SYENITE

Syenite is intrusive igneous rock that basically composed of an alkali feldspar and a
ferromagnesian mineral. A unique group of alkali syenites is characterized by the presence of a
feldspathoid mineral inclusive of nepheline, leucite, cancrinite, or sodalite. Chemically, syenites
comprise a slight amount of silica, incredibly big amounts of alkalies, and alumina.

Volcanic Equivalent: Trachyte

Group: Plutonic

Texture: Phaneritic (medium to coarse grained)

Colour: Varies but typically light coloured

Mineral content: Orthoclase, with lesser to minor Plagioclase, minor

Mica, Augite, Hornblende, Magnetite etc.
Silica (SiO2) content – 60%-65%

Accessory Minerals: Apatite, Titanite, Zircon and Opaques

Name origin: The name of Syenite originally Syene that comes from Egypt

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Classification of Syenite

The classification on the QAPF diagram

Different syenitic rock types cover large part of the diagram. The true
syenites are rocks that fit into the area annotated in red. Syenitic
rocks are mostly composed of alkali feldspar (A) with minor amounts
of quartz (Q). Plagioclase feldspar (P) is clearly less important than
alkali deldspar. Foid syenites contain significant amount of relatively
rare silicate minerals known as feldspathoids (F) which are called
foids for simplicity. Note that Q and F are mutually exclusive. Syenitic
rock that contains quartz cannot contain feldspathoids and vice versa
— foid-bearing and foid syenites contain no quartz.

Syenite Chemical Composition

Syenite predominant mineral is alkaline charecter. Plagioclase feldspar may be

present small amaount less than 10%. Such feldspars often are interleaved as perthitic
components of the rock. if ferromagnesian minerals are present in syenite most of all, they
usually occur hornblende, amphibole and clinopyroxene. Biotite is rare. Other common
accessory minerals are apatite, titanite, zircon and opaques.

Most syenites are either peralkaline with high proportions of alkali elements
relative to aluminum, or peraluminous with a higher concentration of aluminum relative to
alkali and earth-alkali elements (predominantly K, Na, Ca).

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Formation of the Syenite

Formations of syenites are products of alkaline igneous activity, usually formed in

thick continental crustal areas, or in Cordilleran subduction zones. Producing Syenite is
necessary to melt a granitic or igneous protolith to a fairly low degree of partial melting.
This is required because potassium is an incompatible element and tends to enter a melt
first, whereas higher degrees of partial melting will liberate more calcium and sodium,
which produce plagioclase, and hence a granite, adamellite or tonalite.

At very low degrees of partial melting a silica undersaturated melt is produced,

forming a nepheline syenite, where orthoclase is replaced by a feldspathoid such as leucite,
nepheline or analcime.

Conversely in certain conditions, large volumes of anorthite crystals may precipitate

from thoroughly molten magma in a cumulate process as it cools. This leaves a drastically
reduced concentration of silica in the remainder of the melt. The segregation of the silica
from the melt leaves it in a state that may favour syenite formation.

Where is Syenite Located?

Syenite is not a common rock. Regions where it occurs in significant quantities

include the following.

In the Kola Peninsula of Russia two giant nepheline syenite bodies exists making up
the Lovozero Massif and the Khibiny Mountains. These syenites are part of the Kola
Alkaline Province.

In North America syenite occurs in Arkansas and Montana. Regions in New England
have sizable amounts, and in New York syenite gneisses occur. The “great syenite dyke”
extends from Hanging Rock, South Carolina through Taxahaw, South Carolina to the Brewer
and Edgeworth mine in Chesterfield, South Carolina.Syenite clasts containing fluorescent
sodalite were found on a beach in Michigan in 2017.

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 In Europe syenite may be found in parts of Switzerland, Germany, Norway, Portugal,
in Plovdiv, Bulgaria and in Ditră u, Romania.

In Africa there are syenite formations in Aswan, Egypt, and in Malawi in the Mulanje
Mountain Forest Reserve. Syenite rock was used to make the Quay with Sphinxes.

In Australia syenite occurs as small intrusive bodies in nearly every state. In New
South Wales, a large syenite intruded during the breakup of Gondwana in the Cretaceous.

Uses of Syenite Rock

 Flooring, Homes, Hotels, Interior Decoration

 As Building Stone, As Facing Stone, Paving Stone, Garden Decoration, Office

Buildings

 Curbing

 As Dimension Stone, Cement Manufacture, Construction Aggregate, for Road

Aggregate, Landscaping, Making natural cement, Manufacture of Magnesium and
Dolomite Refractories

 Artifacts, Monuments, Sculpture, Small Figurines

 Cemetery Markers, Creating Artwork

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DIORITE
Diorite is a coarse – grained intrusive igneous rock that commonly mineralogy is
plagioclase feldspar and dark colored minerals such as hornblende and biotite. It usually
occurs in dikes, sills and intrusions with continental crust. Diorite is usually grey to dark-
grey in colour, but it can also be black or bluish-grey, and frequently has a greenish cast.

Diorite is an intrusive igneous rock because we can see minerals on naked eyes and
also plutonic rock to phonetic texture.

Diorite Composition

Diorite is composed principally of the silicate minerals plagioclase feldspar

(typically andesine), biotite, hornblende, and/or pyroxene. The chemical composition of
diorite is intermediate, between that of maficgabbro and felsic granite.

It may contain small amounts of quartz, microcline, and olivine. Zircon, apatite,
titanite, magnetite, ilmenite, and sulfides occur as accessory minerals.

Uses of Diorite

 It is used as construction material of roads, buildings and also drainage stone for
erosion control

 In the dimension stone industry

Formation of Diorite

Partial melting of the oceanic plate produces a basaltic magma that rises and
intrudes the granitic rock of the continental plate. There, the basaltic magma mixes with
granitic magmas or melts granitic rock as it ascends through the continental plate. This
produces a melt that is intermediate in composition between basalt and granite. Diorite
forms if this type of melt crystallizes below the surface.

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Diorite Texture

It has coarse-grained textures usually show that slowly cooled deep underground.
As a result of this slow cooling gives crystals enough time to grow to easily seen size. Size of
growth is larger than 1mm.

Diorite Intrusive Rock

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GABBRO
Medium or coarse grained rocks, gabbros dark green pyroxene in principle (augite
and smaller orthopyroxene amounts plus white or green colored plagioclase and black,
millimeter sized grains of magnetite and / or ilmenite. There is a gabbro intermediate or
low silica content and rarely contains quartz. Gabbro is actually intrusive basalt equivalent,
but unlike basalt gabbro it has a variable variable mineral content. Generally stratification
of light and dark minerals (layered gabbro), significant amounts of olivine (olivine gabbro)
or high percentage of coarse crystals of plagioclase feldspar (lö cogabbro).

Group - Plutonic Igneous Rock

Colour - Dark grey to black
Texture - phaneritic (medium to coarse grained)
Mineral content - predominantly plagioclase and pyroxene ( augite) with lesser olivine
Silica (SiO 2) content - 45%-52%

Composition and Classification

The most important minerals in the gabbro are plagioclase and pyroxene.
plagioclase often appear more. It is a small amount of olivine and amphibole. Plagioclase is
sodium-calcium feldspar. Gabbro contains more calcium than sodium. If there is more
sodium in the plagioclase, then the rock type is called diorite. Gabbro is greenish and dark.

QAPF Model Classification of Plutonic Rocks

(based on Streckeisen, 1976)

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Diorite, gabbro, anorthosite - the three root names in this field are separated according
to the colour index and the average composition of their plagioclase – anorthosite (M <
10%), diorite (M > 10%, plagioclase An0– An50), gabbro (M > 10%, plagioclase An50 –
An100). Gabbros may be further subdivided. Either of the two synonymous terms dolerite
or diabase may be used for medium-grained gabbros rather than the term microgabbro, if
required.

Gabbroic rocks - the gabbros (sensu lato) of QAPF field 10, may be further subdivided
according to the relative abundances of their orthopyroxene, clinopyroxene, olivine and
hornblende as shown in Fig. Some of the special terms used are:

Gabbro (sensu stricto) - plagioclase and clinopyroxene

Norite - plagioclase and orthopyroxene

Troctolite - plagioclase and olivine

Gabbronorite - plagioclase with almost equal amounts of clinopyroxene and

orthopyroxene

Orthopyroxene gabbro - plagioclase and clinopyroxene with minor amounts of

orthopyroxene

Clinopyroxene norite - plagioclase and orthopyroxene with minor amounts of

clinopyroxene

Hornblende gabbro - plagioclase and hornblende with pyroxene < 5%

The classification scheme for gabbroic rocks

without taking into account olivine and
feldspathoids.

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 10%) gabbroic rocks.” class=”size-large” />
The classification scheme of olivine-bearing
(>10%) gabbroic rocks.

Uses of Gabbro

Gabbro can be polished to a bright black glow. Bright polished gabbro cemetery
signs are used in kitchen stalls, floor tiles, facade stone and other size stone products. It is a
highly desirable rock based on weather and wear. In the stone industry size gabbro is sold
under the name “black granite”. Gabbro is also used to make a large number of rough cut
products, such as borders, stones, paving stones and other products. The most common use
of gabbro is like crushed stone or aggregate. The crushed gabbro is used as a basic material
in construction projects, as a crushed stone for road construction, as a railway ballast and
as a filler where a resistant crushed stone is needed.