Diorite in the context of "Amenemhat III"

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⭐ Core Definition: Diorite

Diorite (/ˈd.ərt/ DY-ə-ryte) is an intrusive igneous rock formed by the slow cooling underground of magma (molten rock) that has a moderate content of silica and a relatively low content of alkali metals. It is intermediate in composition between low-silica (mafic) gabbro and high-silica (felsic) granite.

Diorite is found in mountain-building belts (orogens) on the margins of continents. It has the same composition as the fine-grained volcanic rock, andesite, which is also common in orogens.

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Diorite in the context of Andesite

Andesite (/ˈændəzt/) is a volcanic rock of intermediate composition. In a general sense, it is the intermediate type between silica-poor basalt and silica-rich rhyolite. It is fine-grained (aphanitic) to porphyritic in texture, and is composed predominantly of sodium-rich plagioclase plus pyroxene or hornblende.

Andesite is the extrusive equivalent of plutonic diorite. Characteristic of subduction zones, andesite represents the dominant rock type in island arcs. The average composition of the continental crust is andesitic. Along with basalts, andesites are a component of the Martian crust.

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Diorite in the context of Calc-alkaline magma series

The calc-alkaline magma series is one of two main subdivisions of the subalkaline magma series, the other subalkaline magma series being the tholeiitic series. A magma series is a series of compositions that describes the evolution of a mafic magma, which is high in magnesium and iron and produces basalt or gabbro, as it fractionally crystallizes to become a felsic magma, which is low in magnesium and iron and produces rhyolite or granite. Calc-alkaline rocks are rich in alkaline earths (magnesia and calcium oxide) and alkali metals and make up a major part of the crust of the continents.

The diverse rock types in the calc-alkaline series include volcanic types such as basalt, andesite, dacite, rhyolite, and also their coarser-grained intrusive equivalents (gabbro, diorite, granodiorite, and granite). They do not include silica-undersaturated, alkalic, or peralkaline rocks.

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Diorite in the context of Granodiorite

Granodiorite (/ˌɡrænˈd.ərt, ˌɡrænəˈ-/ GRAN-oh-DY-ə-ryte, GRAN-ə-) is a coarse-grained (phaneritic) intrusive igneous rock similar to granite, but containing more plagioclase feldspar than orthoclase feldspar.

The term banatite is sometimes used informally for various rocks ranging from granite to diorite, including granodiorite. The term granodiorite was first used by G. F. Becker (1893) to describe granitic rocks in the Sierra Nevada, United States.

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Diorite in the context of Magan (civilization)

Magan (also Majan) was an ancient region in what is now modern day Oman and United Arab Emirates. It was referred to in Sumerian cuneiform texts of around 2300 BCE and existed until 550 BCE as a source of copper and diorite for Mesopotamia. As discussed by The Archeology Fund founded by Juris Zarins, "The Sumerian cities of southern Mesopotamia were closely linked to the Persian Gulf. Archaeologists and historians have linked sites in Saudi Arabia, Bahrain, and Qatar to the Sumerian geographical term of Dilmun. Oman, was most likely the Sumerian Magan".

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Diorite in the context of Subvolcanic rock

A subvolcanic rock, also known as a hypabyssal rock, is an intrusive igneous rock that is emplaced at depths less than 2 km (1.2 mi) within the crust, and has intermediate grain size and often porphyritic texture between that of volcanic rocks, which are extrusive igneous rocks, and plutonic rocks, which form much deeper in the ground. Subvolcanic rocks include diabase (also known as dolerite) and porphyry. Common examples of subvolcanic rocks are diabase, quartz dolerite, microgranite, and diorite.

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Diorite in the context of Phanerite

A phanerite is an igneous rock whose microstructure is made up of crystals large enough to be distinguished with the unaided human eye. In contrast, the crystals in an aphanitic rock are too fine-grained to be identifiable. Phaneritic texture forms when magma deep underground in the plutonic environment cools slowly, giving the crystals time to grow.

Phanerites are often described as coarse-grained or macroscopically crystalline.

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Diorite in the context of Intermediate composition

In igneous petrology, an intermediate composition refers to the chemical composition of a rock that has 51.5–63 wt% SiO2 being an intermediate between felsic and mafic compositions. Typical intermediate rocks include andesite and trachyandesite among volcanic rocks and diorite and granodiorite among plutonic rocks.

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