Definition
Kenyte is a variety of porphyritic phonolite or trachyte rock with rhomb shaped phenocrysts of anorthoclase with variable olivine and augite in a glassy matrix
Dacite is a volcanic igneous rock which is rintermediate in composition between andesite and rhyolite
Origin
Mount Kenya
Romania and Moldova, Europe
Discoverer
J. W. Gregory
Unknown
Etymology
From the mountain ranges- Mount Kenya and is named by J. W. Gregory in 1900
From Dacia, a province of the Roman Empire which lay between the Danube River and Carpathian Mountains where the rock was first described
Class
Igneous Rocks
Igneous Rocks
Sub-Class
Durable Rock, Medium Hardness Rock
Durable Rock, Soft Rock
Other Categories
Fine Grained Rock, Opaque Rock
Fine Grained Rock, Medium Grained Rock, Opaque Rock
Texture
Glassy, Granular
Aphanitic to Porphyritic
Color
Brown, Buff, Cream, Green, Grey, Pink, White
Bluish - Grey, Brown, Grey, Light to Dark Grey
Durability
Durable
Durable
Appearance
Banded and Foilated
Vesicular
Interior Uses
Decorative Aggregates, Entryways, Homes, Interior Decoration, Kitchens
Decorative Aggregates, Entryways, Interior Decoration
Exterior Uses
As Building Stone, Garden Decoration, Paving Stone
As Building Stone, Paving Stone, Garden Decoration
Other Architectural Uses
Curbing
Curbing
Construction Industry
As Dimension Stone, Cement Manufacture, Construction Aggregate, for Road Aggregate, Landscaping, Making natural cement, Manufacture of Magnesium and Dolomite Refractories, Production of Glass and Ceramics
As Dimension Stone, Construction Aggregate, for Road Aggregate, Landscaping
Antiquity Uses
Artifacts, Monuments, Sculpture
Artifacts
Commercial Uses
Cemetery Markers, Creating Artwork
Commemorative Tablets, Creating Artwork
Types
Foidolite
Footwall Dacite, Hanging wall Dacite, Tuff and Biotite Dacite
Features
Application of acids on the surface causes cloudy frosting, Available in Lots of Colors and Patterns, Dissolves in hydrochloric acid, Is one of the oldest rock
Host Rock for Lead, Is one of the oldest rock
Archaeological Significance
Formation
Kenyte 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.
Dacitic magma is formed by the subduction of young oceanic crust under a thick felsic continental plate. Further, the Oceanic crust is hydrothermally altered as quartz and sodium are added.
Mineral Content
Albite, Amphibole, Biotite, Cancrinite, Feldspar, Hornblende, Plagioclase, Pyroxene, Sodalite
Amphibole, Apatite, Biotite, Feldspar, Garnet, Hornblade, 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
Ca, Fe, Potassium Oxide, Mg, Potassium, Silicon Dioxide
Types of Metamorphism
Burial Metamorphism, Cataclastic Metamorphism, Impact Metamorphism
Burial Metamorphism, Cataclastic Metamorphism
Types of Weathering
Biological Weathering
Biological Weathering, Chemical Weathering, Mechanical Weathering
Types of Erosion
Chemical Erosion, Coastal Erosion
Chemical Erosion
Grain Size
Fine Grained
Medium to Fine Coarse Grained
Fracture
Conchoidal to Uneven
Conchoidal
Streak
White, Greenish White or Grey
White
Porosity
Highly Porous
Less Porous
Luster
Greasy to Dull
Subvitreous to Dull
Specific Gravity
2.6
2.86-2.87
Transparency
Translucent to Opaque
Translucent
Density
2.6 g/cm3
2.77-2.771 g/cm3
Resistance
Heat Resistant, Impact Resistant, Wear Resistant
Heat Resistant, Impact Resistant, Pressure Resistant, Wear Resistant
Deposits in Eastern Continents
Asia
Indonesia, Iran, Russia, Saudi Arabia, Sri Lanka, Taiwan, Thailand, Turkey, Turkmenistan, Vietnam
-
Africa
Angola, Egypt, Madagascar, Namibia, Nigeria, South Africa
-
Europe
Andorra, Finland, France, Germany, Great Britain, Italy, Norway, Portugal, Spain, Sweden
France, Greece, Romania, Scotland, Spain
Deposits in Western Continents
North America
Canada, USA
USA
South America
Brazil, Chile, Colombia, Uruguay, Venezuela
Argentina, Bolivia, Chile, Colombia, Ecuador, Peru, Venezuela
Deposits in Oceania Continent
Australia
New Zealand, Queensland, South Australia, Tasmania, Western Australia
New Zealand, South Australia, Western Australia