Definition
Mudstone is a fine-grained, dark gray sedimentary rock, which is formed from silt and clay and is similar to shale but has less laminations
Porphyry is a reddish-brown to purple igneous rock containing large phenocrysts of various minerals embedded in a fine-grained matrix
Discoverer
Unknown
Unknown
Etymology
From the English mud and stone, from low German mudde and stainaz
From Old French porfire, from Italian porfiro and in some cases directly from Latin porphyrites
Class
Sedimentary Rocks
Igneous Rocks
Sub-Class
Durable Rock, Soft Rock
Durable Rock, Hard Rock
Group
Not Applicable
Plutonic
Other Categories
Fine Grained Rock, Opaque Rock
Fine Grained Rock, Opaque Rock
Texture
Clastic
Porphyritic
Color
Black, Blue, Brown, Green, Grey, Orange, Red, White, Yellow
Black, Brown, Colourless, Green, Grey, Red, Rust, White
Durability
Durable
Durable
Appearance
Rough and Dull
Dull
Interior Uses
Decorative Aggregates, Entryways, Floor Tiles, Interior Decoration
Decorative Aggregates, Interior Decoration
Exterior Uses
As Building Stone, As Facing Stone, Paving Stone, Roof Tiles
Garden Decoration, Paving Stone
Other Architectural Uses
Curbing
Curbing
Construction Industry
Cement Manufacture, Construction Aggregate, for Road Aggregate, Making natural cement, Raw material for the manufacture of mortar
Construction Aggregate
Medical Industry
Not Yet Used
Not Yet Used
Antiquity Uses
Sculpture, Small Figurines
Artifacts, Monuments, Sculpture
Commercial Uses
Creating Artwork, Pottery
Creating Artwork, Gemstone, Jewelry
Types
Marl, Shale and Argillite
Rhomb Porphyry
Features
Available in Lots of Colors and Patterns, Smooth to touch, Very fine grained rock
Generally rough to touch, Is one of the oldest rock, Surfaces are often shiny
Archaeological Significance
Monuments
Not Yet Used
Used
Famous Monuments
Not Applicable
Data Not Available
Famous Sculptures
Data Not Available
Data Not Available
Pictographs
Used
Not Used
Petroglyphs
Used
Not Used
Formation
Mudstone forms when very fine-grained clay particles are deposited in water which settle at the bottom of water bodies. They are buried and compacted by overlying sediment hence forming mudstone.
Porphyry is formed in two stages: the magma cools slowly deep within the crust or the magma is cools rapidly as it erupts from a volcano, creating small grains that are usually invisible to naked eye.
Mineral Content
Biotite, Chlorite, Feldspar, Micas, Muscovite or Illite, Plagioclase, Pyrite, Quartz
Biotite, Chert, Feldspar, Garnet, Graphite, Quartz, Silica
Compound Content
Aluminium Oxide, NaCl, CaO, Iron(III) Oxide, Silicon Dioxide
Aluminium Oxide, CaO, Iron(III) Oxide, Potassium Oxide, MgO, Sodium Oxide, Silicon Dioxide, Titanium Dioxide
Types of Metamorphism
Not Applicable
Burial Metamorphism, Cataclastic Metamorphism, Contact Metamorphism, Hydrothermal Metamorphism, Impact Metamorphism, Regional Metamorphism
Types of Weathering
Chemical Weathering, Mechanical Weathering
Biological Weathering, Chemical Weathering, Not Registered
Types of Erosion
Chemical Erosion, Sea Erosion
Chemical Erosion, Coastal Erosion, Glacier Erosion
Grain Size
Very fine-grained
Fine Grained
Fracture
Not Available
Irregular
Porosity
Highly Porous
Less Porous
Cleavage
Perfect
Imperfect
Specific Gravity
2.2-2.8
2.5-4
Transparency
Opaque
Translucent to Opaque
Density
2.4-2.8 g/cm3
2.5-2.52 g/cm3
Specific Heat Capacity
Not Available
Resistance
Heat Resistant, Impact Resistant
Heat Resistant, Impact Resistant
Deposits in Eastern Continents
Asia
Bangladesh, China, India, Russia
China, Kazakhstan, South Korea, Thailand, Turkey, Vietnam
Africa
Ethiopia, Kenya, Morocco, South Africa, Tanzania
Egypt, Ethiopia, Ghana, South Africa
Europe
Austria, France, Germany, Greece, Italy, Romania, Scotland, Spain, Switzerland
Finland, France, Germany, Great Britain, Hungary, Iceland, Ireland, Italy, Netherlands, Norway, Romania, Sweden, Switzerland
Others
Not Yet Found
Greenland
Deposits in Western Continents
North America
USA
Canada, Cuba, Jamaica, USA
South America
Bolivia, Chile, Colombia, Ecuador, Peru, Venezuela
Bolivia, Brazil, Colombia, Ecuador, Paraguay
Deposits in Oceania Continent
Australia
New South Wales, New Zealand, Queensland, Victoria, Western Australia
New South Wales, New Zealand, Western Australia
Mudstone vs Porphyry 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. Mudstone vs Porphyry characteristics assist us to distinguish and recognize rocks. Also you can check about Properties of Mudstone and Properties of Porphyry. Learn more about Mudstone vs Porphyry in the next section. The interior uses of Mudstone include Decorative aggregates, Entryways, Floor tiles and Interior decoration whereas the interior uses of Porphyry include Decorative aggregates and Interior decoration. Due to some exceptional properties of Mudstone and Porphyry, they have various applications in construction industry. The uses of Mudstone in construction industry include Cement manufacture, Construction aggregate, For road aggregate, Making natural cement, Raw material for the manufacture of mortar and that of Porphyry include Construction aggregate.
More about Mudstone and Porphyry
Here you can know more about Mudstone and Porphyry. The life cycle of a rock consists of formation of rock, composition of rock and transformation of rock. The composition of Mudstone and Porphyry consists of mineral content and compound content. The mineral content of Mudstone includes Biotite, Chlorite, Feldspar, Micas, Muscovite or Illite, Plagioclase, Pyrite, Quartz and mineral content of Porphyry includes Biotite, Chert, Feldspar, Garnet, Graphite, Quartz, Silica. You can also check out the list of all Sedimentary Rocks. When we have to compare Mudstone vs Porphyry, the texture, color and appearance plays an important role in determining the type of rock. Mudstone is available in black, blue, brown, green, grey, orange, red, white, yellow colors whereas, Porphyry is available in black, brown, colourless, green, grey, red, rust, white colors. Appearance of Mudstone is Rough and Dull and that of Porphyry is Dull. Properties of rock is another aspect for Mudstone vs Porphyry. The hardness of Mudstone is 2-3 and that of Porphyry is 6-7. The types of Mudstone are Marl, Shale and Argillite whereas types of Porphyry are Rhomb Porphyry. Streak of rock is the color of powder produced when it is dragged across an unweathered surface. The streak of Mudstone and Porphyry is white. The specific heat capacity of Mudstone is 0.39 kJ/Kg K and that of Porphyry is Not Available. Depending on the properties like hardness, toughness, specific heat capacity, porosity etc., rocks are resistant to heat, wear, impact, etc.Mudstone is heat resistant, impact resistant whereas Porphyry is heat resistant, impact resistant.
