Granite

Tephrite

Granite and Tephrite

Granite

Tephrite

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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

Tephrite is an aphanitic to porphyritic textured, volcanic igneous rock

History

Origin

Germany

Discoverer

Alexander von Humboldt

Van Tooren

Etymology

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

From Greek tephra, ashes from Indo-European base, to burn

Class

Igneous Rocks

Sub-Class

Durable Rock, Hard Rock

Family

Group

Plutonic

Volcanic

Other Categories

Coarse Grained Rock, Opaque Rock

Coarse Grained Rock, Fine Grained Rock, Medium Grained Rock, Opaque Rock

Texture

Granular, Phaneritic

Aphanitic to Porphyritic

Color

Black, Grey, Orange, Pink, White

Black, Brown, Green, Grey, White

Maintenance

Less

Durability

Durable

Water Resistant

✔ ✘

Scratch Resistant

✔ ✘

Stain Resistant

✔ ✘

Wind Resistant

✔ ✘

Acid Resistant

✔ ✘

Appearance

Veined or Pebbled

Vesicular

Uses

Architecture

Interior Uses

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

Decorative Aggregates, Flooring, Homes, 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, Office Buildings

Other Architectural Uses

Curbing

Industry

Construction Industry

As Dimension Stone

Landscaping

Medical Industry

Antiquity Uses

Monuments, Sculpture, Small Figurines

Artifacts, Sculpture

Other Uses

Commercial Uses

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

Production of Lime, Soil Conditioner

Types

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

Igneous 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

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.

Composition

Mineral Content

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

Alkali feldspar, Nepheline, Plagioclase, Pyroxene

Compound Content

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

CaO, Carbon Dioxide, MgO, Silicon Dioxide

Transformation

Metamorphism

✔ ✘

Types of Metamorphism

Burial Metamorphism, Cataclastic Metamorphism

Cataclastic Metamorphism, Contact Metamorphism, Impact Metamorphism, Regional Metamorphism

Weathering

✔ ✘

Types of Weathering

Biological Weathering

Biological Weathering, Chemical Weathering, Mechanical Weathering

Erosion

✔ ✘

Types of Erosion

Chemical Erosion, Sea Erosion, Water Erosion

Chemical Erosion, Coastal Erosion, Glacier Erosion, Sea Erosion, Water Erosion

Properties

Physical Properties

Hardness

6-76.5

1 7

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Grain Size

Large and Coarse Grained

Medium to Fine Coarse Grained

Fracture

Uneven

Streak

White

Bluish Black

Porosity

Less Porous

Very Less Porous

Luster

Dull to Grainy with Sporadic parts Pearly and Vitreous

Subvitreous to Dull

Compressive Strength

175.00 N/mm²90.00 N/mm²

0.15 450

👆🏻

Cleavage

Crenulation and Pervasive

Toughness

2.4

Specific Gravity

2.6-2.72.86

0 8.4

👆🏻

Transparency

Opaque

Density

2.65-2.75 g/cm³2.8-2.9 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, Impact Resistant

Reserves

Deposits in Eastern Continents

Asia

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

Africa

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

Namibia, Uganda

Europe

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

Germany, Hungary, Italy, Portugal, Spain

Others

Deposits in Western Continents

North America

Canada, USA

USA

South America

Deposits in Oceania Continent

Australia

New Zealand, Western Australia

All about Granite and Tephrite Properties

Know all about Granite and Tephrite properties here. All properties of rocks are important as they define the type of rock and its application. Granite and Tephrite belong to Igneous Rocks.Texture of Granite is Granular, Phaneritic whereas that of Tephrite is Aphanitic to Porphyritic. Granite appears Veined or Pebbled and Tephrite appears Vesicular. The luster of Granite is dull to grainy with sporadic parts pearly and vitreous while that of Tephrite is subvitreous to dull. Granite is available in black, grey, orange, pink, white colors whereas Tephrite is available in black, brown, green, grey, white colors. The commercial uses of Granite are curling, gemstone, laboratory bench tops, tombstones, used in aquariums and that of Tephrite are production of lime, soil conditioner.