Granite is the main element of the continental crust. The stone is known for its hardness; once it is extracted from a quarry, it can exist virtually unchanged for hundreds of years in the open air. Temperature changes and precipitation do not affect the appearance and hardness of this material. Thanks to the hardness of this material, granite buildings and sculptures have existed for thousands of years - obelisks were built from this material, figures of animals and people were carved from this material back in Ancient Egypt. We present interesting facts about granite.

Yosemite National Park, USA

Physical properties

Translated from Latin, “granum” means “grain”. The stone is a mixture of feldspar and quartz, and may also contain other minerals. In the distant past, due to volcanic activity, these substances were in a molten state, slowly cooling, they formed crystals. Because these crystals are small, they give granite its grainy texture.

The material conducts sound well. The speed of sound waves is 10 times greater than in air.

Granite is 2.5 times heavier than water.

The most common granite is black or gray in color. But this stone exists in many other colors - it can be green, yellow, red, orange. The color depends on how much spar is present in the stone, as well as the type of spar. When white feldspar is mixed with white plagioclase, the resulting white or gray commercial granite is called granodiorite.

The hardest granite has a fine-grained structure. In the open air, this material can stand without visible changes for up to half a thousand years. Of course, products made from this material can last for many thousands of years, only temperature changes and exposure to moisture can somewhat affect the structure, microcracks appear that can expand over time.

There is an artificial substitute - porcelain stoneware. It is made in various colors and structures. This material is not so durable (hardness on the Mohs scale is about 7, granite hardness is 8), but it is convenient for the manufacture of various materials.

Granite can be radioactive because it may contain small amounts of uranium and radon gas. There are types of granites, the radiation of which is 20 times higher than the maximum permissible norm. You should not be afraid of this stone, since it can only be dangerous indoors (it can even cause lung cancer); granite outdoors does not pose a significant danger to humans. Nowadays, black granite is tested for radiation safety, which must be confirmed by a Certificate, which indicates that the level of radiation does not exceed the maximum permissible standards.

Application

Granite is made from:

• facing slabs for finishing facades, walls, floors;
• paving slabs and road paving stones, in the western United States there is a type of granite “pluton”, paving stones around the White House in Washington are made from it;
• monuments, sculptures;
• various crafts for office desks;
• vases;
• window sills;
• steps for stairs;
• fences;
• you can build a house entirely made of granite, but if you take into account the possible radioactivity of the stone, then building granite housing is a controversial decision.

Geography

Interesting facts about the geography of granite. The largest exporters are Italy, China, India.

The third highest peak in the world, Konchedzhanga (8450 meters), is almost completely covered with granite. Climbing this mountain is very difficult - according to statistics, about 22% of climbers die. The only woman who managed to climb this Himalayan peak was mountaineer Ginette Harrison, who managed to conquer Gongjejunga in 1998. Everest consists of limestone, K2 is made of gneiss, they are easier to climb (but still very difficult, there is also a high mortality rate on these mountains, according to statistics, about 7 percent of climbers die on Everest, 23 percent of climbers die on K2).

Many high mountains are made of granite - the Mont Blanc Alpine massif, the Bugabos Gorge, the Pine and Fitzroy massifs in Patagonia.

Mount Fitzroy in Patagonia

The rocks in the American states of Oregon, California, and Colorado are formed from rhyolite, a volcanic analogue of granite. Rhyolites are common in all areas of the world where there has been active volcanic activity. Mostly rhyolites are white, the shades depend on inclusions (quartz, plagioclase, sanidine, biotite, magnetite).Rhyolites are mainly white, shades depend on inclusions (quartz, plagioclase, sanidine, biotite, magnetite).

In Ukraine, the banks of the Southern Bug River are made of granite. This river also has granite rapids. These rapids are the only ones in Central Europe that have been preserved in the form in which they existed for many thousands of years. Rapids in other areas are usually flooded by reservoirs. On the basis of granite rocks, the natural complex Granite-Steppe Buzhye was formed; it is located in the northwestern part of the Nikolaev region. The granite-steppe region of the Bug region is considered one of the oldest land areas in Eurasia (which was not the seabed) over the past 60 million years. The natural complex includes the ecosystem of the Southern Bug River between the cities of Pervomaisk (northern extreme point) and Yuzhnoukrainsk (southern extreme point), as well as the ecosystems of the tributaries of the Southern Bug - Mertvovod (Aktovsky Canyon), Arbuzino. Here there are the villages of Grushevka and Migiya, which have the Migey rapids - one of the few rapids in Ukraine, where in the summer you can organize training in water slalom and extreme water tourism. The Regional Landscape Park “Granite-Steppe Pobuzhye” was created on the basis of granite outcrops on the Bug River.

Let's look into the Earth's storerooms

Rocks form the thickness of the Earth, and themselves consist of minerals.

View samples feldspar, quartz and mica. These are minerals, joining together, form granite rock

Examine a piece of granite. Find colored grains. This is the mineral feldspar. Find translucent grains. This is a mica mineral.

Fill out the diagram. Composition of granite.
In the diagram, fill in the rectangle with the name of the rock with a green pencil, and the rectangles with the names of minerals with a yellow pencil.

Copy examples of rocks from the text of the textbook.

Granite, sand, clay, limestone, chalk, marble, flint

Find additional information about granite, feldspar, quartz, and mica in the atlas-determinant “From Earth to Sky.” Prepare a message about 1 - 2 of these stones (of your choice). Write down brief information about them.

Granite
Granite comes in gray, pink, and red colors. It can often be seen in cities: the walls of some buildings are lined with granite, river embankments are built from it, and pedestals for monuments are made from it. Granite is a rock consisting of grains of several minerals. These are mainly feldspar, quartz, and mica. Colored grains are feldspar, translucent, sparkling grains are quartz, black mica. "Grain" in Latin is "granum". From this word the name “granite” appeared.

Feldspar
Feldspar is the most common mineral on the earth's surface. There are many varieties of feldspars known. Among them there are white, gray, yellowish, pinkish, red, green stones. Most often they are opaque. Some of them are used to make jewelry.

Quartz
Quartz is a mineral that is part of granite, but is often found on its own. There are quartz crystals ranging in size from a few millimeters to several meters! Transparent colorless quartz is called rock crystal, opaque white quartz is called milky quartz. Many people know transparent purple quartz - amethyst. There are pink quartz, blue quartz and other varieties. All these stones have been used for a long time to make various jewelry.

Mica
Mica is a mineral consisting of plates, thin leaves. These leaves are easily separated from each other. They are dark, but transparent and shiny. Mica is part of granite and some other rocks.

If you have your own collection of stones (for example, multi-colored sea pebbles or other stones), choose the most beautiful and interesting ones. Take photos and post them here. In your caption, try to convey your attitude towards the world of stones.

Looking at stones is a very exciting activity. When studying stones, you are sure to go into the distant past of our planet and the area where you live. There are countless different stones on Earth: beautiful and not so beautiful, of different colors and shapes. Looking at the stones, you think that each of them contains some kind of secret and many riddles. And not all of them have probably been revealed and solved. And how much these stones have seen in their lifetime! I would like to know what secrets they hide, how they differ from each other, what is the history of their appearance on Earth, and what benefits do stones bring to people?.

Among the many rocks on Earth, the main group consists of igneous ones, which were formed over millions of years in the thickness of the earth’s crust from volcanic lava. These breeds include one of the main

building materials - granite. The properties of this stone have long been studied by people. This led to it being widely used in construction in the past, and it is still used today. A huge number of monuments and structures of antiquity have survived to this day due to the fact that they were made of granite. Its unique composition, beautiful granular structure and beneficial properties make this stone a very popular building material.

Granite deposits

This rock is formed as a result of the solidification of magma at great depths. It is affected by high temperature, pressure, gases and vapors rising from the thickness of the earth's crust. Under the influence of these factors, such a unique structure is obtained, the play of light and shadow that we observe in this stone. Most often it is gray in color, but sometimes red or green granite is mined. Its properties depend on the size of its constituent grains. It can be coarse-grained, medium-grained and fine-grained (the most

lasting).

This rock usually lies at great depths, but sometimes comes to the surface. Granite deposits are found on all continents and in almost all countries, but most of them are in Siberia, Karelia, Finland, India and Brazil. Its extraction is quite expensive, since it occurs in the form of huge layers, often extending for several kilometers.

The composition of this stone

Granite is a polymineral rock formed by several substances. Most of its composition is feldspar, which determines its color. Almost a quarter is occupied by quartz, which consists of inclusions of translucent bluish grains. Granite also contains other minerals (for example,

up to 10% it may contain tourmaline, up to 20% mica), as well as inclusions of iron, manganese, monazite or ilmenite.

Basic properties of granite

The advantages of this stone allow us even now to admire the architectural structures made from it in ancient times. What properties of granite determine its widespread use?

1. Durability. Fine-grained varieties of granite show the first signs of abrasion only after 500 years. Therefore, it is sometimes called the eternal stone.

2. Durability. Granite is considered the most durable substance after diamond. It is resistant to compression and friction. This is explained by the properties of quartz included in its composition. In addition, it becomes clear why this rock is so strong, after the answer to the question of what it is is found. It is actually very high - almost three tons per cubic meter.

3. Weather resistant. Granite can withstand temperatures from minus 60 to plus 50. This is very important in cold climates. Research has proven that granite products do not lose their properties after freezing and thawing 300 times.

4. Waterproof. It is thanks to this property that granite is so

frost-resistant. Therefore, it is ideal for cladding embankments.

5. Environmental cleanliness. Granite is not radioactive at all and is therefore safe for any construction work.

6. Fire resistance. This material begins to melt only at 700-800 degrees Celsius. Therefore, lining a house with it is not only beautiful, but also safe.

7. Ease of processing, compatibility with any building materials and a wealth of textures and colors make it indispensable for interior design.

8. Resistance to acids and fungi.

Granite processing

Despite the strength and high density of the rock, this stone is easy to process. It is quite easy to cut and polish. Typically, large granite blocks, slabs or granite chips and crushed stones are sold. It is used to make tiles, countertops and paving stones. The richness of textures of this natural stone makes the use of granite acceptable for decorating any interior. It looks very nice because it absorbs light well. Polished to a shine, it reveals all its virtues and the beauty of mica inclusions. When processing the rock using the chipping method, a relief structure is obtained with a decorative effect of play of chiaroscuro. And some types of gray granite become milky white after heat treatment.

Types of granites

Based on what minerals are included, it is especially worth paying attention to the dark-colored components. These are divided into several groups: alaskite, leucogranite, biotite, pyroxene, alkaline and others. These breeds also differ in structure:

Porphyritic granite, which contains elongated mineral inclusions;

Pegmatoid - characterized by uniform grain size of quartz and;

Gneissic is a uniform, fine-grained stone;

Finnish granite, which is also called rapakivi, has round inclusions of red color;

Written is a very interesting variety; in it, particles of feldspar are arranged in the form of wedge-shaped strips, similar to ancient writing.

Recently, artificial granite, created by firing clay with minerals, has also been used. This stone is called porcelain stoneware and is almost as good in properties as natural stone.

Types of breed by color

The properties and uses of granite also depend on its color. Based on this trait, several breed groups are distinguished:

Amazonite granite, due to the green feldspar it contains, has a pleasant bluish-green color;

Rose-red and red Leznikovsky are the most durable;

Gray rocks are very common, and they got their names from the places they were mined: Korninsky, Sofievsky, Zhezhelevsky;

White granite is rare. This variety includes colors ranging from pale green to pearl gray.

Applications of granite

This stone has been used in construction for many centuries and this is due to the fact that its fine-grained varieties begin to collapse only after 500 years. It is resistant to various impacts and very durable. These basic properties of granite allow it to be widely used in construction. Where is the mineral used:

1. Most of the monuments are made from it.

2. Its strength and abrasion resistance allow the stone to be used for making steps, flooring, porches and even pavements.

3. In cold climates, the most popular building material is granite. Its properties make it possible to cladding buildings and even embankments where

There are harsh winters.

4. This stone can transform your home both inside and out. Designers successfully use it to make columns, stairs, baseboards, countertops and railings. They also line the walls of houses.

5. The use of granite in swimming pools, bathrooms and fountains is due to the fact that it does not allow water to pass through at all. And also does not collapse under its influence.

Granite in the interior

In recent years, this stone has become very widely used for interior decoration. It goes well with all materials: wood, metal and ceramics - and is suitable for the design of any home. In addition to wall and floor cladding, granite can be used in many areas of the apartment. Its properties make this stone indispensable for making window sills and countertops in the kitchen. They are easy to care for, durable and do not deteriorate from exposure to moisture and high temperature.

Granite is also widely used in landscape design. A path or gazebo lined with this stone will not be afraid of atmospheric influences and will not crack over time. Flower beds decorated with it, for example, in the style or in the form of a terrace, look beautiful. It is also very convenient to use granite for making borders and stairs.

The properties and uses of this stone have been studied for a long time. And it has been used by man since ancient times. With the advent of new processing technologies, granite began to be used even more often, because it became possible to improve its decorative properties.

There are two ways granite can form. In the first case, this stone is formed from a magmatic melt, which cools at great depths in the earth’s crust and gradually petrifies. The result is a granular crystalline one, consisting of grains of various sizes.

The second way granite is formed is from sedimentary, clastic and clayey rocks that were moved by tectonic processes and fell into the deep layers of the earth's crust, where high temperatures, strong pressure and hot gases melted them, compressed them and subjected them to granitization.

These processes took place several million years ago, when the Earth underwent mountain-building processes.

Composition, types and characteristics of granite

Granite has a crystalline granular structure. Its chemical composition is based on rocks enriched with calcium, iron, alkalis and magnesium. These are feldspars, quartz, and dark-colored minerals. Potassium feldspar predominates in the composition, which gives the stone a certain shade, and quartz responds to the presence of translucent grains in granite. This rock may also contain other minerals, for example, monazite or ilmenite, but their content is very small and they are not always present. The compositional features of granite determine the existence of different types: plagigranite is a rock with a predominant composition of plagioclase and a small amount of feldspar, this type of granite has a pinkish color; and alaskite is a stone with a predominance of feldspar and without dark-colored materials. There are also types such as syenites, teschenites, and diorites. Different types of granite have different colors: there is gray, black, red, pink granite.

This rock is very durable, which is why it has been used since ancient times. Granite stone is extremely durable, it is almost unaffected by climatic conditions, it is waterproof, and many architectural works created several centuries ago have survived perfectly to this day.

Among them are the famous Egyptian pyramids, some of which were built using granite blocks. Buildings were built from this stone in Ancient Rome and India.

This rock is also easy to process, polishes well, takes any shape, and can even be used to create mirror surfaces. Granite is also used to make

Granite. The climbers love him, even if he hurts their flesh, steals their gear, makes them feel small. You probably know what granite feels like, smells like, and how it turns golden in the last rays of the sun, but here are a few facts you haven't heard about...

1. The word "Granite" comes from the Latin granum, which means "grain". Granite's distinctive, grainy texture is formed by interlocking crystals that formed when molten rock slowly cooled beneath the Earth's surface, solidifying as the individual minerals quartz and feldspar, as well as mica and small quantities of other minerals. The size of the crystals depends on how long the rock hardened. Slow cooling creates rough granite that is difficult to climb without adhesive tape and gloves, such as the granite at Vedauwoo, Wyoming, and Joshua Tree, California.

2. The color of granite mainly depends on the type of feldspar it contains. If granite contains plagioclase feldspar, its color is usually milky white. Alkali feldspars range in color from brick red to emerald green to pale yellow, depending on impurities and trace elements. Pink granites owe their color to red or pink alkali feldspars. Gray or white granite may contain white alkali feldspar mixed with white plagioclase, but the presence of alkali feldspar is not necessary, and such granites are technically called granodiorites or tonalites.

3. Granites form the world's tallest cliffs, including the northwest face of the great Trango Tower in Pakistan, probably the tallest cliff at 5,500 feet. Trango is composed of Baltoro granite, which also formed the Latok mountain group, which includes Ogre, Masherbrum and K7. Some of the walls of the eastern fjords of the Baffin Islands are about as high, such as Polar Sun Spire (wall height 4,700-5,000 feet). Other large granite walls and peaks include the Mont Blanc massif, Ruth Gorge in Alaska, Bugaboos in Canada, and the Fitzroy and Pine massifs in Patagonia.

4. The City of Rocks, Idaho, Cochise Stronghold, Arizona, Mount Lemmon, Arizona, and Little Cottonwood Canyon, Utah granites, although different, were all formed at about the same time, about 30 million years ago, during a period that geologists call "magmatic outbursts." ". During this time, the oceanic plate that went under North America fell apart, exposing the bottom of the North American continental plate to hot mantle rocks. This heating produced new pockets of magma, and eventually created granite - called plutons - that can be found in the American West.

5. All the granite that is on the surface of the Earth was at one time raised from a depth, usually from one to 20 kilometers. If such granitic magma cools at the surface, as part of a lava flow or volcanic eruption, it forms rhyolites or rhyolitic tuff. This is how most rocks are formed, for example, at Penitente Canyon, Colorado, Owens River Gorge, California, and Smith Rocks, Oregon.

6. Pegmatite is the most notorious "representative" in the Black Canyon of Colorado, and the composition of pegmatite is similar to granite. Pegmatites are identified by their extremely large crystals - anywhere from an inch or two across, to over 20 feet. They grow rapidly from tiny particles of magma into a granitic system, and the magma is often saturated with water and often has unusual concentrations of elements that are incompatible with the rest of the particles in the granite crystals. So the next time you snatch a clue, inspect it before throwing it away: it's all because of these very elements, because pegmatites often contain rare gems and minerals such as aquamarine, emerald and tourmaline.

7. The world's highest granite mountain is Kanchenjunga (8586 meters), which ranks third in height in the world, after Everest (8848 m) and K2 (8611 m). Kanchenjunga, along with the neighboring peaks of Makalu and Jannu, is built from a 2.5-mile-long thick sheet of light-colored granite that formed from molten rock deep in the crust of the Himalayas. The summit of Everest, on the other hand, is made of limestone. And the slopes of K2 are carved from gneiss rocks.

8. El Capitan granite is different from Half House granite. El Capitan's granite is 102 million years old and is interspersed with diorite, a dark-colored igneous rock visible on the southeast wall. Half House is composed of junior granodiorites (meaning it contains a higher percentage of feldspar plagioclase than true granite) that formed 87 million years ago. Both the El Capitan granite and the Half House granodiorite are part of the Sierra Nevada batholith, a vast expanse of igneous rock that formed within a chain of volcanoes - similar to the modern Andes - that existed on the west coast of California about 100 million years ago.

9. The density of granite is about 162 pounds per cubic foot, about two and a half times heavier than the same volume of water. Granite is the main component of the continental crust. Basalt, the main component of oceanic crust, is much denser, about 187 pounds per cubic foot. Sandstone has a variable density, but is typically about 137 pounds per cubic foot. By weight, all granite is approximately 50% oxygen.

10. Granite is radioactive. Like many other natural materials, it contains trace amounts of uranium. Some granites, however, may have 5 to 20 times the normal amount of uranium, the byproduct of which is radon gas, which can cause lung cancer. But don't worry about significant radiation exposure from climbing in Yosemite. Of greatest concern are poorly ventilated basements surrounded by soil with granite outcrops.