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Pyroxenite vs Gabbro


Gabbro vs Pyroxenite


Definition

Definition
Pyroxenite is a dark, greenish, granular intrusive igneous rock consisting mainly of pyroxenes and olivine  
Gabbro is an intrusive igneous rock which is chemically equivalent to plutonic Basalt  

History
  
  

Origin
-  
Germany  

Discoverer
Unknown  
Christian Leopold von Buch  

Etymology
From pyro- fire + Greek xenos stranger as the mineral group was new to igneous rocks  
From Latin glaber bare, smooth, bald  

Class
Igneous Rocks  
Igneous Rocks  

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

Family
  
  

Group
Plutonic  
Plutonic  

Other Categories
Coarse Grained Rock, Opaque Rock  
Coarse Grained Rock, Opaque Rock  

Texture

Texture
Clastic, Granular, Phaneritic, Porphyritic  
Phaneritic  

Color
Black to Grey, Bluish - Grey, Dark Greenish - Grey, Green, Light Greenish Grey  
Dark Grey to Black  

Maintenance
Less  
Less  

Durability
Durable  
Durable  

Water Resistant
Yes  
Yes  

Scratch Resistant
Yes  
Yes  

Stain Resistant
Yes  
Yes  

Wind Resistant
Yes  
Yes  

Acid Resistant
Yes  
Yes  

Appearance
Layered, Banded, Veined and Shiny  
Veined and Shiny  

Uses

Architecture
  
  

Interior Uses
Countertops, Decorative Aggregates, Interior Decoration, Kitchens  
Countertops, Decorative Aggregates, Homes, Interior Decoration  

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

Other Architectural Uses
Curbing  
Curbing  

Industry
  
  

Construction Industry
As Dimension Stone, Building houses or walls, Cement Manufacture, Construction Aggregate, for Road Aggregate  
As Dimension Stone, Building houses or walls, Cement Manufacture, Construction Aggregate, for Road Aggregate  

Medical Industry
-  
-  

Antiquity Uses
Artifacts  
Artifacts, Monuments, Sculpture  

Other Uses
  
  

Commercial Uses
Cemetery Markers, Commemorative Tablets, Laboratory bench tops, Jewelry, Sea Defence, Tombstones  
Cemetery Markers, Commemorative Tablets, Laboratory bench tops, Jewelry, Sea Defence, Tombstones  

Types

Types
Clinopyroxenites, Orthopyroxenites and Websterites  
Anorthosite Gabbro and Norite Gabbro  

Features
Generally rough to touch, Host rock for Diamond, Is one of the oldest rock  
Smooth to touch  

Archaeological Significance
  
  

Monuments
-  
-  

Famous Monuments
-  
-  

Sculpture
-  
-  

Famous Sculptures
-  
-  

Pictographs
-  
-  

Petroglyphs
-  
-  

Figurines
-  
-  

Fossils
Absent  
Absent  

Formation

Formation
Pyroxenites are ultramafic igneous rocks which are made up of minerals of the pyroxene group, such as augite and diopside, hypersthene, bronzite or enstatite.  
Gabbro, a mafic rock, forms due to cooling and crystallization of magma underneath Earth's surface.  

Composition
  
  

Mineral Content
Amphibole, Augite, Bronzite, Chromite, Diopside, Enstatite, Garnet, Hornblende, Hypersthene, Magnetite, Pyroxene  
Augite, Olivine, Plagioclase, Pyroxene  

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

Transformation
  
  

Metamorphism
Yes  
Yes  

Types of Metamorphism
Burial Metamorphism, Impact Metamorphism, Regional Metamorphism  
Impact Metamorphism  

Weathering
Yes  
Yes  

Types of Weathering
Biological Weathering, Chemical Weathering, Mechanical Weathering  
Chemical Weathering  

Erosion
Yes  
Yes  

Types of Erosion
Chemical Erosion, Coastal Erosion, Water Erosion  
Coastal Erosion  

Properties

Physical Properties
  
  

Hardness
7  
7  

Grain Size
Coarse Grained  
Coarse Grained  

Fracture
Uneven  
Conchoidal  

Streak
White, Greenish White or Grey  
Black  

Porosity
Less Porous  
Highly Porous  

Luster
Dull to Vitreous to Submetallic  
-  

Compressive Strength
150.00 N/mm2  
22
225.00 N/mm2  
8

Cleavage
-  
-  

Toughness
-  
1.6  

Specific Gravity
3.2-3.5  
2.86-2.87  

Transparency
Opaque  
Opaque  

Density
3.1-3.6 g/cm3  
2.7-3.3 g/cm3  

Thermal Properties
  
  

Specific Heat Capacity
0.84 kJ/Kg K  
15
0.71 kJ/Kg K  
23

Resistance
Impact Resistant, Pressure Resistant, Wear Resistant  
Impact Resistant, Pressure Resistant, Wear Resistant  

Reserves

Deposits in Eastern Continents
  
  

Asia
India, Russia  
India, Russia  

Africa
South Africa  
South Africa  

Europe
Germany, Greece, Italy, Scotland, Turkey  
Germany, Greece, Italy, Scotland, Turkey  

Others
Greenland  
Greenland  

Deposits in Western Continents
  
  

North America
Canada, USA  
Canada, USA  

South America
Brazil, Colombia, Venezuela  
Brazil, Colombia, Venezuela  

Deposits in Oceania Continent
  
  

Australia
New Zealand, Queensland  
New Zealand, Queensland  

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Pyroxenite vs Gabbro 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 Pyroxenite and Gabbro Reserves. Pyroxenite is a dark, greenish, granular intrusive igneous rock consisting mainly of pyroxenes and olivine. Gabbro is an intrusive igneous rock which is chemically equivalent to plutonic Basalt. 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 Pyroxenite vs Gabbro information and Pyroxenite vs Gabbro characteristics in the upcoming sections.

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

More about Pyroxenite and Gabbro

Here you can know more about Pyroxenite and Gabbro. The life cycle of a rock consists of formation of rock, composition of rock and transformation of rock. The composition of Pyroxenite and Gabbro consists of mineral content and compound content. The mineral content of Pyroxenite includes Amphibole, Augite, Bronzite, Chromite, Diopside, Enstatite, Garnet, Hornblende, Hypersthene, Magnetite, Pyroxene and mineral content of Gabbro includes Augite, Olivine, Plagioclase, Pyroxene. You can also check out the list of all Igneous Rocks. When we have to compare Pyroxenite vs Gabbro, the texture, color and appearance plays an important role in determining the type of rock. Pyroxenite is available in black to grey, bluish - grey, dark greenish - grey, green, light greenish grey colors whereas, Gabbro is available in dark grey to black colors. Appearance of Pyroxenite is Layered, Banded, Veined and Shiny and that of Gabbro is Veined and Shiny. Properties of rock is another aspect for Pyroxenite vs Gabbro. Hardness of Pyroxenite and Gabbro is 7. The types of Pyroxenite are Clinopyroxenites, Orthopyroxenites and Websterites whereas types of Gabbro are Anorthosite Gabbro and Norite Gabbro. Streak of rock is the color of powder produced when it is dragged across an unweathered surface. The streak of Pyroxenite is white, greenish white or grey while that of Gabbro is black. The specific heat capacity of Pyroxenite is 0.84 kJ/Kg K and that of Gabbro is 0.71 kJ/Kg K. Depending on the properties like hardness, toughness, specific heat capacity, porosity etc., rocks are resistant to heat, wear, impact, etc.Pyroxenite is impact resistant, pressure resistant, wear resistant whereas Gabbro is impact resistant, pressure resistant, wear resistant.

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