Home
Compare Rocks


Migmatite and Tonalite


Tonalite and Migmatite


Definition

Definition
Migmatite is typically a granitic rock within a metamorphic host rock which is composed of two intermingled but distinguishable components   
Tonalite is a coarse-grained plutonic rock consisting mainly of sodic plagioclase, quartz, and hornblende or other mafic minerals with phaneritic texture   

History
  
  

Origin
Southern Alps, France   
Tonale, Italy   

Discoverer
Jakob Sederholm   
Unknown   

Etymology
From the Greek word migma which means a mixture   
From Tonale Pass, northern Italy, + -ite1   

Class
Metamorphic Rocks   
Igneous Rocks   

Sub-Class
Durable Rock, Medium Hardness Rock   
Durable Rock, Hard Rock   

Family
  
  

Group
Not Applicable   
Plutonic   

Other Categories
Coarse Grained Rock, Fine Grained Rock, Medium Grained Rock, Opaque Rock   
Coarse Grained Rock, Fine Grained Rock, Medium Grained Rock, Opaque Rock   

Texture

Texture
Foliated   
Phaneritic   

Color
Black, Bluish - Grey, Brown, Brown- Black, Dark Greenish - Grey, Dark Grey to Black   
Black, Brown, Light to Dark Grey, White   

Maintenance
More   
Less   

Durability
Durable   
Durable   

Water Resistant
Yes   
Yes   

Scratch Resistant
Yes   
Yes   

Stain Resistant
No   
Yes   

Wind Resistant
No   
No   

Acid Resistant
No   
Yes   

Appearance
Dull, Banded and Foilated   
Banded and Foilated   

Uses

Architecture
  
  

Interior Uses
Countertops, Flooring, Kitchens   
Decorative Aggregates, Entryways, Flooring, Homes, Interior Decoration   

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

Other Architectural Uses
Curbing   
Curbing   

Industry
  
  

Construction Industry
As Dimension Stone, Cement Manufacture, for Road Aggregate, Making natural cement   
As Dimension Stone, Cement Manufacture, Cobblestones, Construction Aggregate, for Road Aggregate   

Medical Industry
Not Yet Used   
Not Yet Used   

Antiquity Uses
Artifacts   
Artifacts, Sculpture   

Other Uses
  
  

Commercial Uses
Cemetery Markers, Jewelry, Tombstones, Used to manufracture paperweights and bookends   
Cemetery Markers, Creating Artwork   

Types

Types
Diatexites and Metatexites   
Dacite   

Features
Generally rough to touch, Is one of the oldest rock   
Is one of the oldest rock, Typically speckled black and white.   

Archaeological Significance
  
  

Monuments
Not Yet Used   
Not Yet Used   

Famous Monuments
Not Applicable   
Not Applicable   

Sculpture
Not Yet Used   
Used   

Famous Sculptures
Not Applicable   
Data Not Available   

Pictographs
Used   
Not Used   

Petroglyphs
Used   
Not Used   

Figurines
Not Yet Used   
Used   

Fossils
Absent   
Absent   

Formation

Formation
Migmatites form by high temperature regional and thermal metamorphism of protolith rocks where rocks melt partially due to high temperature.   
When alkali feldspar is extracted from granite, it changes to granitoid and later, it becomes tonalite with quartz as major mineral.   

Composition
  
  

Mineral Content
Biotite, Chlorite, Feldspar, Garnet, Graphite, Hornblade, Micas, Muscovite or Illite, Quartz, Quartzite, Silica, Zircon   
Albite, Amphibole, Apatite, Biotite, Feldspar, Hornblade, Ilmenite, Magnetite, Manganese Oxides, Olivine, Plagioclase, Pyroxene, Quartz, Sulfides, Titanite, Zircon   

Compound Content
Aluminium Oxide, NaCl, CaO, Carbon Dioxide, Iron(III) Oxide, FeO, Potassium Oxide, Magnesium Carbonate, MgO, MnO, Phosphorus Pentoxide, Silicon Dioxide, Titanium Dioxide   
NaCl, CaO, MgO, Silicon Dioxide   

Transformation
  
  

Metamorphism
Yes   
Yes   

Types of Metamorphism
Burial Metamorphism, Cataclastic Metamorphism, Regional Metamorphism   
Burial Metamorphism, Cataclastic Metamorphism, Contact Metamorphism, Hydrothermal Metamorphism, Impact Metamorphism, Regional Metamorphism   

Weathering
Yes   
Yes   

Types of Weathering
Biological Weathering, Chemical Weathering, Mechanical Weathering   
Biological Weathering, Chemical Weathering, Mechanical Weathering   

Erosion
Yes   
Yes   

Types of Erosion
Chemical Erosion, Glacier Erosion, Water Erosion, Wind Erosion   
Wind Erosion   

Properties

Physical Properties
  
  

Hardness
5.5-6.5   
6-7   

Grain Size
Medium to Fine Coarse Grained   
Medium to Fine Coarse Grained   

Fracture
Irregular   
Conchoidal   

Streak
White   
Bluish Black   

Porosity
Very Less Porous   
Very Less Porous   

Luster
Dull to Pearly to Subvitreous   
Subvitreous to Dull   

Cleavage
Poor   
Not Available   

Toughness
1.2   
2.1   

Specific Gravity
2.65-2.75   
2.86-3   

Transparency
Opaque   
Opaque   

Density
Not Available   
2.73 g/cm3   

Thermal Properties
  
  

Specific Heat Capacity
Not Available   
0.92 kJ/Kg K   
10

Resistance
Heat Resistant, Pressure Resistant   
Heat Resistant, Pressure Resistant, Water Resistant   

Reserves

Deposits in Eastern Continents
  
  

Asia
China, India, Iran, Iraq, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Mongolia, Russia   
Not Yet Found   

Africa
Cameroon, Ethiopia, Ghana, Kenya, Madagascar, Morocco, Mozambique, Namibia, Nigeria, Tanzania, Togo   
Egypt   

Europe
Albania, Austria, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Finland, France, Georgia, Germany, Hungary, Italy, Kosovo, Monaco, Norway, Poland, Romania, Serbia, Slovakia, Slovenia, Sweden, Switzerland, Ukraine, United Kingdom   
Finland, Germany, Italy, Romania, Sweden, Turkey   

Others
Not Yet Found   
Not Yet Found   

Deposits in Western Continents
  
  

North America
Canada, Costa Rica, Cuba, Mexico, Panama, USA   
USA   

South America
Argentina, Bolivia, Brazil, Chile, Colombia, Ecuador, Peru, Venezuela   
Argentina, Bolivia, Chile, Colombia, Ecuador, Peru   

Deposits in Oceania Continent
  
  

Australia
New South Wales, New Zealand, Queensland, Victoria   
New Zealand, South Australia, Western Australia   

Summary >>
<< Reserves

All about Migmatite and Tonalite Properties

Know all about Migmatite and Tonalite properties here. All properties of rocks are important as they define the type of rock and its application. Migmatite belongs to Metamorphic Rocks while Tonalite belongs to Igneous Rocks.Texture of Migmatite is Foliated whereas that of Tonalite is Phaneritic. Migmatite appears Dull, Banded and Foilated and Tonalite appears Banded and Foilated. The luster of Migmatite is dull to pearly to subvitreous while that of Tonalite is subvitreous to dull. Migmatite is available in black, bluish - grey, brown, brown- black, dark greenish - grey, dark grey to black colors whereas Tonalite is available in black, brown, light to dark grey, white colors. The commercial uses of Migmatite are cemetery markers, jewelry, tombstones, used to manufracture paperweights and bookends and that of Tonalite are cemetery markers, creating artwork.

Compare Metamorphic Rocks

Metamorphic Rocks

Metamorphic Rocks

» More Metamorphic Rocks

Compare Metamorphic Rocks

» More Compare Metamorphic Rocks