Diorite

For the community in the United States, see Diorite, Michigan. For the nuclear research reactor in Switzerland, see DIORIT.

Diorite
Orbicular diorite from Corsica (corsite)
QAPF diagram with dioritoid fields highlighted in yellow and diorite in red
Mineral assemblage of igneous rocks

Diorite (/ˈdaɪ.əraɪt/ DY-ə-ryte)[1][2] 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.

Diorite has been used since prehistoric times as decorative stone. It was used by the Akkadian Empire of Sargon of Akkad for funerary sculptures, and by many later civilizations for sculptures and building stone.

  1. ^ "diorite". Lexico UK English Dictionary. Oxford University Press. Archived from the original on 2020-03-22.
  2. ^ "diorite". Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary. Merriam-Webster. Retrieved 2016-01-21.