Definition
Tonalite is a coarse-grained plutonic rock consisting mainly of sodic plagioclase, quartz, and hornblende or other mafic minerals with phaneritic texture
Very fine grained fault rock which is composed of glassy matrix that often contains inclusions of wall-rock fragments.
Discoverer
Warren Hamilton
Unknown
Etymology
From Tonale Pass, northern Italy, + -ite1
From pseudo- + tachylite, a glassy rock generated by frictional heat within faults.
Class
Igneous Rocks
Metamorphic Rocks
Sub-Class
Durable Rock, Hard Rock
Durable Rock, Hard Rock
Other Categories
Coarse Grained Rock, Fine Grained Rock, Medium Grained Rock, Opaque Rock
Fine Grained Rock, Opaque Rock
Texture
Phaneritic
Quench
Color
Black, Brown, Light to Dark Grey, White
Black, Brown, Green, Grey, Pink, White
Durability
Durable
Durable
Scratch Resistant
Yes
Yes
Appearance
Banded and Foilated
Dull and Soft
Interior Uses
Decorative Aggregates, Entryways, Flooring, Homes, Interior Decoration
Decorative Aggregates, Entryways, Interior Decoration
Exterior Uses
As Building Stone, As Facing Stone, Paving Stone, Garden Decoration, Office Buildings
As Building Stone, As Facing Stone, Garden Decoration
Other Architectural Uses
Curbing
Curbing
Construction Industry
As Dimension Stone, Cement Manufacture, Cobblestones, Construction Aggregate, for Road Aggregate
As Dimension Stone, Cement Manufacture, for Road Aggregate, Making natural cement
Antiquity Uses
Artifacts, Sculpture
Artifacts, Monuments
Commercial Uses
Cemetery Markers, Creating Artwork
Creating Artwork, Gemstone
Types
Dacite
Cataclastic rock
Features
Is one of the oldest rock, Typically speckled black and white.
Host Rock for Lead
Archaeological Significance
Formation
When alkali feldspar is extracted from granite, it changes to granitoid and later, it becomes tonalite with quartz as major mineral.
Due to change in environmental conditions, rocks are heated and pressurized deep inside the Earth's surface. Pseudotachylite is formed from the extreme heat caused by magma or by the intense collisions and friction of tectonic plates.
Mineral Content
Albite, Amphibole, Apatite, Biotite, Feldspar, Hornblade, Ilmenite, Magnetite, Manganese Oxides, Olivine, Plagioclase, Pyroxene, Quartz, Sulfides, Titanite, Zircon
Iron Oxides, Pyroxene, Quartz, Stishovite, Sulfides
Compound Content
NaCl, CaO, MgO, Silicon Dioxide
Carbon Dioxide, Silicon Dioxide, Sulfur Dioxide, Sulphur
Types of Metamorphism
Burial Metamorphism, Cataclastic Metamorphism, Contact Metamorphism, Hydrothermal Metamorphism, Impact Metamorphism, Regional Metamorphism
Burial Metamorphism, Cataclastic Metamorphism, Contact Metamorphism
Types of Weathering
Biological Weathering, Chemical Weathering, Mechanical Weathering
-
Types of Erosion
Wind Erosion
-
Grain Size
Medium to Fine Coarse Grained
Very fine-grained
Fracture
Conchoidal
Uneven
Streak
Bluish Black
Light to dark brown
Porosity
Very Less Porous
Less Porous
Luster
Subvitreous to Dull
Vitreous
Specific Gravity
2.86-3
2.46-2.86
Transparency
Opaque
Transparent to Translucent
Density
2.73 g/cm3
2.7-2.9 g/cm3
Resistance
Heat Resistant, Pressure Resistant, Water Resistant
Heat Resistant
Deposits in Eastern Continents
Africa
Egypt
Western Africa
Europe
Finland, Germany, Italy, Romania, Sweden, Turkey
Great Britain, Switzerland
Deposits in Western Continents
South America
Argentina, Bolivia, Chile, Colombia, Ecuador, Peru
-
Deposits in Oceania Continent
Australia
New Zealand, South Australia, Western Australia
Central Australia, Western Australia