads

Decorative Aggregates, Entryways, Interior Decoration

Exterior Uses

As Building Stone, As Facing Stone, Bridges, Paving Stone, Garden Decoration, Near Swimming Pools, Office Buildings, Resorts

As Building Stone, As Facing Stone, Garden Decoration

Other Architectural Uses

Curbing

Industry

Construction Industry

As Dimension Stone

As Dimension Stone, Cement Manufacture, for Road Aggregate, Making natural cement

Medical Industry

Antiquity Uses

Monuments, Sculpture, Small Figurines

Artifacts, Monuments

Other Uses

Commercial Uses

Curling, Gemstone, Laboratory bench tops, Tombstones, Used in aquariums

Creating Artwork, Gemstone

Types

Igneous Protolith Granite, Sedimentary Protolith Granite, Mantle Granite, Anorogenic Granite, Hybrid Granite, Granodiorite and Alkali Feldspar Granite

Cataclastic rock

Features

Available in Lots of Colors and Patterns, It is One of the Oldest, Strongest and Hardest Rock

Host Rock for Lead

Archaeological Significance

Monuments

Famous Monuments

Agia Sophia in Istanbul, Turkey, Blue Domed Church in Santorini, Greece, Blue Mosque in Istanbul, Charminar in Hyderabad, India, Diana, Princess of Wales Memorial Fountain in London, UK, Ephesus in Turkey, Georgia Guidestones in Georgia, US, Hermitage in Saint Petersburg, Khajuraho Temples, India, Mahabalipuram in Tamil Nadu, India, Mysore Palace in Karnataka, India, Signers Monument in Augusta, Georgia, Statue of Liberty in New York, USA, Taj Mahal in Agra, India, Tower Bridge in London, Vietnam Veterans Memorial in Washington, US, Washington Monument, US

Sculpture

Famous Sculptures

Avukana Buddha Statue in Sri Lanka, Lincoln Memorial in America, Mount Rushmore National Memorial in South Dakota, US, The Colossal Red Granite Statue of Amenhotep III in Karnak, Egypt

Pictographs

Petroglyphs

Figurines

Fossils

Absent

Formation

Granite is an intrusive igneous rock which is very hard, crystalline and is visibly homogeneous in texture and forms by melting of continental rocks

Due to change in environmental conditions, rocks are heated and pressurized deep inside the Earth's surface. Pseudotachylite is formed from the extreme heat caused by magma or by the intense collisions and friction of tectonic plates.

Composition

Mineral Content

Amphibole, Biotite, Feldspar, Hornblade, Micas, Muscovite or Illite, Plagioclase, Pyroxene, Quartz

Iron Oxides, Pyroxene, Quartz, Stishovite, Sulfides

Compound Content

Aluminium Oxide, CaO, Iron(III) Oxide, FeO, Potassium Oxide, MgO, MnO, Sodium Oxide, Phosphorus Pentoxide, Silicon Dioxide, Titanium Dioxide

Carbon Dioxide, Silicon Dioxide, Sulfur Dioxide, Sulphur

Transformation

Metamorphism

✔ ✘

Types of Metamorphism

Burial Metamorphism, Cataclastic Metamorphism

Burial Metamorphism, Cataclastic Metamorphism, Contact Metamorphism

Weathering

✔ ✘

Types of Weathering

Biological Weathering

Erosion

✔ ✘

Types of Erosion

Chemical Erosion, Sea Erosion, Water Erosion

Properties

Physical Properties

Hardness

6-77

1 7

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Grain Size

Large and Coarse Grained

Very fine-grained

Fracture

Uneven

Streak

White

Light to dark brown

Porosity

Less Porous

Luster

Dull to Grainy with Sporadic parts Pearly and Vitreous

Vitreous

Compressive Strength

175.00 N/mm²60.00 N/mm²

0.15 450

👆🏻

Cleavage

Toughness

Specific Gravity

2.6-2.72.46-2.86

0 8.4

👆🏻

Transparency

Opaque

Transparent to Translucent

Density

2.65-2.75 g/cm³2.7-2.9 g/cm³

0 1400

👆🏻

Thermal Properties

Specific Heat Capacity

0.79 kJ/Kg K0.92 kJ/Kg K

0.14 3.2

👆🏻

Resistance

Heat Resistant, Wear Resistant

Heat Resistant

Reserves

Deposits in Eastern Continents

Asia

China, India, Iran, Saudi Arabia, Sri Lanka, Taiwan, Thailand, Turkey, Vietnam

South Korea

Africa

Angola, Egypt, Madagascar, Namibia, Nigeria, South Africa

Western Africa

Europe

Austria, Belgium, Finland, France, Germany, Italy, Norway, Sardinia, Spain, Switzerland, The Czech Republic

Great Britain, Switzerland

Others

Deposits in Western Continents

North America

Canada, USA

South America

Deposits in Oceania Continent

Australia

Central Australia, Western Australia

All about Granite and Pseudotachylite Properties

Know all about Granite and Pseudotachylite properties here. All properties of rocks are important as they define the type of rock and its application. Granite belongs to Igneous Rocks while Pseudotachylite belongs to Metamorphic Rocks.Texture of Granite is Granular, Phaneritic whereas that of Pseudotachylite is Quench. Granite appears Veined or Pebbled and Pseudotachylite appears Dull and Soft. The luster of Granite is dull to grainy with sporadic parts pearly and vitreous while that of Pseudotachylite is vitreous. Granite is available in black, grey, orange, pink, white colors whereas Pseudotachylite is available in black, brown, green, grey, pink, white colors. The commercial uses of Granite are curling, gemstone, laboratory bench tops, tombstones, used in aquariums and that of Pseudotachylite are creating artwork, gemstone.