Granite is one of the most widely used countertop materials in kitchens and bathrooms across the country. Here at Paragon, it is one of the most popular types of countertops as well.
To help you understand why it is so popular, we will mention some details about this material and how it is formed.
What Is Granite?
Granite is an igneous rock composed primarily of quartz, feldspar, micas, amphiboles, and a variety of trace minerals.
These minerals and their variations in abundance and alteration contribute to the wide range of colors and textures found in granite countertops. Granite is a plutonic rock comprising 10 to 50% quartz (typically semi-transparent white) and 65 to 90% total feldspar (generally pinkish or white).
An intrusive igneous rock means that granite forms in place as molten rock cools. Mineral crystal size generally increases with the cooling rate, with K-Feldspar megacrysts growing to greater than 5 cm in rare cases.
During the formation of granite, it is buried beneath kilometers of rock and sediment, producing enough heat to melt the rock. In conclusion, igneous refers to the fact that the hardening of molten magma created the stone and did so in the form of sizable crystals evident in polished and processed rock.
Due to the granularity of the patterns, it is referred to as “granite.”
Granite is so strong because it was formed under extreme pressure. As a result, it is very dense and mostly nonporous.
Geologists refer to it as “poor primary permeability,” meaning that water and other fluids do not easily penetrate past the surface, but they leave a stain when they do.
Of course, the granite we see today is near the surface and was thus uplifted at some point, causing overlying sediment to be shed via erosion. The granite may slightly expand and crack as it transitions from high pressure and temperature to atmospheric pressure and temperature.
This, combined with seasonal temperature variations, can result in weakened and less desirable granite for use as countertops. That is why you should hire a professional installer to evaluate your needs for a new granite countertop. Don’t forget: The higher the percentage of quartz in the slab, the longer it will last.
How Is Granite Formed?
Various conditions led to the granite formation. Some granite was formed in regions of rifted continental or oceanic crust. Still, most granite was formed in regions where continents collided with oceanic crust, and continents merged. Granitization is the transformation of pre-existing rocks into granite-like rocks.
It is a key step in the formation of the Earth’s crust. It is thought to have formed large areas of granite-rich rocks, such as the Canadian Shield and the Baltic Shield. Granitization can also play a role in ore deposit formation.
Granite is created by two distinct processes: the melting of older continental crust and the fractional crystallization of basaltic magma. There is a range of hybrid processes between these end members, including mixing basaltic and granitic magmas and contaminating basaltic magma by partial melts of various continental crust types.
Granitoids formed from magmas with compositions nearing a eutectic point (or a temperature minimum on a cotectic curve). Because of igneous differentiation or low degrees of partial melting, magmas will evolve to the eutectic.
Fractional crystallization works by enriching the melt with potassium and silicon while depleting the melt of iron, magnesium, titanium, calcium, and sodium.
FAQs
Is granite formed underground?
Since granite is an igneous rock, it was created from melted rock known as magma. Under a mountain or volcano, it develops deep inside the Earth when molten rock cools or crystallizes into solid rock. The granite is brought to the surface as a result of the erosion caused by wind, ice, and water on the mountain or volcano above it.
Is granite a natural rock?
Yes, an igneous one. A body of undifferentiated mineral matter or an amalgamation of one or more minerals is referred to as a rock. Granite, basalt, limestone, and sandstone are examples of common rocks. Quartz and feldspar comprise most of the two minerals that make up granite.
This also makes it an intrusive rock, which means that the magma that formed it crystallized after cooling much below the Earth’s surface.
What type of rock is granite?
Granite is a light-colored, coarse-grained, intrusive igneous rock with large enough grains to be seen with the naked eye.
Related Read: Quartz vs. Granite