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Porphyry vs Anorthosite


Anorthosite vs Porphyry


Definition

Definition
Porphyry is a reddish-brown to purple igneous rock containing large phenocrysts of various minerals embedded in a fine-grained matrix   
Anorthosite is a granular igneous rock composed largely of labradorite or plagioclase   

History
  
  

Origin
Egypt   
Unknown   

Discoverer
Unknown   
Unknown   

Etymology
From Old French porfire, from Italian porfiro and in some cases directly from Latin porphyrites   
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
Porphyritic   
Foliated, Glassy   

Color
Black, Brown, Colourless, Green, Grey, Red, Rust, White   
Black, Bluish - Grey, Brown, Green, Grey, Light Greenish Grey, Pink, White   

Maintenance
Less   
Less   

Durability
Durable   
Durable   

Water Resistant
No   
Yes   

Scratch Resistant
Yes   
No   

Stain Resistant
Yes   
No   

Wind Resistant
No   
Yes   

Acid Resistant
Yes   
No   

Appearance
Dull   
Layered, Banded, Veined and Shiny   

Uses

Architecture
  
  

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

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

Other Architectural Uses
Curbing   
Curbing   

Industry
  
  

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

Medical Industry
Not Yet Used   
Not Yet Used   

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

Other Uses
  
  

Commercial Uses
Creating Artwork, Gemstone, Jewelry   
Creating Artwork, Curling   

Types

Types
Rhomb Porphyry   
Proterozoic Anorthosite and Archean Anorthosite   

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   

Archaeological Significance
  
  

Monuments
Used   
Not Yet Used   

Famous Monuments
Data Not Available   
Not Applicable   

Sculpture
Used   
Used   

Famous Sculptures
Data Not Available   
Not Applicable   

Pictographs
Not Used   
Not Used   

Petroglyphs
Not Used   
Not Used   

Figurines
Used   
Used   

Fossils
Absent   
Absent   

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.   
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
Biotite, Chert, Feldspar, Garnet, Graphite, Quartz, Silica   
Amphibole, Clinopyroxene, Ilmenite, Magnetite, Olivine, Orthopyroxene   

Compound Content
Aluminium Oxide, CaO, Iron(III) Oxide, Potassium Oxide, MgO, Sodium Oxide, Silicon Dioxide, Titanium Dioxide   
Ca, CaO, Chromium(III) Oxide, MgO, Sulfur Trioxide   

Transformation
  
  

Metamorphism
Yes   
Yes   

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

Weathering
Yes   
Yes   

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

Erosion
Yes   
Yes   

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

Properties

Physical Properties
  
  

Hardness
6-7   
5-6   

Grain Size
Fine Grained   
Coarse Grained   

Fracture
Irregular   
Irregular   

Streak
White   
White   

Porosity
Less Porous   
Less Porous   

Luster
Dull   
Pearly to Subvitreous   

Cleavage
Imperfect   
Irregular   

Toughness
1.7   
Not Available   

Specific Gravity
2.5-4   
2.62-2.82   

Transparency
Translucent to Opaque   
Translucent   

Density
2.5-2.52 g/cm3   
2.7-4 g/cm3   

Thermal Properties
  
  

Specific Heat Capacity
Not Available   
0.84 kJ/Kg K   
15

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

Reserves

Deposits in Eastern Continents
  
  

Asia
China, Kazakhstan, South Korea, Thailand, Turkey, Vietnam   
Not Yet Found   

Africa
Egypt, Ethiopia, Ghana, South Africa   
Not Yet Found   

Europe
Finland, France, Germany, Great Britain, Hungary, Iceland, Ireland, Italy, Netherlands, Norway, Romania, Sweden, Switzerland   
Bulgaria, France, Germany, Greece, Hungary, Italy, Latvia, Lithuania, Malta, Poland, Portugal, Romania, Slovenia, Spain, Sweden, The Czech Republic   

Others
Greenland   
Not Yet Found   

Deposits in Western Continents
  
  

North America
Canada, Cuba, Jamaica, USA   
Canada   

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

Deposits in Oceania Continent
  
  

Australia
New South Wales, New Zealand, Western Australia   
Central Australia, South Australia, Western Australia   

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Porphyry 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 Porphyry and Anorthosite Reserves. Porphyry is a reddish-brown to purple igneous rock containing large phenocrysts of various minerals embedded in a fine-grained matrix. 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 Porphyry vs Anorthosite information and Porphyry vs Anorthosite characteristics in the upcoming sections.

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

More about Porphyry and Anorthosite

Here you can know more about Porphyry and Anorthosite. The life cycle of a rock consists of formation of rock, composition of rock and transformation of rock. The composition of Porphyry and Anorthosite consists of mineral content and compound content. The mineral content of Porphyry includes Biotite, Chert, Feldspar, Garnet, Graphite, Quartz, Silica 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 Porphyry vs Anorthosite, the texture, color and appearance plays an important role in determining the type of rock. Porphyry is available in black, brown, colourless, green, grey, red, rust, white colors whereas, Anorthosite is available in black, bluish - grey, brown, green, grey, light greenish grey, pink, white colors. Appearance of Porphyry is Dull and that of Anorthosite is Layered, Banded, Veined and Shiny. Properties of rock is another aspect for Porphyry vs Anorthosite. The hardness of Porphyry is 6-7 and that of Anorthosite is 5-6. The types of Porphyry are Rhomb Porphyry 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 Porphyry and Anorthosite is white. The specific heat capacity of Porphyry is Not Available 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.Porphyry is heat resistant, impact resistant whereas Anorthosite is heat resistant, impact resistant, pressure resistant, scratch resistant, wear resistant.

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