Definition
Trachyte is a grey fine-grained volcanic rock which mainly consists of alkali feldspar
Diorite is a grey to dark-grey intermediate intrusive igneous rock composed principally of plagioclase feldspar,biotite, hornblende, and pyroxene
Discoverer
Alexandre Brongniart and René Just Haüy
Unknown
Etymology
From Greek trakhus rough’ or trakhutēs roughness
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
Other Categories
Fine Grained Rock, Opaque Rock
Coarse Grained Rock, Medium Grained Rock, Opaque Rock
Texture
Aphanitic to Porphyritic
Phaneritic
Color
Black, Brown, Dark Greenish - Grey, Green, Grey, Light to Dark Grey, White
Black, Brown, Light to Dark Grey, White
Durability
Durable
Durable
Interior Uses
Decorative Aggregates, Flooring, Homes, Interior Decoration
Decorative Aggregates, 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, Building houses or walls, Cement Manufacture, Construction Aggregate, for Road Aggregate, Landscaping, Making natural cement, Manufacture of Magnesium and Dolomite Refractories
As Dimension Stone, Cement Manufacture, Cobblestones, Construction Aggregate, for Road Aggregate
Antiquity Uses
Artifacts, Monuments, Sculpture, Small Figurines
Artifacts, Monuments, Sculpture, Small Figurines
Commercial Uses
Cemetery Markers, Creating Artwork
Creating Artwork, Curling
Types
Felsic volcanic rock
Plagioclase Diorite and Quartz Diorite
Features
Available in Lots of Colors and Patterns, Is one of the oldest rock, Matrix variable
Typically speckled black and white.
Archaeological Significance
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.
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.
Mineral Content
Augite, Biotite, Feldspar, Hornblade, Plagioclase, Quartz
Albite, Amphibole, Apatite, Biotite, Feldspar, Hornblade, Ilmenite, Magnetite, Muscovite or Illite, Olivine, Plagioclase, Pyroxene, Quartz, Sulfides, Titanite, Zircon
Compound Content
Potassium Oxide, Sodium Oxide, Silicon Dioxide
Silicon Dioxide
Types of Metamorphism
Cataclastic Metamorphism, Contact Metamorphism, Regional Metamorphism
Cataclastic Metamorphism, Contact 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, Water Erosion
Grain Size
Fine Grained
Medium to Coarse Grained
Streak
White
Bluish Black
Porosity
Less Porous
Very Less Porous
Specific Gravity
2.7
2.8-3
Transparency
Opaque
Opaque
Density
2.43-2.45 g/cm3
2.8-3 g/cm3
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
-
Africa
Angola, Egypt, Madagascar, Namibia, Nigeria, South Africa
Egypt
Europe
Bulgaria, England, Germany, Norway, Romania, Switzerland
Finland, Germany, Italy, Romania, Sweden, Turkey, United Kingdom
Deposits in Western Continents
South America
Brazil, Chile
Argentina, Bolivia, Chile, Colombia, Ecuador, Peru
Deposits in Oceania Continent
Australia
New Zealand, Queensland, South Australia, Western Australia
New Zealand, Western Australia
Trachyte 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. Trachyte vs Diorite characteristics assist us to distinguish and recognize rocks. Also you can check about Properties of Trachyte and Properties of Diorite. Learn more about Trachyte vs Diorite in the next section. The interior uses of Trachyte include Decorative aggregates, Flooring, Homes and Interior decoration whereas the interior uses of Diorite include Decorative aggregates and Interior decoration. Due to some exceptional properties of Trachyte and Diorite, 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 Diorite include As dimension stone, Cement manufacture, Cobblestones, Construction aggregate, For road aggregate.
More about Trachyte and Diorite
Here you can know more about Trachyte and Diorite. The life cycle of a rock consists of formation of rock, composition of rock and transformation of rock. The composition of Trachyte and Diorite consists of mineral content and compound content. The mineral content of Trachyte includes Augite, Biotite, Feldspar, Hornblade, Plagioclase, Quartz 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 Trachyte vs Diorite, 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, Diorite is available in black, brown, light to dark grey, white colors. Appearance of Trachyte is Banded and that of Diorite is Shiny. Properties of rock is another aspect for Trachyte vs Diorite. The hardness of Trachyte is 6 and that of Diorite is 6-7. The types of Trachyte are Felsic volcanic rock whereas types of Diorite are Plagioclase Diorite and Quartz Diorite. Streak of rock is the color of powder produced when it is dragged across an unweathered surface. The streak of Trachyte is white while that of Diorite is bluish black. The specific heat capacity of Trachyte is 0.84 kJ/Kg K and that of Diorite is 0.84 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 Diorite is heat resistant, pressure resistant, wear resistant.