Definition
Porphyry is a reddish-brown to purple igneous rock containing large phenocrysts of various minerals embedded in a fine-grained matrix
Cataclasite is a type of cataclastic rock that is formed by fracturing and comminution during faulting. It is normally cohesive and non-foliated, consisting of angular clasts in a finer-grained matrix
Origin
Egypt
Swiss Alps, Europe
Discoverer
Unknown
Michael Tellinger
Etymology
From Old French porfire, from Italian porfiro and in some cases directly from Latin porphyrites
From the Italian word cataclasi
Class
Igneous Rocks
Metamorphic Rocks
Sub-Class
Durable Rock, Hard Rock
Durable Rock, Medium Hardness Rock
Group
Plutonic
Not Applicable
Other Categories
Fine Grained Rock, Opaque Rock
Fine Grained Rock, Opaque Rock
Texture
Porphyritic
Clastic
Color
Black, Brown, Colourless, Green, Grey, Red, Rust, White
Brown, Green, White, Yellow
Durability
Durable
Durable
Appearance
Dull
Dull and Banded
Interior Uses
Decorative Aggregates, Interior Decoration
Decorative Aggregates, Homes
Exterior Uses
Garden Decoration, Paving Stone
As Building Stone, As Facing Stone, Paving Stone
Other Architectural Uses
Curbing
Curbing
Construction Industry
Construction Aggregate
As Dimension Stone, Building houses or walls, Cement Manufacture, Construction Aggregate, for Road Aggregate
Medical Industry
Not Yet Used
Not Yet Used
Antiquity Uses
Artifacts, Monuments, Sculpture
Artifacts
Commercial Uses
Creating Artwork, Gemstone, Jewelry
Commemorative Tablets, Creating Artwork
Types
Rhomb Porphyry
Protocataclasite, Mesocataclasite, Ultracataclasite and Foliated cataclasite
Features
Generally rough to touch, Is one of the oldest rock, Surfaces are often shiny
Easily splits into thin plates, Is one of the oldest rock
Archaeological Significance
Monuments
Used
Not Yet Used
Famous Monuments
Data Not Available
Not Applicable
Sculpture
Used
Not Yet Used
Famous Sculptures
Data Not Available
Not Applicable
Pictographs
Not Used
Used
Petroglyphs
Not Used
Used
Figurines
Used
Not Yet Used
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.
Cataclasiste rocks mainly form by pressure deep under the Earth's surface, from the extreme heat caused by magma or by the intense collisions and friction of tectonic plates.
Mineral Content
Biotite, Chert, Feldspar, Garnet, Graphite, Quartz, Silica
Albite, Apatite, Augite, Biotite, Calcite, Enstatite, Epidote, Feldspar, Micas, Muscovite or Illite, Pyroxene, Quartz
Compound Content
Aluminium Oxide, CaO, Iron(III) Oxide, Potassium Oxide, MgO, Sodium Oxide, Silicon Dioxide, Titanium Dioxide
Silicon Dioxide
Types of Metamorphism
Burial Metamorphism, Cataclastic Metamorphism, Contact Metamorphism, Hydrothermal Metamorphism, Impact Metamorphism, Regional Metamorphism
Not Applicable
Types of Weathering
Biological Weathering, Chemical Weathering, Not Registered
Mechanical Weathering
Types of Erosion
Chemical Erosion, Coastal Erosion, Glacier Erosion
Coastal Erosion, Wind Erosion
Grain Size
Fine Grained
Fine Grained
Porosity
Less Porous
Less Porous
Cleavage
Imperfect
Not Available
Toughness
1.7
Not Available
Specific Gravity
2.5-4
2.1
Transparency
Translucent to Opaque
Translucent to Opaque
Density
2.5-2.52 g/cm3
2.9-3.1 g/cm3
Resistance
Heat Resistant, Impact Resistant
Heat Resistant, Impact Resistant, Pressure Resistant
Deposits in Eastern Continents
Asia
China, Kazakhstan, South Korea, Thailand, Turkey, Vietnam
China, India, Russia, Saudi Arabia, South Korea
Africa
Egypt, Ethiopia, Ghana, South Africa
Egypt, Ethiopia, Kenya, Madagascar, Morocco, South Africa
Europe
Finland, France, Germany, Great Britain, Hungary, Iceland, Ireland, Italy, Netherlands, Norway, Romania, Sweden, Switzerland
England, Finland, France, Spain, United Kingdom
Others
Greenland
Not Yet Found
Deposits in Western Continents
North America
Canada, Cuba, Jamaica, USA
Canada, USA
South America
Bolivia, Brazil, Colombia, Ecuador, Paraguay
Argentina, Colombia
Deposits in Oceania Continent
Australia
New South Wales, New Zealand, Western Australia
Central Australia, Western Australia
Porphyry vs Cataclasite 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 Cataclasite characteristics assist us to distinguish and recognize rocks. Also you can check about Properties of Porphyry and Properties of Cataclasite. Learn more about Porphyry vs Cataclasite in the next section. The interior uses of Porphyry include Decorative aggregates and Interior decoration whereas the interior uses of Cataclasite include Decorative aggregates and Homes. Due to some exceptional properties of Porphyry and Cataclasite, they have various applications in construction industry. The uses of Porphyry in construction industry include Construction aggregate and that of Cataclasite include As dimension stone, Building houses or walls, Cement manufacture, Construction aggregate, For road aggregate.
More about Porphyry and Cataclasite
Here you can know more about Porphyry and Cataclasite. The life cycle of a rock consists of formation of rock, composition of rock and transformation of rock. The composition of Porphyry and Cataclasite consists of mineral content and compound content. The mineral content of Porphyry includes Biotite, Chert, Feldspar, Garnet, Graphite, Quartz, Silica and mineral content of Cataclasite includes Albite, Apatite, Augite, Biotite, Calcite, Enstatite, Epidote, Feldspar, Micas, Muscovite or Illite, Pyroxene, Quartz. You can also check out the list of all . When we have to compare Porphyry vs Cataclasite, 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, Cataclasite is available in brown, green, white, yellow colors. Appearance of Porphyry is Dull and that of Cataclasite is Dull and Banded. Properties of rock is another aspect for Porphyry vs Cataclasite. The hardness of Porphyry is 6-7 and that of Cataclasite is 3-4. The types of Porphyry are Rhomb Porphyry whereas types of Cataclasite are Protocataclasite, Mesocataclasite, Ultracataclasite and Foliated cataclasite. Streak of rock is the color of powder produced when it is dragged across an unweathered surface. The streak of Porphyry is white while that of Cataclasite is black. The specific heat capacity of Porphyry is Not Available and that of Cataclasite is Not Available. 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 Cataclasite is heat resistant, impact resistant, pressure resistant.