igneous
Granite
Granite (Felsic Plutonic Rock)
Hardness: 6-7 on Mohs scale. Color: Pinkish-gray with white, black, and translucent grains. Luster: Dull to vitreous. Structure: Phaneritic (coarse-grained) crystalline. Cleavage: None (the minerals within it like mica and feldspar may show cleavage individually).
- Hardness
- 6-7 on Mohs scale
- Color
- Pinkish-gray with white, black, and translucent grains
- Luster
- Dull to vitreous
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Physical properties
Hardness: 6-7 on Mohs scale. Color: Pinkish-gray with white, black, and translucent grains. Luster: Dull to vitreous. Structure: Phaneritic (coarse-grained) crystalline. Cleavage: None (the minerals within it like mica and feldspar may show cleavage individually).
Formation & geological history
Formed through the slow crystallization of magma below Earth's surface (intrusive). Often found in continental crust and mountain ranges, dating from the Archean to the Cenozoic era.
Uses & applications
Extensively used in construction (countertops, floor tiles), monuments, paving stones, and as crushed stone for road aggregate.
Geological facts
Granite makes up a large part of the Earth's continental crust. Mount Rushmore is carved into a massive granite batholith in the Black Hills of South Dakota.
Field identification & locations
Identify by its interlocking 'salt and pepper' appearance of pink/white feldspar, translucent quartz, and dark biotite or hornblende grains. Common in glacial till and landscaping beds.
