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
Trondhjemite is a leucocratic (light-colored) intrusive igneous rock. It is a variety of tonalite in which the plagioclase is mostly in the form of oligoclase. Trondhjemites are sometimes known as plagiogranites.
Discoverer
Alexander von Humboldt
Unknown
Etymology
From Italian granito, which means grained rock, from grano grain, and from Latin granum
From Trondheim, Norway
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
Granular, Phaneritic
Phaneritic
Color
Black, Grey, Orange, Pink, White
Black, Brown, Light to Dark Grey, White
Durability
Durable
Durable
Scratch Resistant
Yes
Yes
Appearance
Veined or Pebbled
Banded and Foilated
Interior Uses
Countertops, Decorative Aggregates, Entryways, Floor Tiles, Flooring, Homes, Hotels, Interior Decoration, Kitchens, Stair Treads
Decorative Aggregates, Entryways, 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, Paving Stone, Garden Decoration, Office Buildings
Other Architectural Uses
Curbing
Curbing
Construction Industry
As Dimension Stone
As Dimension Stone, Cement Manufacture, Cobblestones, Construction Aggregate, for Road Aggregate
Antiquity Uses
Monuments, Sculpture, Small Figurines
Artifacts, Monuments, Sculpture, Small Figurines
Commercial Uses
Curling, Gemstone, Laboratory bench tops, Tombstones, Used in aquariums
Cemetery Markers, Creating Artwork
Types
Igneous Protolith Granite, Sedimentary Protolith Granite, Mantle Granite, Anorogenic Granite, Hybrid Granite, Granodiorite and Alkali Feldspar Granite
Intermediate intrusive rock
Features
Available in Lots of Colors and Patterns, It is One of the Oldest, Strongest and Hardest Rock
Is one of the oldest rock, Typically speckled black and white.
Archaeological Significance
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
-
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
-
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
When alkali feldspar is extracted from granite, it changes to granitoid and later, it becomes trondhjemite with quartz as major mineral.
Mineral Content
Amphibole, Biotite, Feldspar, Hornblade, Micas, Muscovite or Illite, Plagioclase, Pyroxene, Quartz
Albite, Amphibole, Apatite, Biotite, Feldspar, Hornblade, Ilmenite, Magnetite, Manganese Oxides, Olivine, Plagioclase, Pyroxene, Quartz, Sulfides, Titanite, Zircon
Compound Content
Aluminium Oxide, CaO, Iron(III) Oxide, FeO, Potassium Oxide, MgO, MnO, Sodium Oxide, Phosphorus Pentoxide, Silicon Dioxide, Titanium Dioxide
NaCl, CaO, MgO, Silicon Dioxide
Types of Metamorphism
Burial Metamorphism, Cataclastic Metamorphism
Burial Metamorphism, Cataclastic Metamorphism, Contact Metamorphism, Impact Metamorphism, Regional Metamorphism
Types of Weathering
Biological Weathering
Biological Weathering, Chemical Weathering, Mechanical Weathering
Types of Erosion
Chemical Erosion, Sea Erosion, Water Erosion
Chemical Erosion, Coastal Erosion, Glacier Erosion, Sea Erosion, Water Erosion, Wind Erosion
Grain Size
Large and Coarse Grained
Medium to Fine Coarse Grained
Streak
White
Bluish Black
Porosity
Less Porous
Very Less Porous
Luster
Dull to Grainy with Sporadic parts Pearly and Vitreous
Subvitreous to Dull
Specific Gravity
2.6-2.7
2.86-3
Transparency
Opaque
Opaque
Density
2.65-2.75 g/cm3
2.73 g/cm3
Resistance
Heat Resistant, Wear Resistant
Heat Resistant, Pressure Resistant, Wear Resistant
Deposits in Eastern Continents
Asia
China, India, Iran, Saudi Arabia, Sri Lanka, Taiwan, Thailand, Turkey, Vietnam
-
Africa
Angola, Egypt, Madagascar, Namibia, Nigeria, South Africa
Egypt
Europe
Austria, Belgium, Finland, France, Germany, Italy, Norway, Sardinia, Spain, Switzerland, The Czech Republic
Finland, Germany, Italy, Romania, Sweden, Turkey
Deposits in Western Continents
North America
Canada, USA
USA
South America
-
Argentina, Bolivia, Chile, Colombia, Ecuador, Peru
Deposits in Oceania Continent
Australia
-
New Zealand, South Australia, Western Australia
Granite vs Trondhjemite 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 Trondhjemite characteristics assist us to distinguish and recognize rocks. Also you can check about Properties of Granite and Properties of Trondhjemite. Learn more about Granite vs Trondhjemite 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 Trondhjemite include Decorative aggregates, Entryways, Flooring, Homes and Interior decoration. Due to some exceptional properties of Granite and Trondhjemite, they have various applications in construction industry. The uses of Granite in construction industry include As dimension stone and that of Trondhjemite include As dimension stone, Cement manufacture, Cobblestones, Construction aggregate, For road aggregate.
More about Granite and Trondhjemite
Here you can know more about Granite and Trondhjemite. The life cycle of a rock consists of formation of rock, composition of rock and transformation of rock. The composition of Granite and Trondhjemite 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 Trondhjemite includes Albite, Amphibole, Apatite, Biotite, Feldspar, Hornblade, Ilmenite, Magnetite, Manganese Oxides, Olivine, Plagioclase, Pyroxene, Quartz, Sulfides, Titanite, Zircon. You can also check out the list of all Igneous Rocks. When we have to compare Granite vs Trondhjemite, 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, Trondhjemite is available in black, brown, light to dark grey, white colors. Appearance of Granite is Veined or Pebbled and that of Trondhjemite is Banded and Foilated. Properties of rock is another aspect for Granite vs Trondhjemite. Hardness of Granite and Trondhjemite 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 Trondhjemite are Intermediate intrusive rock. 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 Trondhjemite is bluish black. The specific heat capacity of Granite is 0.79 kJ/Kg K and that of Trondhjemite 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.Granite is heat resistant, wear resistant whereas Trondhjemite is heat resistant, pressure resistant, wear resistant.