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Granite vs Amphibolite


Amphibolite vs Granite


Definition

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  
Amphibolite can be defined as a granular metamorphic rock which mainly consist of hornblende and plagioclase  

History
  
  

Origin
-  
-  

Discoverer
Alexander von Humboldt  
Alexandre Brongniart  

Etymology
From Italian granito, which means grained rock, from grano grain, and from Latin granum  
From Amphibole + -ite  

Class
Igneous Rocks  
Metamorphic Rocks  

Sub-Class
Durable Rock, Hard Rock  
Durable Rock, Hard Rock  

Family
  
  

Group
Plutonic  
-  

Other Categories
Coarse Grained Rock, Opaque Rock  
Coarse Grained Rock, Medium Grained Rock, Opaque Rock  

Texture

Texture
Granular, Phaneritic  
Banded, Foliated, Massive  

Color
Black, Grey, Orange, Pink, White  
Black, Brown, Green, Grey  

Maintenance
More  
Less  

Durability
Durable  
Durable  

Water Resistant
Yes  
Yes  

Scratch Resistant
Yes  
Yes  

Stain Resistant
Yes  
Yes  

Wind Resistant
Yes  
No  

Acid Resistant
No  
Yes  

Appearance
Veined or Pebbled  
Foliated  

Uses

Architecture
  
  

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

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, Paving Stone, Office Buildings  

Other Architectural Uses
Curbing  
Curbing  

Industry
  
  

Construction Industry
As Dimension Stone  
As Dimension Stone, Building houses or walls, Cobblestones, Construction Aggregate, for Road Aggregate, Landscaping, Production of Glass and Ceramics, Roadstone  

Medical Industry
-  
-  

Antiquity Uses
Monuments, Sculpture, Small Figurines  
Artifacts, Sculpture, Small Figurines  

Other Uses
  
  

Commercial Uses
Curling, Gemstone, Laboratory bench tops, Tombstones, Used in aquariums  
Cemetery Markers, Commemorative Tablets, Creating Artwork  

Types

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

Features
Available in Lots of Colors and Patterns, It is One of the Oldest, Strongest and Hardest Rock  
Clasts are smooth to touch, Matrix variable, Surfaces are often shiny  

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  
Absent  

Formation

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  
Amphibolite is a coarse-grained metamorphic rock which forms by metamorphism of mafic igneous rocks like basalt and gabbro or from the metamorphism of clay-rich sedimentary rocks like marl or graywacke.  

Composition
  
  

Mineral Content
Amphibole, Biotite, Feldspar, Hornblade, Micas, Muscovite or Illite, Plagioclase, Pyroxene, Quartz  
Amphibole, Andalusite, Biotite, Calcite, Epidote, Garnet, Hornblade, Kyanite, Magnetite, Olivine, Plagioclase, Pyroxene, Staurolite, Wollastonite  

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

Transformation
  
  

Metamorphism
Yes  
No  

Types of Metamorphism
Burial Metamorphism, Cataclastic Metamorphism  
-  

Weathering
Yes  
Yes  

Types of Weathering
Biological Weathering  
Chemical Weathering, Mechanical Weathering  

Erosion
Yes  
Yes  

Types of Erosion
Chemical Erosion, Sea Erosion, Water Erosion  
Chemical Erosion, Glacier Erosion, Sea Erosion, Wind Erosion  

Properties

Physical Properties
  
  

Hardness
6-7  
6-7  

Grain Size
Large and Coarse Grained  
Medium to Coarse Grained  

Fracture
-  
Irregular to Conchoidal  

Streak
White  
White to Grey  

Porosity
Less Porous  
Less Porous  

Luster
Dull to Grainy with Sporadic parts Pearly and Vitreous  
Vitreous to Dull  

Compressive Strength
175.00 N/mm2  
20
90.00 N/mm2  
32

Cleavage
-  
-  

Toughness
-  
2.3  

Specific Gravity
2.6-2.7  
2.5  

Transparency
Opaque  
Opaque  

Density
2.65-2.75 g/cm3  
2.85-3.07 g/cm3  

Thermal Properties
  
  

Specific Heat Capacity
0.79 kJ/Kg K  
17
0.84 kJ/Kg K  
15

Resistance
Heat Resistant, Wear Resistant  
Heat Resistant, Pressure Resistant, Wear Resistant  

Reserves

Deposits in Eastern Continents
  
  

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

Africa
Angola, Egypt, Madagascar, Namibia, Nigeria, South Africa  
Burundi, Djibouti, Eritrea, Ethiopia, Kenya, Madagascar, Rwanda, Somalia, South Africa, Sudan, Tanzania, Uganda  

Europe
Austria, Belgium, Finland, France, Germany, Italy, Norway, Sardinia, Spain, Switzerland, The Czech Republic  
Germany, Greece, Iceland, Norway, Poland  

Others
-  
-  

Deposits in Western Continents
  
  

North America
Canada, USA  
Canada, USA  

South America
-  
Brazil  

Deposits in Oceania Continent
  
  

Australia
-  
South Australia, Western Australia  

Definition >>
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Granite vs Amphibolite 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 Granite and Amphibolite Reserves. Granite is a very hard, granular, crystalline igneous rock which consists mainly of quartz, mica, and feldspar and is often used as building stone. Amphibolite can be defined as a granular metamorphic rock which mainly consist of hornblende and plagioclase. 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 Granite vs Amphibolite information and Granite vs Amphibolite characteristics in the upcoming sections.

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Granite vs Amphibolite 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. Granite vs Amphibolite characteristics assist us to distinguish and recognize rocks. Also you can check about Properties of Granite and Properties of Amphibolite. Learn more about Granite vs Amphibolite in the next section. The interior uses of Granite include Countertops, Decorative aggregates, Entryways, Floor tiles, Flooring, Homes, Hotels, Interior decoration, Kitchens and Stair treads whereas the interior uses of Amphibolite include Countertops, Decorative aggregates, Entryways, Floor tiles, Flooring, Homes, Hotels and Kitchens. Due to some exceptional properties of Granite and Amphibolite, they have various applications in construction industry. The uses of Granite in construction industry include As dimension stone and that of Amphibolite include As dimension stone, Building houses or walls, Cobblestones, Construction aggregate, For road aggregate, Landscaping, Production of glass and ceramics, Roadstone.

More about Granite and Amphibolite

Here you can know more about Granite and Amphibolite. The life cycle of a rock consists of formation of rock, composition of rock and transformation of rock. The composition of Granite and Amphibolite consists of mineral content and compound content. The mineral content of Granite includes Amphibole, Biotite, Feldspar, Hornblade, Micas, Muscovite or Illite, Plagioclase, Pyroxene, Quartz and mineral content of Amphibolite includes Amphibole, Andalusite, Biotite, Calcite, Epidote, Garnet, Hornblade, Kyanite, Magnetite, Olivine, Plagioclase, Pyroxene, Staurolite, Wollastonite. You can also check out the list of all Igneous Rocks. When we have to compare Granite vs Amphibolite, the texture, color and appearance plays an important role in determining the type of rock. Granite is available in black, grey, orange, pink, white colors whereas, Amphibolite is available in black, brown, green, grey colors. Appearance of Granite is Veined or Pebbled and that of Amphibolite is Foliated. Properties of rock is another aspect for Granite vs Amphibolite. Hardness of Granite and Amphibolite is 6-7. The types of Granite are Igneous Protolith Granite, Sedimentary Protolith Granite, Mantle Granite, Anorogenic Granite, Hybrid Granite, Granodiorite and Alkali Feldspar Granite whereas types of Amphibolite are Hornblendite. Streak of rock is the color of powder produced when it is dragged across an unweathered surface. The streak of Granite is white while that of Amphibolite is white to grey. The specific heat capacity of Granite is 0.79 kJ/Kg K and that of Amphibolite 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.Granite is heat resistant, wear resistant whereas Amphibolite is heat resistant, pressure resistant, wear resistant.

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