Definition
Granophyre is a type of granitic rock which consists of intergrown feldspar and quartz crystals in a medium to fine grained groundmass
Icelandite belongs to volcanic igneous rocks which is rich in iron and belongs to andesite rock
Discoverer
Unknown
Ian S. E. Carmichael
Etymology
From German Granophyr, from Granit granite + Porphyr
From its origin place near Cenozoic volcano near the parsonage Þingmúli in East Iceland
Class
Igneous Rocks
Igneous Rocks
Sub-Class
Durable Rock, Hard Rock
Durable Rock, Hard Rock
Other Categories
Coarse Grained Rock, Fine Grained Rock, Medium Grained Rock, Opaque Rock
Fine Grained Rock, Opaque Rock
Texture
Granophyric
Aphanitic to Porphyritic
Color
Black, Grey, Orange, Pink, White
Bluish - Grey, Grey, Pink, Yellow
Durability
Durable
Durable
Scratch Resistant
Yes
Yes
Appearance
Veined or Pebbled
Dull and Soft
Interior Uses
Bathrooms, Countertops, Decorative Aggregates, Entryways, Floor Tiles, Flooring, Homes, Hotels, Interior Decoration, Kitchens, Stair Treads
Decorative Aggregates, Floor Tiles, Homes, Interior Decoration, Kitchens
Exterior Uses
As Building Stone, As Facing Stone, Bridges, Garden Decoration, Office Buildings, Paving Stone
Office Buildings, Roof Tiles
Other Architectural Uses
Not Yet Used
Curbing
Construction Industry
As Dimension Stone
Cobblestones, Construction Aggregate, for Road Aggregate
Medical Industry
Not Yet Used
Not Yet Used
Antiquity Uses
Artifacts, Monuments, Sculpture, Small Figurines
Artifacts, Jewellery, Sculpture, Small Figurines
Commercial Uses
Curling, Gemstone, Laboratory bench tops, Tombstones
Cemetery Markers, Creating Artwork
Types
Not Available
Not Available
Features
Available in Lots of Colors and Patterns, It is One of the Oldest, Strongest and Hardest Rock
Generally rough to touch, High silica content, Is one of the oldest rock
Archaeological Significance
Monuments
Used
Not Yet Used
Famous Monuments
Data Not Available
Not Applicable
Famous Sculptures
Data Not Available
Data Not Available
Pictographs
Not Used
Not Used
Petroglyphs
Not Used
Not Used
Formation
Granophyre 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.
Icelandite 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.
Mineral Content
Hornblade, Orthoclase, Plagioclase, Quartz
Amphibole, Apatite, Biotite, Feldspar, Garnet, Hornblade, Ilmenite, Magnetite, Plagioclase, Pyroxene, Quartz, Zircon
Compound Content
Aluminium Oxide, CaO, Iron(III) Oxide, FeO, Potassium Oxide, MgO, MnO, Sodium Oxide, Phosphorus Pentoxide, Silicon Dioxide, Titanium Dioxide
Silicon Dioxide
Types of Metamorphism
Burial Metamorphism, Impact Metamorphism
Burial Metamorphism, Cataclastic Metamorphism, Contact Metamorphism, Hydrothermal Metamorphism, Impact Metamorphism, Regional Metamorphism
Types of Weathering
Biological Weathering
Biological Weathering
Types of Erosion
Glacier Erosion, Sea Erosion, Wind Erosion
Chemical Erosion, Coastal Erosion, Sea Erosion, Water Erosion, Wind Erosion
Grain Size
Medium to Fine Coarse Grained
Very fine-grained
Fracture
Not Available
Uneven
Porosity
Less Porous
Less Porous
Luster
Dull to Grainy with Sporadic parts Pearly and Vitreous
Vitreous
Compressive Strength
Not Available
Cleavage
Not Available
Not Available
Toughness
Not Available
1.1
Specific Gravity
2.6-2.7
2.5-2.8
Transparency
Opaque
Opaque
Density
2.6-2.8 g/cm3
2.11-2.36 g/cm3
Resistance
Heat Resistant, Wear Resistant
Heat Resistant, Pressure Resistant, Scratch Resistant, Wear Resistant
Deposits in Eastern Continents
Asia
China, India, Iran, Saudi Arabia, Sri Lanka, Taiwan, Thailand, Turkey, Vietnam
India, Indonesia, Japan, Nepal, South Korea
Africa
Angola, Egypt, Madagascar, Namibia, Nigeria, South Africa
Egypt, Ethiopia, Morocco, Namibia, South Africa, Tanzania
Europe
Austria, Belgium, Finland, France, Germany, Italy, Norway, Sardinia, Spain, Switzerland, The Czech Republic, Venezuela
Austria, Finland, Germany, Italy, Romania, Turkey, United Kingdom
Others
Not Yet Found
Not Yet Found
Deposits in Western Continents
North America
Canada, USA
Mexico, USA
South America
Not Yet Found
Argentina, Bolivia, Chile, Colombia, Ecuador, Peru, Venezuela
Deposits in Oceania Continent
Australia
Not Yet Found
New South Wales, New Zealand, Western Australia
Granophyre vs Icelandite 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. Granophyre vs Icelandite characteristics assist us to distinguish and recognize rocks. Also you can check about Properties of Granophyre and Properties of Icelandite. Learn more about Granophyre vs Icelandite in the next section. The interior uses of Granophyre include Bathrooms, Countertops, Decorative aggregates, Entryways, Floor tiles, Flooring, Homes, Hotels, Interior decoration, Kitchens and Stair treads whereas the interior uses of Icelandite include Decorative aggregates, Floor tiles, Homes, Interior decoration and Kitchens. Due to some exceptional properties of Granophyre and Icelandite, they have various applications in construction industry. The uses of Granophyre in construction industry include As dimension stone and that of Icelandite include Cobblestones, Construction aggregate, For road aggregate.
More about Granophyre and Icelandite
Here you can know more about Granophyre and Icelandite. The life cycle of a rock consists of formation of rock, composition of rock and transformation of rock. The composition of Granophyre and Icelandite consists of mineral content and compound content. The mineral content of Granophyre includes Hornblade, Orthoclase, Plagioclase, Quartz and mineral content of Icelandite includes Amphibole, Apatite, Biotite, Feldspar, Garnet, Hornblade, Ilmenite, Magnetite, Plagioclase, Pyroxene, Quartz, Zircon. You can also check out the list of all Igneous Rocks. When we have to compare Granophyre vs Icelandite, the texture, color and appearance plays an important role in determining the type of rock. Granophyre is available in black, grey, orange, pink, white colors whereas, Icelandite is available in bluish - grey, grey, pink, yellow colors. Appearance of Granophyre is Veined or Pebbled and that of Icelandite is Dull and Soft. Properties of rock is another aspect for Granophyre vs Icelandite. The hardness of Granophyre is 6-7 and that of Icelandite is 7. The types of Granophyre are Not Available whereas types of Icelandite are Not Available. Streak of rock is the color of powder produced when it is dragged across an unweathered surface. The streak of Granophyre and Icelandite is white. The specific heat capacity of Granophyre is 0.79 kJ/Kg K and that of Icelandite is 2.39 kJ/Kg K. Depending on the properties like hardness, toughness, specific heat capacity, porosity etc., rocks are resistant to heat, wear, impact, etc.Granophyre is heat resistant, wear resistant whereas Icelandite is heat resistant, pressure resistant, scratch resistant, wear resistant.