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Nephelinite
Nephelinite

Anorthosite
Anorthosite



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Nephelinite
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Anorthosite

Nephelinite vs Anorthosite

Definition

Definition

Nephelinite is a fine-grained or aphanitic igneous rock made up almost entirely of nepheline and clinopyroxene (variety augite).
Anorthosite is a granular igneous rock composed largely of labradorite or plagioclase

History

Origin

Brazil
-

Discoverer

Unknown
Unknown

Etymology

from French néphéline, from Greek nephelē
From French anorthose plagioclase + -ite1

Class

Igneous Rocks
Igneous Rocks

Sub-Class

Durable Rock, Hard Rock
Durable Rock, Medium Hardness Rock

Family

Group

Plutonic
Plutonic

Other Categories

Fine Grained Rock, Opaque Rock
Coarse Grained Rock, Opaque Rock

Texture

Texture

Aphanitic
Foliated, Glassy

Color

Black, Brown, Green, Grey, White
Black, Bluish - Grey, Brown, Green, Grey, Light Greenish Grey, Pink, White

Maintenance

Less
Less

Durability

Durable
Durable

Water Resistant

Scratch Resistant

Stain Resistant

Wind Resistant

Acid Resistant

Appearance

Skeletal
Layered, Banded, Veined and Shiny

Uses

Architecture

Interior Uses

Decorative Aggregates, Homes, Interior Decoration
Decorative Aggregates, Floor Tiles, Homes, Interior Decoration

Exterior Uses

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

Other Architectural Uses

Curbing
Curbing

Industry

Construction Industry

As Dimension Stone, Cement Manufacture, Construction Aggregate, for Road Aggregate
As Dimension Stone, Cement Manufacture, for Road Aggregate

Medical Industry

-
-

Antiquity Uses

Artifacts, Monuments, Sculpture, Small Figurines
Artifacts, Sculpture, Small Figurines

Other Uses

Commercial Uses

Creating Artwork, Soil Conditioner, Source of Magnesia (MgO)
Creating Artwork, Curling

Types

Types

Peralkaline Nephelinite
Proterozoic Anorthosite and Archean Anorthosite

Features

Host Rock for Lead
Generally rough to touch, Is one of the oldest rock

Archaeological Significance

Monuments

-
-

Famous Monuments

-
-

Sculpture

-
-

Famous Sculptures

-
-

Pictographs

-
-

Petroglyphs

-
-

Figurines

-
-

Fossils

Absent
Absent

Formation

Formation

Nephelinite 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.
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.

Composition

Mineral Content

Clinopyroxene, Nepheline, Plagioclase
Amphibole, Clinopyroxene, Ilmenite, Magnetite, Olivine, Orthopyroxene

Compound Content

Ca, CaO, Carbon, Cl, MgO
Ca, CaO, Chromium(III) Oxide, MgO, Sulfur Trioxide

Transformation

Metamorphism

Types of Metamorphism

Contact Metamorphism
Cataclastic Metamorphism, Contact Metamorphism

Weathering

Types of Weathering

Biological Weathering, Chemical Weathering, Mechanical Weathering
Biological Weathering

Erosion

Types of Erosion

Chemical Erosion, Water Erosion, Wind Erosion
Chemical Erosion, Wind Erosion

Properties

Physical Properties

Hardness

6.55-6
1 7
👆🏻

Grain Size

Fine Grained
Coarse Grained

Fracture

Flat
Irregular

Streak

White
White

Porosity

Less Porous
Less Porous

Luster

Vitreous to Metallic
Pearly to Subvitreous

Compressive Strength

35.00 N/mm2180.00 N/mm2
0.15 450
👆🏻

Cleavage

-
-

Toughness

2.7
-

Specific Gravity

2.4-2.92.62-2.82
0 8.4
👆🏻

Transparency

Opaque
Translucent

Density

2.5-3 g/cm32.7-4 g/cm3
0 1400
👆🏻

Thermal Properties

Specific Heat Capacity

0.88 kJ/Kg K0.84 kJ/Kg K
0.14 3.2
👆🏻

Resistance

Heat Resistant
Heat Resistant, Impact Resistant, Pressure Resistant, Scratch Resistant, Wear Resistant

Reserves

Deposits in Eastern Continents

Asia

Japan
-

Africa

Rwanda, Tanzania
-

Europe

-
Bulgaria, France, Germany, Greece, Hungary, Italy, Latvia, Lithuania, Malta, Poland, Portugal, Romania, Slovenia, Spain, Sweden, The Czech Republic

Others

Hawaii Islands
-

Deposits in Western Continents

North America

Canada, USA
Canada

South America

Colombia
Bolivia, Colombia

Deposits in Oceania Continent

Australia

-
Central Australia, South Australia, Western Australia

Nephelinite vs Anorthosite Information

Earth’s outer layer is covered by rocks and these rocks have different physical and chemical properties. As two rocks are not same, it’s fun to compare them. You can also know more about Nephelinite and Anorthosite Reserves. Nephelinite is a fine-grained or aphanitic igneous rock made up almost entirely of nepheline and clinopyroxene (variety augite).. Anorthosite is a granular igneous rock composed largely of labradorite or plagioclase. These rocks are composed of many distinct minerals. The process of formation of rocks is different for various rocks. Rocks are quarried from many years for various purposes. You can check out Nephelinite vs Anorthosite information and Nephelinite vs Anorthosite characteristics in the upcoming sections.

Nephelinite 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. Nephelinite vs Anorthosite characteristics assist us to distinguish and recognize rocks. Also you can check about Properties of Nephelinite and Properties of Anorthosite. Learn more about Nephelinite vs Anorthosite in the next section. The interior uses of Nephelinite include Decorative aggregates, Homes and Interior decoration whereas the interior uses of Anorthosite include Decorative aggregates, Floor tiles, Homes and Interior decoration. Due to some exceptional properties of Nephelinite and Anorthosite, they have various applications in construction industry. The uses of Nephelinite in construction industry include As dimension stone, Cement manufacture, Construction aggregate, For road aggregate and that of Anorthosite include As dimension stone, Cement manufacture, For road aggregate.

More about Nephelinite and Anorthosite

Here you can know more about Nephelinite and Anorthosite. The life cycle of a rock consists of formation of rock, composition of rock and transformation of rock. The composition of Nephelinite and Anorthosite consists of mineral content and compound content. The mineral content of Nephelinite includes Clinopyroxene, Nepheline, Plagioclase and mineral content of Anorthosite includes Amphibole, Clinopyroxene, Ilmenite, Magnetite, Olivine, Orthopyroxene. You can also check out the list of all Igneous Rocks. When we have to compare Nephelinite vs Anorthosite, the texture, color and appearance plays an important role in determining the type of rock. Nephelinite is available in black, brown, green, grey, white colors whereas, Anorthosite is available in black, bluish - grey, brown, green, grey, light greenish grey, pink, white colors. Appearance of Nephelinite is Skeletal and that of Anorthosite is Layered, Banded, Veined and Shiny. Properties of rock is another aspect for Nephelinite vs Anorthosite. The hardness of Nephelinite is 6.5 and that of Anorthosite is 5-6. The types of Nephelinite are Peralkaline Nephelinite 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 Nephelinite and Anorthosite is white. The specific heat capacity of Nephelinite is 0.88 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.Nephelinite is heat resistant whereas Anorthosite is heat resistant, impact resistant, pressure resistant, scratch resistant, wear resistant.