igneous
Granite
Granite (Felsic intrusive igneous rock)
Hardness: 6 to 7 on the Mohs scale. Color: Mottled salt-and-pepper appearance with shades of white, gray, and pink/red. Luster: Vitreous to pearly on mineral faces. Structure: Phaneritic (coarse-grained) crystalline texture. Cleavage: Indistinct in bulk, but feldspars show two directions at 90 degrees.
- Hardness
- 6 to 7 on the Mohs scale
- Luster
- Vitreous to pearly on mineral faces
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Physical properties
Hardness: 6 to 7 on the Mohs scale. Color: Mottled salt-and-pepper appearance with shades of white, gray, and pink/red. Luster: Vitreous to pearly on mineral faces. Structure: Phaneritic (coarse-grained) crystalline texture. Cleavage: Indistinct in bulk, but feldspars show two directions at 90 degrees.
Formation & geological history
Formed through the slow crystallization of silica-rich magma beneath the Earth's surface (plutonic). It is one of the oldest rock types, dating back to the Archean Eon, and forms the core of continental crust.
Uses & applications
Extensively used in construction for countertops, floor tiles, paving stones, and monuments. Due to its durability, it is also used as crushed stone for road base and railroad ballast.
Geological facts
Granite makes up a large portion of the Earth's continental crust. Its name comes from the Latin 'granum', meaning a grain, referring to its coarse-grained structure. Mount Rushmore is carved into a massive granite batholith.
Field identification & locations
Identify in the field by its coarse, interlocking crystals of quartz (translucent gray), feldspar (opaque white/pink), and dark minerals like biotite. It is found in mountain ranges and eroded shield areas globally.
