Home
Compare Rocks


Shoshonite vs Diorite


Diorite vs Shoshonite


Definition

Definition
Shoshonite is a basaltic rock, properly a potassic trachyandesite, composed of olivine, augite and plagioclase phenocrysts in a groundmass with calcic plagioclase and sanidine and some dark-colored volcanic glass   
Diorite is a grey to dark-grey intermediate intrusive igneous rock composed principally of plagioclase feldspar,biotite, hornblende, and pyroxene   

History
  
  

Origin
Wyoming,USA   
Unknown   

Discoverer
Iddings   
Unknown   

Etymology
From the place of origin called Shoshone riverin Wyoming   
From early 19th century coined in French, formed irregularly from Greek diorizein distinguish   

Class
Igneous Rocks   
Igneous Rocks   

Sub-Class
Durable Rock, Medium Hardness Rock   
Durable Rock, Hard Rock   

Family
  
  

Group
Volcanic   
Plutonic   

Other Categories
Coarse Grained Rock, Fine Grained Rock, Medium Grained Rock, Opaque Rock   
Coarse Grained Rock, Medium Grained Rock, Opaque Rock   

Texture

Texture
Porphyritic   
Phaneritic   

Color
Brown- Black, Dark Brown   
Black, Brown, Light to Dark Grey, White   

Maintenance
Less   
Less   

Durability
Durable   
Durable   

Water Resistant
Yes   
No   

Scratch Resistant
Yes   
No   

Stain Resistant
Yes   
No   

Wind Resistant
Yes   
Yes   

Acid Resistant
Yes   
No   

Appearance
Dull   
Shiny   

Uses

Architecture
  
  

Interior Uses
Decorative Aggregates, Homes, Interior Decoration   
Decorative Aggregates, Interior Decoration   

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

Other Architectural Uses
Curbing   
Curbing   

Industry
  
  

Construction Industry
As Dimension Stone, Cobblestones, Rail Track Ballast, Roadstone   
As Dimension Stone, Cement Manufacture, Cobblestones, Construction Aggregate, for Road Aggregate   

Medical Industry
Not Yet Used   
Not Yet Used   

Antiquity Uses
Sculpture   
Artifacts, Monuments, Sculpture, Small Figurines   

Other Uses
  
  

Commercial Uses
Cemetery Markers, Creating Artwork   
Creating Artwork, Curling   

Types

Types
Not Available   
Not Available   

Features
Has High structural resistance against erosion and climate, Very fine grained rock   
Typically speckled black and white.   

Archaeological Significance
  
  

Monuments
Not Yet Used   
Used   

Famous Monuments
Not Applicable   
Data Not Available   

Sculpture
Used   
Used   

Famous Sculptures
Data Not Available   
Data Not Available   

Pictographs
Used   
Not Used   

Petroglyphs
Used   
Not Used   

Figurines
Used   
Used   

Fossils
Absent   
Absent   

Formation

Formation
Shoshonite is a fine-grained, hard rock which is a type of metasomatite, essentially altered basalt. It forms with or without crystallization, either below the surface as intrusive rocks or on the surface as extrusive rocks.   
Diorite is a coarse-grained intrusive igneous rock which contains large interlocking and randomly oriented crystals and forms when molten lava does not reach the Earth’s surface and cools down in the Earth’s crust.   

Composition
  
  

Mineral Content
Pyroxene   
Albite, Amphibole, Apatite, Biotite, Feldspar, Hornblade, Ilmenite, Magnetite, Muscovite or Illite, Olivine, Plagioclase, Pyroxene, Quartz, Sulfides, Titanite, Zircon   

Compound Content
Aluminium Oxide, Iron(III) Oxide, Potassium Oxide, Sodium Oxide, Titanium Dioxide   
Silicon Dioxide   

Transformation
  
  

Metamorphism
Yes   
Yes   

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

Weathering
Yes   
Yes   

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

Erosion
Yes   
Yes   

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

Properties

Physical Properties
  
  

Hardness
6   
6-7   

Grain Size
Medium to Fine Coarse Grained   
Medium to Coarse Grained   

Fracture
Uneven   
Not Available   

Streak
White to Grey   
Bluish Black   

Porosity
Less Porous   
Very Less Porous   

Luster
Dull   
Shiny   

Compressive Strength
Not Available   
225.00 N/mm2   
7

Cleavage
Poor   
Not Available   

Toughness
1.6   
2.1   

Specific Gravity
2.98   
2.8-3   

Transparency
Opaque   
Opaque   

Density
2.9-3 g/cm3   
2.8-3 g/cm3   

Thermal Properties
  
  

Resistance
Heat Resistant, Pressure Resistant   
Heat Resistant, Pressure Resistant, Wear Resistant   

Reserves

Deposits in Eastern Continents
  
  

Asia
India, Russia   
Not Yet Found   

Africa
South Africa   
Egypt   

Europe
Iceland   
Finland, Germany, Italy, Romania, Sweden, Turkey, United Kingdom   

Others
Not Yet Found   
Not Yet Found   

Deposits in Western Continents
  
  

North America
Canada, USA   
USA   

South America
Brazil   
Argentina, Bolivia, Chile, Colombia, Ecuador, Peru   

Deposits in Oceania Continent
  
  

Australia
Not Yet Found   
New Zealand, Western Australia   

Definition >>
<< All

Shoshonite vs Diorite 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 Shoshonite and Diorite Reserves. Shoshonite is a basaltic rock, properly a potassic trachyandesite, composed of olivine, augite and plagioclase phenocrysts in a groundmass with calcic plagioclase and sanidine and some dark-colored volcanic glass. Diorite is a grey to dark-grey intermediate intrusive igneous rock composed principally of plagioclase feldspar,biotite, hornblende, and pyroxene. 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 Shoshonite vs Diorite information and Shoshonite vs Diorite characteristics in the upcoming sections.

Compare Igneous Rocks

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

More about Shoshonite and Diorite

Here you can know more about Shoshonite and Diorite. The life cycle of a rock consists of formation of rock, composition of rock and transformation of rock. The composition of Shoshonite and Diorite consists of mineral content and compound content. The mineral content of Shoshonite includes Pyroxene and mineral content of Diorite includes Albite, Amphibole, Apatite, Biotite, Feldspar, Hornblade, Ilmenite, Magnetite, Muscovite or Illite, Olivine, Plagioclase, Pyroxene, Quartz, Sulfides, Titanite, Zircon. You can also check out the list of all Igneous Rocks. When we have to compare Shoshonite vs Diorite, the texture, color and appearance plays an important role in determining the type of rock. Shoshonite is available in brown- black, dark brown colors whereas, Diorite is available in black, brown, light to dark grey, white colors. Appearance of Shoshonite is Dull and that of Diorite is Shiny. Properties of rock is another aspect for Shoshonite vs Diorite. The hardness of Shoshonite is 6 and that of Diorite is 6-7. The types of Shoshonite are Not Available whereas types of Diorite are Not Available. Streak of rock is the color of powder produced when it is dragged across an unweathered surface. The streak of Shoshonite is white to grey while that of Diorite is bluish black. The specific heat capacity of Shoshonite is Not Available and that of Diorite is Not Available. Depending on the properties like hardness, toughness, specific heat capacity, porosity etc., rocks are resistant to heat, wear, impact, etc.Shoshonite is heat resistant, pressure resistant whereas Diorite is heat resistant, pressure resistant, wear resistant.

Igneous Rocks

Igneous Rocks

» More Igneous Rocks

Compare Igneous Rocks

» More Compare Igneous Rocks