Shoshonite

Porphyry

Shoshonite vs Porphyry

Shoshonite

Porphyry

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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

Porphyry is a reddish-brown to purple igneous rock containing large phenocrysts of various minerals embedded in a fine-grained matrix

History

Origin

Wyoming,USA

Egypt

Discoverer

Iddings

Unknown

Etymology

From the place of origin called Shoshone riverin Wyoming

From Old French porfire, from Italian porfiro and in some cases directly from Latin porphyrites

Class

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

Fine Grained Rock, Opaque Rock

Texture

Porphyritic

Color

Brown- Black, Dark Brown

Black, Brown, Green, Grey, Red, Rust, White

Maintenance

Less

Durability

Durable

Water Resistant

✔ ✘

Scratch Resistant

✔ ✘

Stain Resistant

✔ ✘

Wind Resistant

✔ ✘

Acid Resistant

✔ ✘

Appearance

Dull

Uses

Architecture

Interior Uses

Decorative Aggregates, Homes, Interior Decoration

Decorative Aggregates, Interior Decoration

Exterior Uses

As Building Stone, As Facing Stone

Garden Decoration, Paving Stone

Other Architectural Uses

Curbing

Industry

Construction Industry

As Dimension Stone, Cobblestones, Rail Track Ballast, Roadstone

Construction Aggregate

Medical Industry

Antiquity Uses

Sculpture

Artifacts, Monuments, Sculpture

Other Uses

Commercial Uses

Cemetery Markers, Creating Artwork

Creating Artwork, Gemstone, Jewelry

Types

Intermediate volcanic rock

Rhomb Porphyry

Features

Has High structural resistance against erosion and climate, Very fine grained rock

Generally rough to touch, Is one of the oldest rock, Surfaces are often shiny

Archaeological Significance

Monuments

Famous Monuments

Sculpture

Famous Sculptures

Pictographs

Petroglyphs

Figurines

Fossils

Absent

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.

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.

Composition

Mineral Content

Pyroxene

Biotite, Chert, Feldspar, Garnet, Graphite, Quartz, Silica

Compound Content

Aluminium Oxide, Iron(III) Oxide, Potassium Oxide, Sodium Oxide, Titanium Dioxide

Aluminium Oxide, CaO, Iron(III) Oxide, Potassium Oxide, MgO, Sodium Oxide, Silicon Dioxide, Titanium Dioxide

Transformation

Metamorphism

✔ ✘

Types of Metamorphism

Burial Metamorphism, Cataclastic Metamorphism, Contact Metamorphism

Burial Metamorphism, Cataclastic Metamorphism, Contact Metamorphism, Hydrothermal Metamorphism, Impact Metamorphism, Regional Metamorphism

Weathering

✔ ✘

Types of Weathering

Biological Weathering, Chemical Weathering, Mechanical Weathering

Biological Weathering, Chemical Weathering

Erosion

✔ ✘

Types of Erosion

Chemical Erosion, Coastal Erosion, Glacier Erosion

Properties

Physical Properties

Hardness

66-7

1 7

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Grain Size

Medium to Fine Coarse Grained

Fine Grained

Fracture

Uneven

Irregular

Streak

White to Grey

White

Porosity

Less Porous

Luster

Dull

Compressive Strength

175.00 N/mm²150.00 N/mm²

0.15 450

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Cleavage

Toughness

1.6

1.7

Specific Gravity

2.982.5-4

0 8.4

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Transparency

Opaque

Translucent to Opaque

Density

2.9-3 g/cm³2.5-2.52 g/cm³

0 1400

👆🏻

Thermal Properties

Specific Heat Capacity

0.79 kJ/Kg K0.71 kJ/Kg K

0.14 3.2

👆🏻

Resistance

Heat Resistant, Pressure Resistant

Heat Resistant, Impact Resistant

Reserves

Deposits in Eastern Continents

Asia

India, Russia

China, Kazakhstan, South Korea, Thailand, Turkey, Vietnam

Africa

South Africa

Egypt, Ethiopia, Ghana, South Africa

Europe

Iceland

Finland, France, Germany, Great Britain, Hungary, Iceland, Ireland, Italy, Netherlands, Norway, Romania, Sweden, Switzerland

Others

Greenland

Deposits in Western Continents

North America

Canada, USA

Canada, Cuba, Jamaica, USA

South America

Brazil

Bolivia, Brazil, Colombia, Ecuador, Paraguay

Deposits in Oceania Continent

Australia

New South Wales, New Zealand, Western Australia

Shoshonite vs Porphyry 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 Porphyry 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. Porphyry is a reddish-brown to purple igneous rock containing large phenocrysts of various minerals embedded in a fine-grained matrix. 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 Porphyry information and Shoshonite vs Porphyry characteristics in the upcoming sections.

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Shoshonite vs Porphyry 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 Porphyry characteristics assist us to distinguish and recognize rocks. Also you can check about Properties of Shoshonite and Properties of Porphyry. Learn more about Shoshonite vs Porphyry in the next section. The interior uses of Shoshonite include Decorative aggregates, Homes and Interior decoration whereas the interior uses of Porphyry include Decorative aggregates and Interior decoration. Due to some exceptional properties of Shoshonite and Porphyry, 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 Porphyry include Construction aggregate.

More about Shoshonite and Porphyry

Here you can know more about Shoshonite and Porphyry. The life cycle of a rock consists of formation of rock, composition of rock and transformation of rock. The composition of Shoshonite and Porphyry consists of mineral content and compound content. The mineral content of Shoshonite includes Pyroxene and mineral content of Porphyry includes Biotite, Chert, Feldspar, Garnet, Graphite, Quartz, Silica. You can also check out the list of all Igneous Rocks. When we have to compare Shoshonite vs Porphyry, 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, Porphyry is available in black, brown, green, grey, red, rust, white colors. Appearance of Shoshonite is Dull and that of Porphyry is Dull. Properties of rock is another aspect for Shoshonite vs Porphyry. The hardness of Shoshonite is 6 and that of Porphyry is 6-7. The types of Shoshonite are Intermediate volcanic rock whereas types of Porphyry are Rhomb Porphyry. 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 Porphyry is white. The specific heat capacity of Shoshonite is 0.79 kJ/Kg K and that of Porphyry 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.Shoshonite is heat resistant, pressure resistant whereas Porphyry is heat resistant, impact resistant.