Definition
A yellow sandstone which is flexible when cut into thin strips
Anorthosite is a granular igneous rock composed largely of labradorite or plagioclase
Discoverer
Unknown
Unknown
Etymology
From the name of a mountain range where it was found; Itacolumi mountain in Brazil
From French anorthose plagioclase + -ite1
Class
Sedimentary Rocks
Igneous Rocks
Sub-Class
Durable Rock, Hard Rock
Durable Rock, Medium Hardness Rock
Group
Not Applicable
Plutonic
Other Categories
Coarse Grained Rock, Fine Grained Rock, Opaque Rock
Coarse Grained Rock, Opaque Rock
Texture
Clastic, Granular, Rough
Foliated, Glassy
Color
Beige, Black, Brown, Colourless, Cream, Dark Brown, Green, Grey, Light Green, Light to Dark Grey, Pink, Red, White, Yellow
Black, Bluish - Grey, Brown, Green, Grey, Light Greenish Grey, Pink, White
Durability
Durable
Durable
Appearance
Rough
Layered, Banded, Veined and Shiny
Interior Uses
Decorative Aggregates, Floor Tiles, Homes, Interior Decoration, Kitchens
Decorative Aggregates, Floor Tiles, Homes, Interior Decoration
Exterior Uses
As Building Stone, As Facing Stone, Garden Decoration, Office Buildings
As Building Stone, As Facing Stone, Garden Decoration
Other Architectural Uses
Curbing
Curbing
Construction Industry
Cement Manufacture, Construction Aggregate, for Road Aggregate, Production of Glass and Ceramics, Raw material for the manufacture of mortar
As Dimension Stone, Cement Manufacture, for Road Aggregate
Medical Industry
Not Yet Used
Not Yet Used
Antiquity Uses
Artifacts, Monuments, Sculpture
Artifacts, Sculpture, Small Figurines
Commercial Uses
An Oil and Gas Reservoir, In aquifers, Petroleum reservoirs, Soil Conditioner, Source of Magnesia (MgO), Tombstones
Creating Artwork, Curling
Types
Not Available
Proterozoic Anorthosite and Archean Anorthosite
Features
Available in Lots of Colors and Patterns, Generally rough to touch, Very fine grained rock
Generally rough to touch, 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
Not Applicable
Pictographs
Not Used
Not Used
Petroglyphs
Not Used
Not Used
Formation
Itacolumite is a sedimentary rock which forms from cemented sand-sized clasts and is a type of sandstone.
Anorthosite is a phaneritic, intrusive igneous rock which is characterized by a predominance of plagioclase feldspar which is almost 90–100%, and a minimal mafic component.
Mineral Content
Calcite, Clay, Clay Minerals, Feldspar, Micas, Quartz
Amphibole, Clinopyroxene, Ilmenite, Magnetite, Olivine, Orthopyroxene
Compound Content
Aluminium Oxide, CaO, Iron(III) Oxide, Potassium Oxide, MgO, Sodium Oxide, Silicon Dioxide
Ca, CaO, Chromium(III) Oxide, MgO, Sulfur Trioxide
Types of Metamorphism
Not Applicable
Cataclastic Metamorphism, Contact Metamorphism
Types of Weathering
Biological Weathering, Chemical Weathering
Biological Weathering
Types of Erosion
Chemical Erosion, Coastal Erosion, Wind Erosion
Chemical Erosion, Wind Erosion
Grain Size
Coarse or Fine
Coarse Grained
Fracture
Conchoidal
Irregular
Porosity
Highly Porous
Less Porous
Luster
Dull
Pearly to Subvitreous
Compressive Strength
Not Available
Cleavage
Perfect
Irregular
Toughness
2.6
Not Available
Specific Gravity
2.2-2.8
2.62-2.82
Transparency
Opaque
Translucent
Density
2.2-2.8 g/cm3
2.7-4 g/cm3
Resistance
Heat Resistant, Impact Resistant, Pressure Resistant
Heat Resistant, Impact Resistant, Pressure Resistant, Scratch Resistant, Wear Resistant
Deposits in Eastern Continents
Asia
China, India, Kazakhstan, Mongolia, Russia, Uzbekistan
Not Yet Found
Africa
Namibia, Nigeria, South Africa
Not Yet Found
Europe
Austria, Denmark, Germany, Great Britain, Netherlands, Norway, Poland, Sweden, Switzerland, United Kingdom
Bulgaria, France, Germany, Greece, Hungary, Italy, Latvia, Lithuania, Malta, Poland, Portugal, Romania, Slovenia, Spain, Sweden, The Czech Republic
Others
Greenland
Not Yet Found
Deposits in Western Continents
North America
Canada, USA
Canada
South America
Brazil
Bolivia, Colombia
Deposits in Oceania Continent
Australia
New South Wales, New Zealand
Central Australia, South Australia, Western Australia
Itacolumite vs Anorthosite 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. Itacolumite vs Anorthosite characteristics assist us to distinguish and recognize rocks. Also you can check about Properties of Itacolumite and Properties of Anorthosite. Learn more about Itacolumite vs Anorthosite in the next section. The interior uses of Itacolumite include Decorative aggregates, Floor tiles, Homes, Interior decoration and Kitchens whereas the interior uses of Anorthosite include Decorative aggregates, Floor tiles, Homes and Interior decoration. Due to some exceptional properties of Itacolumite and Anorthosite, they have various applications in construction industry. The uses of Itacolumite in construction industry include Cement manufacture, Construction aggregate, For road aggregate, Production of glass and ceramics, Raw material for the manufacture of mortar and that of Anorthosite include As dimension stone, Cement manufacture, For road aggregate.
More about Itacolumite and Anorthosite
Here you can know more about Itacolumite and Anorthosite. The life cycle of a rock consists of formation of rock, composition of rock and transformation of rock. The composition of Itacolumite and Anorthosite consists of mineral content and compound content. The mineral content of Itacolumite includes Calcite, Clay, Clay Minerals, Feldspar, Micas, Quartz and mineral content of Anorthosite includes Amphibole, Clinopyroxene, Ilmenite, Magnetite, Olivine, Orthopyroxene. You can also check out the list of all . When we have to compare Itacolumite vs Anorthosite, the texture, color and appearance plays an important role in determining the type of rock. Itacolumite is available in beige, black, brown, colourless, cream, dark brown, green, grey, light green, light to dark grey, pink, red, white, yellow colors whereas, Anorthosite is available in black, bluish - grey, brown, green, grey, light greenish grey, pink, white colors. Appearance of Itacolumite is Rough and that of Anorthosite is Layered, Banded, Veined and Shiny. Properties of rock is another aspect for Itacolumite vs Anorthosite. The hardness of Itacolumite is 6-7 and that of Anorthosite is 5-6. The types of Itacolumite are Not Available whereas types of Anorthosite are Proterozoic Anorthosite and Archean Anorthosite. Streak of rock is the color of powder produced when it is dragged across an unweathered surface. The streak of Itacolumite and Anorthosite is white. The specific heat capacity of Itacolumite is 0.92 kJ/Kg K and that of Anorthosite 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.Itacolumite is heat resistant, impact resistant, pressure resistant whereas Anorthosite is heat resistant, impact resistant, pressure resistant, scratch resistant, wear resistant.