Home
Compare Rocks


Diorite and Arkose


Arkose and Diorite


Definition

Definition
Diorite is a grey to dark-grey intermediate intrusive igneous rock composed principally of plagioclase feldspar,biotite, hornblende, and pyroxene  
Arkose is a sedimentary rock, specifically a type of sandstone containing at least 25% feldspar  

History
  
  

Origin
Unknown  
France  

Discoverer
Unknown  
Alexandre Brongniart  

Etymology
From early 19th century coined in French, formed irregularly from Greek diorizein distinguish  
From Auvergne region of France used by a French geologist Alexandre Brongniart in 1826 who applied this term to some feldspathic sandstones  

Class
Igneous Rocks  
Sedimentary Rocks  

Sub-Class
Durable Rock, Hard Rock  
Durable Rock, Hard Rock  

Family
  
  

Group
Plutonic  
Not Applicable  

Other Categories
Coarse Grained Rock, Medium Grained Rock, Opaque Rock  
Coarse Grained Rock, Opaque Rock  

Texture

Texture
Phaneritic  
Clastic  

Color
Black, Brown, Light to Dark Grey, White  
Reddish Brown  

Maintenance
Less  
Less  

Durability
Durable  
Durable  

Water Resistant
No  
Yes  

Scratch Resistant
No  
Yes  

Stain Resistant
No  
Yes  

Wind Resistant
Yes  
No  

Acid Resistant
No  
Yes  

Appearance
Shiny  
Rough and Dull  

Uses

Architecture
  
  

Interior Uses
Decorative Aggregates, Interior Decoration  
Decorative Aggregates, Homes, Interior Decoration  

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

Other Architectural Uses
Curbing  
Whetstones  

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
Not Yet Used  
Not Yet Used  

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

Other Uses
  
  

Commercial Uses
Creating Artwork, Curling  
In aquifers, Soil Conditioner, Source of Magnesia (MgO), Tombstones  

Types

Types
Not Available  
Not Available  

Features
Typically speckled black and white.  
Available in Lots of Colors and Patterns, Generally rough to touch, Is one of the oldest rock  

Archaeological Significance
  
  

Monuments
Used  
Not Yet Used  

Famous Monuments
Data Not Available  
Not Applicable  

Sculpture
Used  
Used  

Famous Sculptures
Data Not Available  
Data Not Available  

Pictographs
Not Used  
Not Used  

Petroglyphs
Not Used  
Not Used  

Figurines
Used  
Used  

Fossils
Absent  
Present  

Formation

Formation
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.  
Arkose rock forms from the weathering of feldspar-rich igneous or metamorphic rock, most commonly granitic rocks, which are primarily composed of quartz and feldspar.  

Composition
  
  

Mineral Content
Albite, Amphibole, Apatite, Biotite, Feldspar, Hornblade, Ilmenite, Magnetite, Muscovite or Illite, Olivine, Plagioclase, Pyroxene, Quartz, Sulfides, Titanite, Zircon  
Calcite, Clay, Clay Minerals, Feldspar, Micas, Quartz  

Compound Content
Silicon Dioxide  
Aluminium Oxide, CaO, Iron(III) Oxide, Potassium Oxide, MgO, Sodium Oxide, Silicon Dioxide  

Transformation
  
  

Metamorphism
Yes  
No  

Types of Metamorphism
Cataclastic Metamorphism, Contact Metamorphism, Regional Metamorphism  
Not Applicable  

Weathering
Yes  
Yes  

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

Erosion
Yes  
Yes  

Types of Erosion
Chemical Erosion, Coastal Erosion, Water Erosion  
Coastal Erosion, Glacier Erosion, Water Erosion, Wind Erosion  

Properties

Physical Properties
  
  

Hardness
6-7  
6-7  

Grain Size
Medium to Coarse Grained  
Coarse Grained  

Fracture
Not Available  
Conchoidal  

Streak
Bluish Black  
White  

Porosity
Very Less Porous  
Highly Porous  

Luster
Shiny  
Dull  

Compressive Strength
225.00 N/mm2  
7
Not Available  

Cleavage
Not Available  
Not Available  

Toughness
2.1  
Not Available  

Specific Gravity
2.8-3  
0  

Transparency
Opaque  
Opaque  

Density
2.8-3 g/cm3  
Not Available  

Thermal Properties
  
  

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

Reserves

Deposits in Eastern Continents
  
  

Asia
Not Yet Found  
China, India, Kazakhstan, Mongolia, Russia, Uzbekistan  

Africa
Egypt  
Namibia, Nigeria, South Africa  

Europe
Finland, Germany, Italy, Romania, Sweden, Turkey, United Kingdom  
Austria, Denmark, Germany, Great Britain, Netherlands, Norway, Poland, Sweden, Switzerland, United Kingdom  

Others
Not Yet Found  
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, Western Australia  
New South Wales, New Zealand  

Summary >>
<< Reserves

All about Diorite and Arkose Properties

Know all about Diorite and Arkose properties here. All properties of rocks are important as they define the type of rock and its application. Diorite belongs to Igneous Rocks while Arkose belongs to Sedimentary Rocks.Texture of Diorite is Phaneritic whereas that of Arkose is Clastic. Diorite appears Shiny and Arkose appears Rough and Dull. The luster of Diorite is shiny while that of Arkose is dull. Diorite is available in black, brown, light to dark grey, white colors whereas Arkose is available in reddish brown colors. The commercial uses of Diorite are creating artwork, curling and that of Arkose are in aquifers, soil conditioner, source of magnesia (mgo), tombstones.

Compare Igneous Rocks

Igneous Rocks

Igneous Rocks

» More Igneous Rocks

Compare Igneous Rocks

» More Compare Igneous Rocks