Definition
Mugearite is a type of oligoclase bearing basalt, also comprising of olivine, apatite, and opaque oxides
Tonalite is a coarse-grained plutonic rock consisting mainly of sodic plagioclase, quartz, and hornblende or other mafic minerals with phaneritic texture
Origin
Skye, Scotland
Tonale, Italy
Discoverer
Alfred Harker
Warren Hamilton
Etymology
From mugear + -ite
From Tonale Pass, northern Italy, + -ite1
Class
Igneous Rocks
Igneous Rocks
Sub-Class
Durable Rock, Medium Hardness Rock
Durable Rock, Hard Rock
Other Categories
Opaque Rock
Coarse Grained Rock, Fine Grained Rock, Medium Grained Rock, Opaque Rock
Texture
Glassy, Massive, Porphyritic, Scoriaceous, Vesicular
Phaneritic
Color
Black, Brown, Light to Dark Grey
Black, Brown, Light to Dark Grey, White
Durability
Durable
Durable
Scratch Resistant
Yes
Yes
Appearance
Dull and Soft
Banded and Foilated
Interior Uses
Floor Tiles, Flooring, Homes, Hotels
Decorative Aggregates, Entryways, Flooring, Homes, Interior Decoration
Exterior Uses
As Building Stone, Garden Decoration
As Building Stone, As Facing Stone, Paving Stone, Garden Decoration, Office Buildings
Other Architectural Uses
Curbing
Curbing
Construction Industry
As Dimension Stone, Cobblestones, Rail Track Ballast, Roadstone
As Dimension Stone, Cement Manufacture, Cobblestones, Construction Aggregate, for Road Aggregate
Antiquity Uses
Artifacts, Monuments, Sculpture
Artifacts, Sculpture
Commercial Uses
Creating Artwork
Cemetery Markers, Creating Artwork
Types
Alkaline Basalt, Boninite, High Alumina Basalt, Mid Ocean Ridge Basalt (MORB), Tholeiitic Basalt, Basaltic trachyandesite, Mugearite and Shoshonite
Dacite
Features
Has High structural resistance against erosion and climate, Very fine grained rock
Is one of the oldest rock, Typically speckled black and white.
Archaeological Significance
Formation
Mugearite forms when lava reaches the Earth's surface near an active volcano. The temperature of lava is between 1100 to 1250° C when it gets to the surface.
When alkali feldspar is extracted from granite, it changes to granitoid and later, it becomes tonalite with quartz as major mineral.
Mineral Content
Olivine, Plagioclase, Pyroxene
Albite, Amphibole, Apatite, Biotite, Feldspar, Hornblade, Ilmenite, Magnetite, Manganese Oxides, Olivine, Plagioclase, Pyroxene, Quartz, Sulfides, Titanite, Zircon
Compound Content
Aluminium Oxide, CaO, Iron(III) Oxide, FeO, Potassium Oxide, MgO, MnO, Sodium Oxide, Phosphorus Pentoxide, Silicon Dioxide, Titanium Dioxide
NaCl, CaO, MgO, Silicon Dioxide
Types of Metamorphism
Burial Metamorphism, Impact Metamorphism
Burial Metamorphism, Cataclastic Metamorphism, Contact Metamorphism, Hydrothermal Metamorphism, Impact Metamorphism, Regional Metamorphism
Types of Weathering
Biological Weathering, Chemical Weathering
Biological Weathering, Chemical Weathering, Mechanical Weathering
Types of Erosion
-
Wind Erosion
Grain Size
-
Medium to Fine Coarse Grained
Fracture
Conchoidal
Conchoidal
Streak
White to Grey
Bluish Black
Porosity
Less Porous
Very Less Porous
Luster
-
Subvitreous to Dull
Specific Gravity
2.8-3
2.86-3
Transparency
Opaque
Opaque
Density
2.9-3.1 g/cm3
2.73 g/cm3
Resistance
Heat Resistant, Pressure Resistant, Wear Resistant
Heat Resistant, Pressure Resistant, Water Resistant
Deposits in Eastern Continents
Africa
South Africa
Egypt
Europe
Iceland
Finland, Germany, Italy, Romania, Sweden, Turkey
Deposits in Western Continents
North America
Canada, USA
USA
South America
Brazil
Argentina, Bolivia, Chile, Colombia, Ecuador, Peru
Deposits in Oceania Continent
Australia
-
New Zealand, South Australia, Western Australia
Mugearite vs Tonalite 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. Mugearite vs Tonalite characteristics assist us to distinguish and recognize rocks. Also you can check about Properties of Mugearite and Properties of Tonalite. Learn more about Mugearite vs Tonalite in the next section. The interior uses of Mugearite include Floor tiles, Flooring, Homes and Hotels whereas the interior uses of Tonalite include Decorative aggregates, Entryways, Flooring, Homes and Interior decoration. Due to some exceptional properties of Mugearite and Tonalite, they have various applications in construction industry. The uses of Mugearite in construction industry include As dimension stone, Cobblestones, Rail track ballast, Roadstone and that of Tonalite include As dimension stone, Cement manufacture, Cobblestones, Construction aggregate, For road aggregate.
More about Mugearite and Tonalite
Here you can know more about Mugearite and Tonalite. The life cycle of a rock consists of formation of rock, composition of rock and transformation of rock. The composition of Mugearite and Tonalite consists of mineral content and compound content. The mineral content of Mugearite includes Olivine, Plagioclase, Pyroxene and mineral content of Tonalite includes Albite, Amphibole, Apatite, Biotite, Feldspar, Hornblade, Ilmenite, Magnetite, Manganese Oxides, Olivine, Plagioclase, Pyroxene, Quartz, Sulfides, Titanite, Zircon. You can also check out the list of all Igneous Rocks. When we have to compare Mugearite vs Tonalite, the texture, color and appearance plays an important role in determining the type of rock. Mugearite is available in black, brown, light to dark grey colors whereas, Tonalite is available in black, brown, light to dark grey, white colors. Appearance of Mugearite is Dull and Soft and that of Tonalite is Banded and Foilated. Properties of rock is another aspect for Mugearite vs Tonalite. The hardness of Mugearite is 6 and that of Tonalite is 6-7. The types of Mugearite are Alkaline Basalt, Boninite, High Alumina Basalt, Mid Ocean Ridge Basalt (MORB), Tholeiitic Basalt, Basaltic trachyandesite, Mugearite and Shoshonite whereas types of Tonalite are Dacite. Streak of rock is the color of powder produced when it is dragged across an unweathered surface. The streak of Mugearite is white to grey while that of Tonalite is bluish black. The specific heat capacity of Mugearite is 0.84 kJ/Kg K and that of Tonalite is 0.92 kJ/Kg K. Depending on the properties like hardness, toughness, specific heat capacity, porosity etc., rocks are resistant to heat, wear, impact, etc.Mugearite is heat resistant, pressure resistant, wear resistant whereas Tonalite is heat resistant, pressure resistant, water resistant.