Granulite and Ignimbrite

Granulite

Ignimbrite

Definition

Granulite is fine to medium grained metamorphic rock with a granular of polygonal crystals.

Ignimbrite is a volcanic rock consisting mainly of pumice fragments, formed by the consolidation of material deposited by pyroclastic flows

History

Origin

Central Europe

New Zealand

Discoverer

Unknown

Patrick Marshall

Etymology

From Latin granulum, a little grain or fine grained

From Latin ignis fire + imber, imbr- shower of rain, storm cloud + -ite

Class

Metamorphic Rocks

Igneous Rocks

Sub-Class

Durable Rock, Hard Rock

Durable Rock, Medium Hardness Rock

Family

Group

Not Applicable

Volcanic

Other Categories

Coarse Grained Rock, Medium Grained Rock, Opaque Rock

Fine Grained Rock, Opaque Rock

Texture

Granoblastic

Aphanitic

Color

Black, Brown

Beige, Black, Brown, Grey, Pink, White

Maintenance

Less

Durability

Durable

Water Resistant

Yes

Scratch Resistant

Yes

Stain Resistant

Yes

Wind Resistant

Yes

Acid Resistant

Appearance

Veined or Pebbled

Dull, Vesicular and Foilated

Uses

Architecture

Interior Uses

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

Decorative Aggregates, Floor Tiles, Homes, Interior Decoration

Exterior Uses

As Building Stone, As Facing Stone, Garden Decoration, Office Buildings, Paving Stone

As Building Stone, Garden Decoration, Office Buildings, Paving Stone

Other Architectural Uses

Curbing

Industry

Construction Industry

As Dimension Stone, Building houses or walls

Building houses or walls, Construction Aggregate

Medical Industry

Not Yet Used

Antiquity Uses

Artifacts, Monuments, Sculpture

Artifacts, Monuments, Sculpture, Small Figurines

Other Uses

Commercial Uses

Curling, Gemstone, Laboratory bench tops, Soil Conditioner, Tombstones

Cemetery Markers, Commemorative Tablets, Creating Artwork

Types

Not Available

Features

Clasts are smooth to touch

Always found as volcanic pipes over deep continental crust

Archaeological Significance

Monuments

Used

Famous Monuments

Data Not Available

Sculpture

Used

Famous Sculptures

Data Not Available

Pictographs

Not Used

Used

Petroglyphs

Not Used

Used

Figurines

Used

Fossils

Absent

Formation

Granulite is a fine-grained granular metamorphic rock in which the main component minerals are feldspars and quartz and forms at high temperature and pressure conditions.

Ignimbrites are formed from very poorly sorted mixture of volcanic ash or tuff and pumice lapilli, commonly with scattered lithic fragments.

Composition

Mineral Content

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

Apatite, Biotite, Calcite, Chlorite, Feldspar, Hematite, Hornblade, Ilmenite, Magnetite, Olivine, Pyroxene, Quartz

Compound Content

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

Ca, NaCl

Transformation

Metamorphism

Yes

Types of Metamorphism

Not Applicable

Burial Metamorphism, Contact Metamorphism, Hydrothermal Metamorphism, Impact Metamorphism, Regional Metamorphism

Weathering

Yes

Types of Weathering

Biological Weathering, Chemical Weathering

Erosion

Yes

Types of Erosion

Chemical Erosion, Water Erosion, Wind Erosion

Chemical Erosion, Coastal Erosion

Properties

Physical Properties

Hardness

6-7

4-6

Grain Size

Medium to Coarse Grained

Fine Grained

Fracture

Not Available

Uneven

Streak

White

Porosity

Very Less Porous

Highly Porous

Luster

Vitreous

Vitreous to Dull

Compressive Strength

175.00 N/mm²

243.80 N/mm²

Cleavage

Imperfect

Not Available

Toughness

Not Available

Specific Gravity

2.8-3.0

2.73

Transparency

Opaque

Density

3.06-3.33 g/cm³

1-1.8 g/cm³

Thermal Properties

Specific Heat Capacity

0.14 kJ/Kg K

0.20 kJ/Kg K

Resistance

Heat Resistant, Wear Resistant

Heat Resistant, Impact Resistant, Pressure Resistant, Wear Resistant

Reserves

Deposits in Eastern Continents

Asia

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

Afghanistan, Armenia, Azerbaijan, Burma, Cambodia, China, India, Indonesia, Iran, Japan, Malaysia, Mongolia, Nepal, North Korea, Pakistan, Saudi Arabia, Syria, Taiwan, Thailand, Turkey, Vietnam, Yemen

Africa

Angola, Egypt, Madagascar, Nigeria, South Africa

Cameroon, Cape Verde, Chad, Djibouti, Eritrea, Ethiopia, Kenya, Libya, Madagascar, Nigeria, Rwanda, South Africa, Sudan, Tanzania, Uganda

Europe

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

France, Georgia, Germany, Greece, Iceland, Italy, Netherlands, Poland, Portugal, Spain, United Kingdom

Others

Not Yet Found

Antarctica, Hawaii Islands

Deposits in Western Continents

North America

Canada, USA

Canada, Costa Rica, Panama, USA

South America

Not Yet Found

Argentina, Bolivia, Brazil, Chile, Colombia, Ecuador

Deposits in Oceania Continent

Australia

Not Yet Found

Central Australia, Western Australia

Summary >>

<< Reserves

All about Granulite and Ignimbrite Properties

Know all about Granulite and Ignimbrite properties here. All properties of rocks are important as they define the type of rock and its application. Granulite belongs to Metamorphic Rocks while Ignimbrite belongs to Igneous Rocks.Texture of Granulite is Granoblastic whereas that of Ignimbrite is Aphanitic. Granulite appears Veined or Pebbled and Ignimbrite appears Dull, Vesicular and Foilated. The luster of Granulite is vitreous while that of Ignimbrite is vitreous to dull. Granulite is available in black, brown colors whereas Ignimbrite is available in beige, black, brown, grey, pink, white colors. The commercial uses of Granulite are curling, gemstone, laboratory bench tops, soil conditioner, tombstones and that of Ignimbrite are cemetery markers, commemorative tablets, creating artwork.