Definition
Granodiorite is a coarse-grained intrusive igneous rock containing quartz and plagioclase, and which has composition in between granite and diorite
Gabbro is an intrusive igneous rock which is chemically equivalent to plutonic Basalt
Discoverer
Unknown
Christian Leopold von Buch
Etymology
From granite + diorite
From Latin glaber bare, smooth, bald
Class
Igneous Rocks
Igneous Rocks
Sub-Class
Durable Rock, Medium Hardness Rock
Durable Rock, Hard Rock
Other Categories
Coarse Grained Rock, Medium Grained Rock, Opaque Rock
Coarse Grained Rock, Opaque Rock
Texture
Granular, Phaneritic
Phaneritic
Color
Black, Grey, Orange, Pink, White
Dark Grey to Black
Durability
Durable
Durable
Scratch Resistant
Yes
Yes
Appearance
Veined or Pebbled
Veined and Shiny
Interior Uses
Bathrooms, Countertops, Decorative Aggregates, Entryways, Floor Tiles, Flooring, Homes, Hotels, Interior Decoration, Stair Treads
Countertops, Decorative Aggregates, Homes, Interior Decoration
Exterior Uses
As Building Stone, Bridges, Paving Stone, Garden Decoration, Office Buildings, Resorts
As Building Stone, As Facing Stone, Garden Decoration, Office Buildings, Paving Stone
Other Architectural Uses
-
Curbing
Construction Industry
As Dimension Stone
As Dimension Stone, Building houses or walls, Cement Manufacture, Construction Aggregate, for Road Aggregate
Antiquity Uses
Artifacts, Monuments, Sculpture
Artifacts, Monuments, Sculpture
Commercial Uses
Curling, Gemstone, Laboratory bench tops, Tombstones
Cemetery Markers, Commemorative Tablets, Laboratory bench tops, Jewelry, Sea Defence, Tombstones
Types
Granodiorite
Anorthosite Gabbro and Norite Gabbro
Features
Available in Lots of Colors and Patterns
Smooth to touch
Archaeological Significance
Formation
Granodiorite is an intrusive igneous rock which is very hard, crystalline and is visibly homogeneous in texture and forms by melting of continental rocks.
Gabbro, a mafic rock, forms due to cooling and crystallization of magma underneath Earth's surface.
Mineral Content
Amphibole, Biotite, Feldspar, Hornblade, Micas, Muscovite or Illite, Plagioclase, Pyroxene, Quartz
Augite, Olivine, Plagioclase, Pyroxene
Compound Content
Aluminium Oxide, CaO, Iron(III) Oxide, FeO, Potassium Oxide, MgO, MnO, Sodium Oxide, Phosphorus Pentoxide, Silicon Dioxide, Titanium Dioxide
Aluminium Oxide, CaO, Chromium(III) Oxide, Iron(III) Oxide, Potassium Oxide, MgO, Sodium Oxide, Silicon Dioxide, Sulfur Trioxide
Types of Metamorphism
Burial Metamorphism, Cataclastic Metamorphism, Contact Metamorphism, Hydrothermal Metamorphism, Impact Metamorphism, Regional Metamorphism
Impact Metamorphism
Types of Weathering
Chemical Weathering
Chemical Weathering
Types of Erosion
Chemical Erosion, Glacier Erosion, Wind Erosion
Coastal Erosion
Grain Size
Medium to Coarse Grained
Coarse Grained
Porosity
Less Porous
Highly Porous
Luster
Grainy, Pearly and Vitreous
-
Specific Gravity
2.6-2.7
2.86-2.87
Transparency
Opaque
Opaque
Density
2.6-2.8 g/cm3
2.7-3.3 g/cm3
Resistance
Heat Resistant, Wear Resistant
Impact Resistant, Pressure Resistant, Wear Resistant
Deposits in Eastern Continents
Asia
China, India, Iran, Saudi Arabia, Sri Lanka, Taiwan, Thailand, Turkey, Vietnam
India, Russia
Africa
Angola, Egypt, Madagascar, Namibia, Nigeria, South Africa
South Africa
Europe
Austria, Belgium, Finland, France, Germany, Italy, Norway, Sardinia, Spain, Switzerland, The Czech Republic
Germany, Greece, Italy, Scotland, Turkey
Deposits in Western Continents
North America
Canada, USA
Canada, USA
South America
-
Brazil, Colombia, Venezuela
Deposits in Oceania Continent
Australia
-
New Zealand, Queensland
All about Granodiorite and Gabbro Properties
Know all about Granodiorite and Gabbro properties here. All properties of rocks are important as they define the type of rock and its application. Granodiorite and Gabbro belong to Igneous Rocks.Texture of Granodiorite is Granular, Phaneritic whereas that of Gabbro is Phaneritic. Granodiorite appears Veined or Pebbled and Gabbro appears Veined and Shiny. The luster of Granodiorite is grainy, pearly and vitreous while that of Gabbro is . Granodiorite is available in black, grey, orange, pink, white colors whereas Gabbro is available in dark grey to black colors. The commercial uses of Granodiorite are curling, gemstone, laboratory bench tops, tombstones and that of Gabbro are cemetery markers, commemorative tablets, laboratory bench tops, jewelry, sea defence, tombstones.