How do you identify andesite rocks?

How do you identify andesite rocks?

Andesite is usually light to dark gray in colour, due to its content of hornblende or pyroxene minerals. but can exhibit a wide range of shading. Darker andesite can be difficult to distinguish from basalt, but a common rule of thumb, used away from the laboratory, is that andesite has a color index less than 35.

What are the characteristics of andesite lava?

Andesite is a gray to black volcanic rock with between about 52 and 63 weight percent silica (SiO2). Andesites contain crystals composed primarily of plagioclase feldspar and one or more of the minerals pyroxene (clinopyroxene and orthopyroxene) and lesser amounts of hornblende.

Is andesite hard or soft?

The hardness of andesite rocks on the Moh scale is 7.

What is the description of andesite?

Andesite is an extrusive rock intermediate in composition between rhyolite and basalt. Andesite lava is of moderate viscosity and forms thick lava flows and domes. The word andesite is derived from the Andes Mountains in South America, where andesite is common. Andesite is the volcanic equivalent of diorite.

What is the texture and composition of andesite?

Andesite most commonly denotes fine-grained, usually porphyritic rocks; in composition these correspond roughly to the intrusive igneous rock diorite and consist essentially of andesine (a plagioclase feldspar) and one or more ferromagnesian minerals, such as pyroxene or biotite.

What are andesite rocks?

Andesite is a volcanic rock similar to basalt only lighter in color and containing less iron and magnesium than basalt. Often containing phenocrysts (large conspicuous crystals), Andesite is a host rock for Andesine, a precious gemstone. A majority of the Earth’s continental crust is composed of andesitic rocks.

What is the importance of andesite rock?

It is fairly strong, which allows it to be used in road and railway construction, and as fill gravel. The grayish colored rocks seen between railway ties are often andesite or its close relative, basalt. Perhaps the most interesting use of andesite is as proof of volcanic activity on Mars.

What elements are in andesite?

Why is andesite used in construction?

Andesite may be used as aggregate or fill, but it is not ideal for concrete applications because it is high in silica, and causes alkali-silica reactivity in the concrete. Andesitic volcanism is associated closely with porphyry copper deposits and it is a host rock for much of the world’s copper ore.

What does andesite look like?

Andesite is a fine-grained, extrusive igneous or volcanic rock. It is dark grey and made up of equal amounts of light and dark minerals, although the crystals are too small to be seen without a magnifier. Occasionally andesite may contain some larger crystals. Or small round pockets that were gas bubbles.

What type of rock is phyllite?

Phyllite

What is andesite metamorphic rock?