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Porphyry and Marl


Marl and Porphyry


Definition

Definition
Porphyry is a reddish-brown to purple igneous rock containing large phenocrysts of various minerals embedded in a fine-grained matrix   
Marl is an unconsolidated sedimentary rock consisting of clay and lime   

History
  
  

Origin
Egypt   
Unknown   

Discoverer
Unknown   
Unknown   

Etymology
From Old French porfire, from Italian porfiro and in some cases directly from Latin porphyrites   
From Old French marle, from Late Latin marglia   

Class
Igneous Rocks   
Sedimentary Rocks   

Sub-Class
Durable Rock, Hard Rock   
Durable Rock, Soft Rock   

Family
  
  

Group
Plutonic   
Not Applicable   

Other Categories
Fine Grained Rock, Opaque Rock   
Fine Grained Rock, Opaque Rock   

Texture

Texture
Porphyritic   
Earthy   

Color
Black, Brown, Colourless, Green, Grey, Red, Rust, White   
Beige, Brown, Green, Grey, White   

Maintenance
Less   
Less   

Durability
Durable   
Durable   

Water Resistant
No   
Yes   

Scratch Resistant
Yes   
No   

Stain Resistant
Yes   
No   

Wind Resistant
No   
No   

Acid Resistant
Yes   
No   

Appearance
Dull   
Rough and Dull   

Uses

Architecture
  
  

Interior Uses
Decorative Aggregates, Interior Decoration   
Decorative Aggregates, Floor Tiles   

Exterior Uses
Garden Decoration, Paving Stone   
As Building Stone, Roof Tiles   

Other Architectural Uses
Curbing   
Curbing   

Industry
  
  

Construction Industry
Construction Aggregate   
Cement Manufacture, Construction Aggregate, for Road Aggregate, Making natural cement, Raw material for the manufacture of mortar   

Medical Industry
Not Yet Used   
Not Yet Used   

Antiquity Uses
Artifacts, Monuments, Sculpture   
Artifacts, Jewellery, Sculpture, Small Figurines   

Other Uses
  
  

Commercial Uses
Creating Artwork, Gemstone, Jewelry   
Creating Artwork, Soil Conditioner   

Types

Types
Rhomb Porphyry   
Clay Marl ,Blue Marl, Red Marl, High Bank Marl, Shell Layer Marl, Under Shell Layer Marl, Sand Marl, Green Marl, Grey Marl and Clayey Marl   

Features
Generally rough to touch, Is one of the oldest rock, Surfaces are often shiny   
Generally rough to touch, Is one of the oldest rock, Splintery, Very fine grained rock   

Archaeological Significance
  
  

Monuments
Used   
Not Yet Used   

Famous Monuments
Data Not Available   
Not Applicable   

Sculpture
Used   
Used   

Famous Sculptures
Data Not Available   
Data Not Available   

Pictographs
Not Used   
Used   

Petroglyphs
Not Used   
Used   

Figurines
Used   
Used   

Fossils
Absent   
Present   

Formation

Formation
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.   
Marl forms when very fine-grained clay particles are deposited in water which settles at the bottom of water bodies and are compacted by overlying sediment; the water squeezes out and hence forming Marl rock.   

Composition
  
  

Mineral Content
Biotite, Chert, Feldspar, Garnet, Graphite, Quartz, Silica   
Calcite, Clay, Dolomite, Gypsum, Micas, Pyrite, Quartz   

Compound Content
Aluminium Oxide, CaO, Iron(III) Oxide, Potassium Oxide, MgO, Sodium Oxide, Silicon Dioxide, Titanium Dioxide   
Aluminium Oxide, NaCl, CaO, Iron(III) Oxide, Silicon Dioxide   

Transformation
  
  

Metamorphism
Yes   
No   

Types of Metamorphism
Burial Metamorphism, Cataclastic Metamorphism, Contact Metamorphism, Hydrothermal Metamorphism, Impact Metamorphism, Regional Metamorphism   
Not Applicable   

Weathering
Yes   
Yes   

Types of Weathering
Biological Weathering, Chemical Weathering, Not Registered   
Biological Weathering, Chemical Weathering   

Erosion
Yes   
Yes   

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

Properties

Physical Properties
  
  

Hardness
6-7   
2-3   

Grain Size
Fine Grained   
Very fine-grained   

Fracture
Irregular   
Conchoidal   

Streak
White   
White   

Porosity
Less Porous   
Highly Porous   

Luster
Dull   
Dull   

Cleavage
Imperfect   
Not Available   

Toughness
1.7   
2.6   

Specific Gravity
2.5-4   
2.2-2.8   

Transparency
Translucent to Opaque   
Opaque   

Density
2.5-2.52 g/cm3   
2.4-2.8 g/cm3   

Thermal Properties
  
  

Resistance
Heat Resistant, Impact Resistant   
Heat Resistant, Impact Resistant   

Reserves

Deposits in Eastern Continents
  
  

Asia
China, Kazakhstan, South Korea, Thailand, Turkey, Vietnam   
India, Pakistan, Russia   

Africa
Egypt, Ethiopia, Ghana, South Africa   
Ethiopia, Kenya, Morocco, South Africa   

Europe
Finland, France, Germany, Great Britain, Hungary, Iceland, Ireland, Italy, Netherlands, Norway, Romania, Sweden, Switzerland   
Austria, France, Germany, Greece, Italy, Romania, Scotland, Spain, Switzerland   

Others
Greenland   
Not Yet Found   

Deposits in Western Continents
  
  

North America
Canada, Cuba, Jamaica, USA   
USA   

South America
Bolivia, Brazil, Colombia, Ecuador, Paraguay   
Colombia, Ecuador, Peru   

Deposits in Oceania Continent
  
  

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

Summary >>
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All about Porphyry and Marl Properties

Know all about Porphyry and Marl properties here. All properties of rocks are important as they define the type of rock and its application. Porphyry belongs to Igneous Rocks while Marl belongs to Sedimentary Rocks.Texture of Porphyry is Porphyritic whereas that of Marl is Earthy. Porphyry appears Dull and Marl appears Rough and Dull. The luster of Porphyry and Marl is dull. Porphyry is available in black, brown, colourless, green, grey, red, rust, white colors whereas Marl is available in beige, brown, green, grey, white colors. The commercial uses of Porphyry are creating artwork, gemstone, jewelry and that of Marl are creating artwork, soil conditioner.

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