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Variolite vs Anorthosite


Anorthosite vs Variolite


Definition

Definition
Variolites are a group of dark green basic igneous rocks which exhibit pale colored spots, or spherules, especially on weathered surfaces, that give them a pockmarked appearance  
Anorthosite is a granular igneous rock composed largely of labradorite or plagioclase  

History
  
  

Origin
France  
-  

Discoverer
Unknown  
Unknown  

Etymology
From Latin varius, speckled, variegated  
From French anorthose plagioclase + -ite1  

Class
Igneous Rocks  
Igneous Rocks  

Sub-Class
Durable Rock, Hard Rock  
Durable Rock, Medium Hardness Rock  

Family
  
  

Group
Volcanic  
Plutonic  

Other Categories
Opaque Rock  
Coarse Grained Rock, Opaque Rock  

Texture

Texture
Glassy, Massive, Porphyritic, Scoriaceous, Vesicular  
Foliated, Glassy  

Color
Black, Brown, Light to Dark Grey  
Black, Bluish - Grey, Brown, Green, Grey, Light Greenish Grey, Pink, White  

Maintenance
Less  
Less  

Durability
Durable  
Durable  

Water Resistant
Yes  
Yes  

Scratch Resistant
Yes  
No  

Stain Resistant
No  
No  

Wind Resistant
No  
Yes  

Acid Resistant
Yes  
No  

Appearance
Dull and Soft  
Layered, Banded, Veined and Shiny  

Uses

Architecture
  
  

Interior Uses
Floor Tiles, Flooring, Homes, Hotels, Kitchens  
Decorative Aggregates, Floor Tiles, Homes, Interior Decoration  

Exterior Uses
Garden Decoration, Office Buildings  
As Building Stone, As Facing Stone, Garden Decoration  

Other Architectural Uses
Curbing  
Curbing  

Industry
  
  

Construction Industry
As Dimension Stone, Cobblestones, Rail Track Ballast, Roadstone  
As Dimension Stone, Cement Manufacture, for Road Aggregate  

Medical Industry
-  
-  

Antiquity Uses
Artifacts, Monuments, Sculpture  
Artifacts, Sculpture, Small Figurines  

Other Uses
  
  

Commercial Uses
Cemetery Markers, Creating Artwork  
Creating Artwork, Curling  

Types

Types
Metamorphic rock  
Proterozoic Anorthosite and Archean Anorthosite  

Features
Has High structural resistance against erosion and climate, Very fine grained rock  
Generally rough to touch, Is one of the oldest rock  

Archaeological Significance
  
  

Monuments
-  
-  

Famous Monuments
-  
-  

Sculpture
-  
-  

Famous Sculptures
-  
-  

Pictographs
-  
-  

Petroglyphs
-  
-  

Figurines
-  
-  

Fossils
Absent  
Absent  

Formation

Formation
Variolites are a group of dark green basic igneous rocks that exhibit pale colored spots on weathered surfaces that give them a pockmarked appearance.  
Anorthosite is a phaneritic, intrusive igneous rock which is characterized by a predominance of plagioclase feldspar which is almost 90–100%, and a minimal mafic component.   

Composition
  
  

Mineral Content
Olivine, Plagioclase, Pyroxene  
Amphibole, Clinopyroxene, Ilmenite, Magnetite, Olivine, Orthopyroxene  

Compound Content
Aluminium Oxide, CaO, Iron(III) Oxide, FeO, Potassium Oxide, MgO, MnO, Sodium Oxide, Phosphorus Pentoxide, Silicon Dioxide, Titanium Dioxide  
Ca, CaO, Chromium(III) Oxide, MgO, Sulfur Trioxide  

Transformation
  
  

Metamorphism
Yes  
Yes  

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

Weathering
Yes  
Yes  

Types of Weathering
Biological Weathering, Chemical Weathering, Mechanical Weathering  
Biological Weathering  

Erosion
No  
Yes  

Types of Erosion
-  
Chemical Erosion, Wind Erosion  

Properties

Physical Properties
  
  

Hardness
6  
5-6  

Grain Size
-  
Coarse Grained  

Fracture
Conchoidal  
Irregular  

Streak
White to Grey  
White  

Porosity
Less Porous  
Less Porous  

Luster
-  
Pearly to Subvitreous  

Compressive Strength
37.50 N/mm2  
99+
180.00 N/mm2  
18

Cleavage
-  
-  

Toughness
2.3  
-  

Specific Gravity
2.8-3  
2.62-2.82  

Transparency
Opaque  
Translucent  

Density
2.9-3.1 g/cm3  
2.7-4 g/cm3  

Thermal Properties
  
  

Specific Heat Capacity
0.84 kJ/Kg K  
15
0.84 kJ/Kg K  
15

Resistance
Heat Resistant, Pressure Resistant, Wear Resistant  
Heat Resistant, Impact Resistant, Pressure Resistant, Scratch Resistant, Wear Resistant  

Reserves

Deposits in Eastern Continents
  
  

Asia
India, Russia  
-  

Africa
South Africa  
-  

Europe
Iceland  
Bulgaria, France, Germany, Greece, Hungary, Italy, Latvia, Lithuania, Malta, Poland, Portugal, Romania, Slovenia, Spain, Sweden, The Czech Republic  

Others
-  
-  

Deposits in Western Continents
  
  

North America
Canada, USA  
Canada  

South America
Brazil  
Bolivia, Colombia  

Deposits in Oceania Continent
  
  

Australia
-  
Central Australia, South Australia, Western Australia  

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Variolite vs Anorthosite 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 Variolite and Anorthosite Reserves. Variolites are a group of dark green basic igneous rocks which exhibit pale colored spots, or spherules, especially on weathered surfaces, that give them a pockmarked appearance. Anorthosite is a granular igneous rock composed largely of labradorite or plagioclase. 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 Variolite vs Anorthosite information and Variolite vs Anorthosite characteristics in the upcoming sections.

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Variolite vs Anorthosite 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. Variolite vs Anorthosite characteristics assist us to distinguish and recognize rocks. Also you can check about Properties of Variolite and Properties of Anorthosite. Learn more about Variolite vs Anorthosite in the next section. The interior uses of Variolite include Floor tiles, Flooring, Homes, Hotels and Kitchens whereas the interior uses of Anorthosite include Decorative aggregates, Floor tiles, Homes and Interior decoration. Due to some exceptional properties of Variolite and Anorthosite, they have various applications in construction industry. The uses of Variolite in construction industry include As dimension stone, Cobblestones, Rail track ballast, Roadstone and that of Anorthosite include As dimension stone, Cement manufacture, For road aggregate.

More about Variolite and Anorthosite

Here you can know more about Variolite and Anorthosite. The life cycle of a rock consists of formation of rock, composition of rock and transformation of rock. The composition of Variolite and Anorthosite consists of mineral content and compound content. The mineral content of Variolite includes Olivine, Plagioclase, Pyroxene and mineral content of Anorthosite includes Amphibole, Clinopyroxene, Ilmenite, Magnetite, Olivine, Orthopyroxene. You can also check out the list of all Igneous Rocks. When we have to compare Variolite vs Anorthosite, the texture, color and appearance plays an important role in determining the type of rock. Variolite is available in black, brown, light to dark grey colors whereas, Anorthosite is available in black, bluish - grey, brown, green, grey, light greenish grey, pink, white colors. Appearance of Variolite is Dull and Soft and that of Anorthosite is Layered, Banded, Veined and Shiny. Properties of rock is another aspect for Variolite vs Anorthosite. The hardness of Variolite is 6 and that of Anorthosite is 5-6. The types of Variolite are Metamorphic rock whereas types of Anorthosite are Proterozoic Anorthosite and Archean Anorthosite. Streak of rock is the color of powder produced when it is dragged across an unweathered surface. The streak of Variolite is white to grey while that of Anorthosite is white. The specific heat capacity of Variolite is 0.84 kJ/Kg K and that of Anorthosite 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.Variolite is heat resistant, pressure resistant, wear resistant whereas Anorthosite is heat resistant, impact resistant, pressure resistant, scratch resistant, wear resistant.

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