Definition
Porphyry is a reddish-brown to purple igneous rock containing large phenocrysts of various minerals embedded in a fine-grained matrix
  
Greenschist is a metamorphic rock that is formed under lowest temperatures and pressures and is usually produced by regional metamorphism
  
History
  
  
Origin
Egypt
  
Unknown
  
Discoverer
Unknown
  
Unknown
  
Etymology
From Old French porfire, from Italian porfiro and in some cases directly from Latin porphyrites
  
From minerals such as chlorite, serpentine, and epidote, and platy minerals such as muscovite and platy serpentine which are green in color
  
Class
Igneous Rocks
  
Metamorphic Rocks
  
Sub-Class
Durable Rock, Hard Rock
  
Durable Rock, Medium Hardness Rock
  
Family
  
  
Group
Plutonic
  
Not Applicable
  
Other Categories
Fine Grained Rock, Opaque Rock
  
Coarse Grained Rock, Fine Grained Rock, Medium Grained Rock, Opaque Rock
  
Texture
Porphyritic
  
Foliated, Platy
  
Color
Black, Brown, Colourless, Green, Grey, Red, Rust, White
  
Dark Greenish - Grey, Green
  
Maintenance
Less
  
Less
  
Durability
Durable
  
Durable
  
Water Resistant
No
  
Yes
  
Scratch Resistant
Yes
  
Yes
  
Stain Resistant
Yes
  
No
  
Wind Resistant
No
  
No
  
Acid Resistant
Yes
  
No
  
Appearance
Dull
  
Layered and Shiny
  
Architecture
  
  
Interior Uses
Decorative Aggregates, Interior Decoration
  
Bathrooms, Countertops, Decorative Aggregates, Entryways, Homes, Interior Decoration
  
Exterior Uses
Garden Decoration, Paving Stone
  
As Building Stone, As Facing Stone, Paving Stone, Garden Decoration, Office Buildings
  
Other Architectural Uses
Curbing
  
Curbing
  
Industry
  
  
Construction Industry
Construction Aggregate
  
As Dimension Stone, Building houses or walls, Cement Manufacture, Cutting Tool, for Road Aggregate, Roadstone
  
Medical Industry
Not Yet Used
  
Not Yet Used
  
Antiquity Uses
Artifacts, Monuments, Sculpture
  
Artifacts
  
Other Uses
  
  
Commercial Uses
Creating Artwork, Gemstone, Jewelry
  
Blackboards, Manufacture of tools, Writing Slates
  
Types
Rhomb Porphyry
  
Not Available
  
Features
Generally rough to touch, Is one of the oldest rock, Surfaces are often shiny
  
Easily splits into thin plates, Smooth to touch
  
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
  
Fossils
Absent
  
Absent
  
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.
  
Greenschist is medium grade metamorphic rock, formed by the metamorphosis of mudstone or shale, or some types of igneous rock, when it is subjected to higher temperatures and pressures.
  
Composition
  
  
Mineral Content
Biotite, Chert, Feldspar, Garnet, Graphite, Quartz, Silica
  
Alusite, Amphibole, Biotite, Chlorite, Epidote, Feldspar, Garnet, Graphite, Hornblade, Kyanite, Micas, Muscovite or Illite, Porphyroblasts, Quartz, Serpentine, Sillimanite, Staurolite, Talc
  
Compound Content
Aluminium Oxide, CaO, Iron(III) Oxide, Potassium Oxide, MgO, Sodium Oxide, Silicon Dioxide, Titanium Dioxide
  
CaO, Carbon Dioxide, MgO
  
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, Glacier Erosion, Sea Erosion
  
Physical Properties
  
  
Hardness
6-7
  
3.5-4
  
Grain Size
Fine Grained
  
Medium to Fine Coarse Grained
  
Fracture
Irregular
  
Conchoidal
  
Streak
White
  
White
  
Porosity
Less Porous
  
Highly Porous
  
Luster
Dull
  
Shiny
  
Cleavage
Imperfect
  
Slaty
  
Toughness
1.7
  
1.5
  
Specific Gravity
2.5-4
  
2.5-2.9
  
Transparency
Translucent to Opaque
  
Opaque
  
Density
2.5-2.52 g/cm3
  
2.8-2.9 g/cm3
  
Thermal Properties
  
  
Resistance
Heat Resistant, Impact Resistant
  
Impact Resistant, Pressure Resistant, Water Resistant
  
Deposits in Eastern Continents
  
  
Asia
China, Kazakhstan, South Korea, Thailand, Turkey, Vietnam
  
Afghanistan, Bangladesh, Bhutan, China, India, Japan, Kazakhstan, Malaysia, Pakistan, Russia, Thailand, Turkey, Vietnam
  
Africa
Egypt, Ethiopia, Ghana, South Africa
  
Egypt, Ethiopia, Morocco, Nigeria, South Africa
  
Europe
Finland, France, Germany, Great Britain, Hungary, Iceland, Ireland, Italy, Netherlands, Norway, Romania, Sweden, Switzerland
  
Austria, England, France, Georgia, Germany, Italy, Liechtenstein, Monaco, Norway, Slovenia, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland
  
Others
Greenland
  
Not Yet Found
  
Deposits in Western Continents
  
  
North America
Canada, Cuba, Jamaica, USA
  
Canada, Costa Rica, Cuba, Mexico, Panama, USA
  
South America
Bolivia, Brazil, Colombia, Ecuador, Paraguay
  
Brazil, Colombia, Guyana
  
Deposits in Oceania Continent
  
  
Australia
New South Wales, New Zealand, Western Australia
  
New South Wales, New Zealand, Queensland
  
Porphyry vs Greenschist 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 Greenschist characteristics assist us to distinguish and recognize rocks. Also you can check about Properties of Porphyry and Properties of Greenschist. Learn more about Porphyry vs Greenschist in the next section. The interior uses of Porphyry include Decorative aggregates and Interior decoration whereas the interior uses of Greenschist include Bathrooms, Countertops, Decorative aggregates, Entryways, Homes and Interior decoration. Due to some exceptional properties of Porphyry and Greenschist, they have various applications in construction industry. The uses of Porphyry in construction industry include Construction aggregate and that of Greenschist include As dimension stone, Building houses or walls, Cement manufacture, Cutting tool, For road aggregate, Roadstone.
More about Porphyry and Greenschist
Here you can know more about Porphyry and Greenschist. The life cycle of a rock consists of formation of rock, composition of rock and transformation of rock. The composition of Porphyry and Greenschist consists of mineral content and compound content. The mineral content of Porphyry includes Biotite, Chert, Feldspar, Garnet, Graphite, Quartz, Silica and mineral content of Greenschist includes Alusite, Amphibole, Biotite, Chlorite, Epidote, Feldspar, Garnet, Graphite, Hornblade, Kyanite, Micas, Muscovite or Illite, Porphyroblasts, Quartz, Serpentine, Sillimanite, Staurolite, Talc. You can also check out the list of all Igneous Rocks. When we have to compare Porphyry vs Greenschist, 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, Greenschist is available in dark greenish - grey, green colors. Appearance of Porphyry is Dull and that of Greenschist is Layered and Shiny. Properties of rock is another aspect for Porphyry vs Greenschist. The hardness of Porphyry is 6-7 and that of Greenschist is 3.5-4. The types of Porphyry are Rhomb Porphyry whereas types of Greenschist are Not Available. Streak of rock is the color of powder produced when it is dragged across an unweathered surface. The streak of Porphyry and Greenschist is white. The specific heat capacity of Porphyry is Not Available and that of Greenschist 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 Greenschist is impact resistant, pressure resistant, water resistant.