Definition
Tonalite is a coarse-grained plutonic rock consisting mainly of sodic plagioclase, quartz, and hornblende or other mafic minerals with phaneritic texture
A yellow sandstone which is flexible when cut into thin strips
History
Origin
Tonale, Italy
-
Discoverer
Warren Hamilton
Unknown
Etymology
From Tonale Pass, northern Italy, + -ite1
From the name of a mountain range where it was found; Itacolumi mountain in Brazil
Class
Igneous Rocks
Sedimentary Rocks
Sub-Class
Durable Rock, Hard Rock
Durable Rock, Hard Rock
Family
Group
Plutonic
-
Other Categories
Coarse Grained Rock, Fine Grained Rock, Medium Grained Rock, Opaque Rock
Coarse Grained Rock, Fine Grained Rock, Opaque Rock
Texture
Phaneritic
Clastic, Granular, Rough
Color
Black, Brown, Light to Dark Grey, White
Beige, Black, Brown, Cream, Dark Brown, Green, Grey, Light Green, Light to Dark Grey, Pink, Red, White, Yellow
Maintenance
Less
Less
Durability
Durable
Durable
Water Resistant
✔
✘
✔
✘
Scratch Resistant
✔
✘
✔
✘
Stain Resistant
✔
✘
✔
✘
Wind Resistant
✔
✘
✔
✘
Acid Resistant
✔
✘
✔
✘
Appearance
Banded and Foilated
Rough
Architecture
Interior Uses
Decorative Aggregates, Entryways, Flooring, Homes, Interior Decoration
Decorative Aggregates, Floor Tiles, Homes, Interior Decoration, Kitchens
Exterior Uses
As Building Stone, As Facing Stone, Paving Stone, Garden Decoration, Office Buildings
As Building Stone, As Facing Stone, Garden Decoration, Office Buildings
Other Architectural Uses
Curbing
Curbing
Industry
Construction Industry
As Dimension Stone, Cement Manufacture, Cobblestones, Construction Aggregate, for Road Aggregate
Cement Manufacture, Construction Aggregate, for Road Aggregate, Production of Glass and Ceramics, Raw material for the manufacture of mortar
Medical Industry
-
-
Antiquity Uses
Artifacts, Sculpture
Artifacts, Monuments, Sculpture
Other Uses
Commercial Uses
Cemetery Markers, Creating Artwork
An Oil and Gas Reservoir, In aquifers, Petroleum reservoirs, Soil Conditioner, Source of Magnesia (MgO), Tombstones
Types
Dacite
Sandstone
Features
Is one of the oldest rock, Typically speckled black and white.
Available in Lots of Colors and Patterns, Generally rough to touch, Very fine grained rock
Archaeological Significance
Monuments
-
-
Famous Monuments
-
-
Sculpture
-
-
Famous Sculptures
-
-
Pictographs
-
-
Petroglyphs
-
-
Figurines
-
-
Fossils
Absent
Present
Formation
When alkali feldspar is extracted from granite, it changes to granitoid and later, it becomes tonalite with quartz as major mineral.
Itacolumite is a sedimentary rock which forms from cemented sand-sized clasts and is a type of sandstone.
Composition
Mineral Content
Albite, Amphibole, Apatite, Biotite, Feldspar, Hornblade, Ilmenite, Magnetite, Manganese Oxides, Olivine, Plagioclase, Pyroxene, Quartz, Sulfides, Titanite, Zircon
Calcite, Clay, Clay Minerals, Feldspar, Micas, Quartz
Compound Content
NaCl, CaO, MgO, Silicon Dioxide
Aluminium Oxide, CaO, Iron(III) Oxide, Potassium Oxide, MgO, Sodium Oxide, Silicon Dioxide
Transformation
Metamorphism
✔
✘
✔
✘
Types of 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
Wind Erosion
Chemical Erosion, Coastal Erosion, Wind Erosion
Physical Properties
Hardness
6-76-7
1
7
👆🏻
Grain Size
Medium to Fine Coarse Grained
Coarse or Fine
Fracture
Conchoidal
Conchoidal
Streak
Bluish Black
White
Porosity
Very Less Porous
Highly Porous
Luster
Subvitreous to Dull
Dull
Compressive Strength
185.00 N/mm295.00 N/mm2
0.15
450
👆🏻
Cleavage
-
Perfect
Toughness
2.1
2.6
Specific Gravity
2.86-32.2-2.8
0
8.4
👆🏻
Transparency
Opaque
Opaque
Density
2.73 g/cm32.2-2.8 g/cm3
0
1400
👆🏻
Thermal Properties
Specific Heat Capacity
0.92 kJ/Kg K0.92 kJ/Kg K
0.14
3.2
👆🏻
Resistance
Heat Resistant, Pressure Resistant, Water Resistant
Heat Resistant, Impact Resistant, Pressure Resistant
Deposits in Eastern Continents
Asia
-
China, India, Kazakhstan, Mongolia, Russia, Uzbekistan
Africa
Egypt
Namibia, Nigeria, South Africa
Europe
Finland, Germany, Italy, Romania, Sweden, Turkey
Austria, Denmark, Germany, Great Britain, Netherlands, Norway, Poland, Sweden, Switzerland, United Kingdom
Others
-
Greenland
Deposits in Western Continents
North America
USA
Canada, USA
South America
Argentina, Bolivia, Chile, Colombia, Ecuador, Peru
Brazil
Deposits in Oceania Continent
Australia
New Zealand, South Australia, Western Australia
New South Wales, New Zealand