Useful Information On Baltimore Granite

By Thomas Adams


Granite is a type of felsic intrusive igneous rock that has a phaneritic and granular texture. In Baltimore granite rock takes several different colors depending on the mineralogy. The rock can be gray, pick, or white in color. The term granite originates from a Latin word, granum, which means grain. The name grain is used because of the coarse-grained structure of the rock. The term granitic is used for various intrusive igneous rocks that have similar textures as granite with variations in origin and composition.

The classification of granite is done based on the QAPF diagram for course-grained plutonic rocks. The naming is done according to the percentage of alkali feldspar, quartz, and plagioclase feldspar. According to modern petrologic convention a true granite should contain both alkali feldspar and plagioclase. The term alkali feldspar granite is used for granitoids that are devoid or almost devoid of plagioclase.

Granitoids are called tonalites if their orthoclase composition is less than ten percent. Amphinole and pyroxene are the common components of tonalites. If the granite is composed of biotite mica as well as muscovite mica, it is called two-mica or binary granite. The composition of binary granites has large quantities of potassium and small quantities of plagioclase. Two-mica granites are normally A-type or S-type granites too.

Granites occur as outcrops that form rounded massifs and tors. At times, granites occur in circular depressions that are surrounded by hill ranges formed by hornfels. This rock is also common in continental plates in the crust of the earth. This rock is currently known to be present on earth alone. The distribution of granites in the crust is wide. Its intrusion into the crust is known to have occurred during all the geologic periods.

Granite industry has history that has its roots in the ancient Egypt. This industry stands as one of the oldest in the world. Today, many countries produce and export the rock, with the major ones being Brazil, India, Spain, China, Italy, Canada, Germany, and Sweden. The exports go to various countries and bring millions of dollars to exporters. Granites are used in various industries, including sculptures and memorials, engineering, and building and construction.

The use of granites for memorials and gravestones is an activity practiced worldwide in various places. Granites are hard rocks, which makes them hard to carve if one does not have the skills. Even with the skills, the results are often poor. Hand tools were in wide use before the 18th century, following the invention of steam-powered cutting and dressing tools. This tools revolutionized the industry and improved results a lot.

Today, there are many methods of carving stone that have been invented. Some of them include computer-controlled rotary bits and sandblasting. These methods can be used to create very complex artworks and epitaph with ease. In building, granites are used as flooring tiles and dimension stones. Flooring tiles in this case can be used in monuments, and public or commercial buildings.

Rock climbers prize granites very highly because they offer soundness, steepness, friction, and crack systems. Some of the most popular venues for granite climbing in the world are Yosemite, the Aiguille du Midi, Adamello-Presanella Alps, the Bugaboos, and the Cornish coast. Artificial rock climbing walls in theme parks and gyms are often made to resemble granites.




About the Author: