Definition
Trachyte is a grey fine-grained volcanic rock which mainly consists of alkali feldspar
Andesite is a dark, fine-grained, brown or greyish intermediate volcanic rock which is a commonly found in lava
Origin
Unknown
North America
Discoverer
Alexandre Brongniart and René Just Haüy
Unknown
Etymology
From Greek trakhus rough’ or trakhutēs roughness
From Andes mountains, where it is found in abundance
Class
Igneous Rocks
Igneous Rocks
Sub-Class
Durable Rock, Medium Hardness Rock
Durable Rock, Hard Rock
Other Categories
Fine Grained Rock, Opaque Rock
Fine Grained Rock, Opaque Rock
Texture
Aphanitic to Porphyritic
Aphanitic to Porphyritic
Color
Black, Brown, Dark Greenish - Grey, Green, Grey, Light to Dark Grey, White
Bluish - Grey, Grey, Pink, Yellow
Durability
Durable
Durable
Scratch Resistant
Yes
Yes
Appearance
Banded
Dull and Soft
Interior Uses
Decorative Aggregates, 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
Office Buildings, Roof Tiles
Other Architectural Uses
Curbing
Curbing
Construction Industry
As Dimension Stone, Building houses or walls, Cement Manufacture, Construction Aggregate, for Road Aggregate, Landscaping, Making natural cement, Manufacture of Magnesium and Dolomite Refractories
Cobblestones, Construction Aggregate, for Road Aggregate
Medical Industry
Not Yet Used
Not Yet Used
Antiquity Uses
Artifacts, Monuments, Sculpture, Small Figurines
Artifacts, Monuments, Sculpture, Small Figurines
Commercial Uses
Cemetery Markers, Creating Artwork
Commemorative Tablets, Creating Artwork
Types
Not Available
Icelandite
Features
Available in Lots of Colors and Patterns, Is one of the oldest rock, Matrix variable
Generally rough to touch, High silica content, Is one of the oldest rock
Archaeological Significance
Famous Monuments
Data Not Available
Middle of the Earth in Ecuador
Famous Sculptures
Data Not Available
Data Not Available
Pictographs
Used
Not Used
Petroglyphs
Used
Not Used
Formation
Trachyte is an igneous volcanic rock with an aphanitic to porphyritic texture. It is the volcanic equivalent of syenite rock and forms as a result of magmatic differentiation.
Andesite is a fine-grained igneous rock that forms when the magma is erupted onto the surface and is crystallized quickly.
Mineral Content
Augite, Biotite, Feldspar, Hornblade, Plagioclase, Quartz
Amphibole, Apatite, Biotite, Feldspar, Garnet, Hornblade, Ilmenite, Magnetite, Plagioclase, Pyroxene, Zircon
Compound Content
Potassium Oxide, Sodium Oxide, Silicon Dioxide
Silicon Dioxide
Types of Metamorphism
Cataclastic Metamorphism, Contact Metamorphism, Regional Metamorphism
Burial Metamorphism, Cataclastic Metamorphism, Contact Metamorphism, Hydrothermal Metamorphism, Impact Metamorphism, Regional Metamorphism
Types of Weathering
Biological Weathering, Chemical Weathering, Mechanical Weathering
Biological Weathering, Chemical Weathering, Mechanical Weathering
Types of Erosion
Chemical Erosion, Coastal Erosion, Glacier Erosion, Sea Erosion, Water Erosion, Wind Erosion
Chemical Erosion, Coastal Erosion, Glacier Erosion
Grain Size
Fine Grained
Very fine-grained
Fracture
Not Available
Uneven
Porosity
Less Porous
Less Porous
Cleavage
Not Available
Not Available
Toughness
Not Available
1.1
Specific Gravity
2.7
2.5-2.8
Transparency
Opaque
Opaque
Density
2.43-2.45 g/cm3
2.11-2.36 g/cm3
Specific Heat Capacity
Not Available
Resistance
Heat Resistant, Impact Resistant, Wear Resistant
Heat Resistant, Pressure Resistant, Wear Resistant
Deposits in Eastern Continents
Asia
China, India, Iran, Saudi Arabia, Sri Lanka, Taiwan, Thailand, Turkey, Vietnam
India, Indonesia, Japan, Nepal, South Korea
Africa
Angola, Egypt, Madagascar, Namibia, Nigeria, South Africa
Egypt, Ethiopia, Morocco, Namibia, South Africa, Tanzania
Europe
Bulgaria, England, Germany, Norway, Romania, Switzerland
Austria, Finland, Germany, Italy, Romania, Turkey, United Kingdom
Others
Not Yet Found
Not Yet Found
Deposits in Western Continents
North America
USA
Mexico, USA
South America
Brazil, Chile
Argentina, Bolivia, Chile, Colombia, Ecuador, Peru, Venezuela
Deposits in Oceania Continent
Australia
New Zealand, Queensland, South Australia, Western Australia
New South Wales, New Zealand, Western Australia
Trachyte vs Andesite 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. Trachyte vs Andesite characteristics assist us to distinguish and recognize rocks. Also you can check about Properties of Trachyte and Properties of Andesite. Learn more about Trachyte vs Andesite in the next section. The interior uses of Trachyte include Decorative aggregates, Flooring, Homes and Interior decoration whereas the interior uses of Andesite include Decorative aggregates, Floor tiles, Homes, Interior decoration and Kitchens. Due to some exceptional properties of Trachyte and Andesite, they have various applications in construction industry. The uses of Trachyte in construction industry include As dimension stone, Building houses or walls, Cement manufacture, Construction aggregate, For road aggregate, Landscaping, Making natural cement, Manufacture of magnesium and dolomite refractories and that of Andesite include Cobblestones, Construction aggregate, For road aggregate.
More about Trachyte and Andesite
Here you can know more about Trachyte and Andesite. The life cycle of a rock consists of formation of rock, composition of rock and transformation of rock. The composition of Trachyte and Andesite consists of mineral content and compound content. The mineral content of Trachyte includes Augite, Biotite, Feldspar, Hornblade, Plagioclase, Quartz and mineral content of Andesite includes Amphibole, Apatite, Biotite, Feldspar, Garnet, Hornblade, Ilmenite, Magnetite, Plagioclase, Pyroxene, Zircon. You can also check out the list of all Igneous Rocks. When we have to compare Trachyte vs Andesite, the texture, color and appearance plays an important role in determining the type of rock. Trachyte is available in black, brown, dark greenish - grey, green, grey, light to dark grey, white colors whereas, Andesite is available in bluish - grey, grey, pink, yellow colors. Appearance of Trachyte is Banded and that of Andesite is Dull and Soft. Properties of rock is another aspect for Trachyte vs Andesite. The hardness of Trachyte is 6 and that of Andesite is 7. The types of Trachyte are Not Available whereas types of Andesite are Icelandite. Streak of rock is the color of powder produced when it is dragged across an unweathered surface. The streak of Trachyte and Andesite is white. The specific heat capacity of Trachyte is Not Available and that of Andesite is 2.39 kJ/Kg K. Depending on the properties like hardness, toughness, specific heat capacity, porosity etc., rocks are resistant to heat, wear, impact, etc.Trachyte is heat resistant, impact resistant, wear resistant whereas Andesite is heat resistant, pressure resistant, wear resistant.