Definition
Porphyry is a reddish-brown to purple igneous rock containing large phenocrysts of various minerals embedded in a fine-grained matrix
During the impact melted material forming a breccia containing glass and crystal or lithic fragments together form Suevite rock.
Origin
Egypt
Canada, Germany
Discoverer
Unknown
Unknown
Etymology
From Old French porfire, from Italian porfiro and in some cases directly from Latin porphyrites
No etymologies found
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
Coarse Grained Rock, Opaque Rock
Texture
Porphyritic
Earthy
Color
Black, Brown, Colourless, Green, Grey, Red, Rust, White
Black, Brown, Colourless, Green, Grey, Pink
Durability
Durable
Durable
Scratch Resistant
Yes
Yes
Interior Uses
Decorative Aggregates, Interior Decoration
Decorative Aggregates, Homes, Interior Decoration
Exterior Uses
Garden Decoration, Paving Stone
As Building Stone, As Facing Stone, Garden Decoration, Office Buildings
Other Architectural Uses
Curbing
Curbing
Construction Industry
Construction Aggregate
As Dimension Stone, Cement Manufacture, for Road Aggregate, Making natural cement, Manufacture of Magnesium and Dolomite Refractories
Medical Industry
Not Yet Used
Not Applicable
Antiquity Uses
Artifacts, Monuments, Sculpture
Artifacts, Monuments, Sculpture
Commercial Uses
Creating Artwork, Gemstone, Jewelry
As a Feed Additive for Livestock, Gemstone, Metallurgical Flux, Source of Magnesia (MgO)
Types
Rhomb Porphyry
Phyllosilicates, Calcite
Features
Generally rough to touch, Is one of the oldest rock, Surfaces are often shiny
Host Rock for Lead
Archaeological Significance
Famous Monuments
Data Not Available
Data Not Available
Famous Sculptures
Data Not Available
Data Not Available
Pictographs
Not Used
Used
Petroglyphs
Not Used
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.
Suevite is a metamorphic rock consisting partly of melted material, typically forming a breccia containing glass and crystal or lithic fragments, formed during an impact event.
Mineral Content
Biotite, Chert, Feldspar, Garnet, Graphite, Quartz, Silica
Coesite, Quartz, Stishovite
Compound Content
Aluminium Oxide, CaO, Iron(III) Oxide, Potassium Oxide, MgO, Sodium Oxide, Silicon Dioxide, Titanium Dioxide
CaO, Carbon Dioxide, MgO
Types of Metamorphism
Burial Metamorphism, Cataclastic Metamorphism, Contact Metamorphism, Hydrothermal Metamorphism, Impact Metamorphism, Regional Metamorphism
Burial Metamorphism, Cataclastic Metamorphism, Contact Metamorphism, Hydrothermal Metamorphism, Impact Metamorphism, Regional Metamorphism
Types of Weathering
Biological Weathering, Chemical Weathering, Not Registered
Not Applicable
Types of Erosion
Chemical Erosion, Coastal Erosion, Glacier Erosion
Not Applicable
Grain Size
Fine Grained
Coarse Grained
Fracture
Irregular
Uneven
Streak
White
Light to dark brown
Porosity
Less Porous
Less Porous
Cleavage
Imperfect
Irregular
Toughness
1.7
Not Available
Specific Gravity
2.5-4
2.86
Transparency
Translucent to Opaque
Opaque
Density
2.5-2.52 g/cm3
2.8-2.9 g/cm3
Specific Heat Capacity
Not Available
Resistance
Heat Resistant, Impact Resistant
Heat Resistant
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
England, France, Germany, Great Britain, Netherlands, Sweden, Switzerland, United Kingdom
Others
Greenland
Not Yet Found
Deposits in Western Continents
North America
Canada, Cuba, Jamaica, USA
Not Yet Found
South America
Bolivia, Brazil, Colombia, Ecuador, Paraguay
Not Yet Found
Deposits in Oceania Continent
Australia
New South Wales, New Zealand, Western Australia
Not Yet Found
Porphyry vs Suevite 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 Suevite characteristics assist us to distinguish and recognize rocks. Also you can check about Properties of Porphyry and Properties of Suevite. Learn more about Porphyry vs Suevite in the next section. The interior uses of Porphyry include Decorative aggregates and Interior decoration whereas the interior uses of Suevite include Decorative aggregates, Homes and Interior decoration. Due to some exceptional properties of Porphyry and Suevite, they have various applications in construction industry. The uses of Porphyry in construction industry include Construction aggregate and that of Suevite include As dimension stone, Cement manufacture, For road aggregate, Making natural cement, Manufacture of magnesium and dolomite refractories.
More about Porphyry and Suevite
Here you can know more about Porphyry and Suevite. The life cycle of a rock consists of formation of rock, composition of rock and transformation of rock. The composition of Porphyry and Suevite consists of mineral content and compound content. The mineral content of Porphyry includes Biotite, Chert, Feldspar, Garnet, Graphite, Quartz, Silica and mineral content of Suevite includes Coesite, Quartz, Stishovite. You can also check out the list of all Igneous Rocks. When we have to compare Porphyry vs Suevite, 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, Suevite is available in black, brown, colourless, green, grey, pink colors. Appearance of Porphyry is Dull and that of Suevite is Banded. Properties of rock is another aspect for Porphyry vs Suevite. The hardness of Porphyry is 6-7 and that of Suevite is 5.5. The types of Porphyry are Rhomb Porphyry whereas types of Suevite are Phyllosilicates, Calcite. 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 Suevite is light to dark brown. The specific heat capacity of Porphyry is Not Available and that of Suevite is 0.92 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 Suevite is heat resistant.
