Close-up of granite from Yosemite National Park, valley of the Merced River

Quarrying granite for the Mormon Temple, Utah Territory. Merced River (pronounced "mer-SED" is in California. Its headwaters are in the southern half of Yosemite National Park. The ground is strewn with boulders and detached masses of granite, which have fallen from the walls of Little Cottonwood Canyon. Little Cottonwood Canyon lies within the Wasatch-Cache National Forest along the eastern border of the Salt Lake Valley The quarrying consists of splitting up the blocks

Granite (pronounced /ˈɡrænɪt/) is a common and widely occurring type of intrusive, felsic, igneous rock. In Geology, an intrusion is a body of Igneous rock that has Crystallized from molten Magma below the surface of the Earth. Felsic is a term used in Geology to refer to Silicate minerals, Magma, and rocks which are enriched in the lighter elements such as Silicon Igneous rocks (etymology from Latin ignis, fire are rocks formed by solidification of cooled Magma (molten rock In Geology, rock is a naturally occurring aggregate of Minerals and/or Mineraloids The Earth's outer solid layer the ‘ Lithosphere Granite has a medium to coarse texture, occasionally with some individual crystals larger than the groundmass forming a rock known as porphyry. Porphyry is a variety of Igneous rock consisting of large-grained Crystals such as Feldspar or Quartz, dispersed in a fine-grained Granites can be pink to dark gray or even black, depending on their chemistry and mineralogy. Outcrops of granite tend to form tors, and rounded massifs. Outcrop is a geological term referring to the appearance of Bedrock or Superficial deposits exposed at the surface of the Earth A tor is a rock outcrop formed by Weathering, usually found on or near the summit of a Hill. In Geology, a massif is a section of a planet's crust that is demarcated by faults or Flexures In the movement of the crust, a massif Granites sometimes occur in circular depressions surrounded by a range of hills, formed by the metamorphic aureole or hornfels. Depression in Geology is a Landform sunken or depressed below the surrounding area Metamorphism can be defined as the solid state recrystallisation of pre-existing rocks due to changes in heat and/or pressure and/or introduction of fluids i Hornfels ( German, meaning "hornstone" is the group designation for a series of contact metamorphic rocks that have been baked and indurated by the heat

Granite is nearly always massive (lacking internal structures), hard and tough, and therefore it has gained widespread use as a construction stone. The average density of granite is 2. The density of a material is defined as its Mass per unit Volume: \rho = \frac{m}{V} Different materials usually have different 75 g/cm³. The word granite comes from the Latin granum, a grain, in reference to the coarse-grained structure of such a crystalline rock. Latin ( lingua Latīna, laˈtiːna is an Italic language, historically spoken in Latium and Ancient Rome. In Materials science, a crystal is a Solid in which the constituent Atoms Molecules or Ions are packed in a regularly ordered repeating

Mineralogy

Granite is classified according to the QAPF diagram for coarse grained plutonic rocks (granitoids) and is named according to the percentage of quartz, alkali feldspar (orthoclase, sanidine, or microcline) and plagioclase feldspar on the A-Q-P half of the diagram. A QAPF diagram is a double triangle Diagram which is used to classify Igneous rocks based on mineralogic composition A pluton in Geology is an Intrusive Igneous rock body that crystallized from a Magma slowly cooling below the surface of the Earth Quartz (from German) is the most abundant Mineral in the Earth 's Continental crust (although Feldspar is more common in Feldspar is the name of a group of rock-forming Minerals which make up as much as 60% of the Earth 's crust. Physical properties Orthoclase crystallizes in the Monoclinic crystal system Sanidine is the high temperature form of potassium Feldspar (KNa(SiAl4O8 See also List of minerals Plagioclase is a very important series of tectosilicate Minerals within the Feldspar family Granite-like rocks which are silica-undersaturated may have a feldspathoid such as nepheline, and are classified on the A-F-P half of the diagram. Normative mineralogy is a geochemical calculation of the whole rock geochemistry of a rock sample which estimates the idealised mineralogy of a rock according to the principles The feldspathoids are a group of tectosilicate Minerals which resemble Feldspars but have a different structure and much lower Silica content Nepheline, also called nephelite (from Greek: nephos, "cloud" is a Feldspathoid: a silica-undersaturated aluminosilicate Na

True granite according to modern petrologic convention contains both plagioclase and alkali feldspars. In Geology, petrology (from Greek πέτρα petra, rock and λόγος logos, knowledge is the study of rocks and the conditions on which When a granitoid is devoid or nearly devoid of plagioclase the rock is referred to as alkali granite. When a granitoid contains <10% orthoclase it is called tonalite; pyroxene and amphibole are common in tonalite. Tonalite is an igneous, Plutonic ( Intrusive) rock, of Felsic composition with Phaneritic texture The pyroxenes are a group of important rock-forming Silicate minerals found in many Igneous and metamorphic rocks. Amphibole (pronounced amfi-bowl defines an important group of generally dark-colored rock-forming inosilicate Minerals composed of double chain SiO4 A granite containing both muscovite and biotite micas is called a binary or two-mica granite. The word "mica" is thought to be derived from the Latin word la micare, "glitteren" in reference to the brilliant appearance of this mineral (especially Two-mica granites are typically high in potassium and low in plagioclase, and are usually S-type granites or A-type granites. Potassium (pəˈtæsiəm is a Chemical element. It has the symbol K (kalium from qalīy Atomic number 19 and Atomic mass 39 The volcanic equivalent of plutonic granite is rhyolite. Plate tectonics and hotspots Divergent plate boundaries At the In Geology, an intrusion is a body of Igneous rock that has Crystallized from molten Magma below the surface of the Earth. This page is about a volcanic rock For the ghost town see Rhyolite Nevada, and for the satellite system see Rhyolite/Aquacade.

Chemical composition

A worldwide average of the average proportion of the different chemical components in granites, in descending order by weight percent, is:^[1]

• SiO₂ — 72. The Chemical compound silicon dioxide, also known as silica or silox (from the Latin " Silex " is an Oxide 04%
• Al₂O₃ — 14. 42%
• K₂O — 4. Potassium oxide is a compound of Potassium and Oxygen. This pale yellow solid the simplest oxide of potassium is a rarely encountered highly reactive 12%
• Na₂O — 3. Sodium oxide is a Chemical compound with the formula Na 2 O. It is used in Ceramics and Glasses Treatment with water 69%
• CaO — 1. Calcium oxide ( CaO) commonly known as burnt lime, lime or quicklime, is a widely used Chemical compound. 82%
• FeO — 1. Iron(II oxide, also known as ferrous oxide, iron oxide/oxidized iron or more commonly rusted 68%
• Fe₂O₃ — 1. Iron(III oxide —also known as ferric oxide, Hematite, red iron oxide, synthetic maghemite, colcothar, or simply Rust —is 22%
• MgO — 0. Magnesium oxide, or magnesia, is a white solid Mineral that occurs naturally as Periclase and is a source 71%
• TiO₂ — 0. Titanium dioxide, also known as titanium(IV oxide or titania, is the naturally occurring Oxide of Titanium, chemical formula Ti[[oxygen 30%
• P₂O₅ — 0. Phosphorus pentoxide is a Chemical compound with formula P 2 O 5 12%
• MnO — 0. 05%

Based on 2485 analyses

Occurrence

The Stawamus Chief is a granite monolith in British Columbia

Granite is currently known only on Earth where it forms a major part of continental crust. The Stawamus Chief (often referred to as simply the Chief, or more rarely the Squamish Chief) is a Granite dome located adjacent to the town of Squamish A monolith is a geological feature such as a Mountain, consisting of a single massive stone or rock or a single piece of rock placed as or within a monument The continental crust is the layer of granitic, Sedimentary, and Metamorphic rocks which form the Continents and the areas of shallow seabed Granite often occurs as relatively small, less than 100 km² stock masses (stocks) and in batholiths that are often associated with orogenic mountain ranges. A batholith (from Greek bathos, depth + lithos, rock is a large emplacement of Igneous intrusive (also called plutonic rock that forms Orogeny (Greek for "mountain generating" is the process of natural Mountain building and may be studied as a tectonic structural event as a geographical event and A mountain is a Landform that extends above the surrounding Terrain in a limited area with a peak Small dikes of granitic composition called aplites are often associated with the margins of granitic intrusions. A dike or dyke in Geology is a type of Sheet intrusion referring to any geologic body that cuts Discordantly ' across planar In Geology, an intrusion is a body of Igneous rock that has Crystallized from molten Magma below the surface of the Earth. In some locations very coarse-grained pegmatite masses occur with granite. Pegmatite is a very coarse-grained Igneous rock that has a grain size of 20 mm or more such rocks are referred to as pegmatitic.

Granite has been intruded into the crust of the Earth during all geologic periods, although much of it is of Precambrian age. In Geology, a crust is the outermost solid shell of a planet or moon EARTH was a short-lived Japanese vocal trio which released 6 singles and 1 album between 2000 and 2001 The geologic time scale is a chronologic schema (or idealized Model) relating Stratigraphy to time that is used by Geologists and other The Precambrian ( Pre-Cambrian) is an informal name for the supereon comprising the eons of the Geologic timescale that came before the current Granitic rock is widely distributed throughout the continental crust of the Earth and is the most abundant basement rock that underlies the relatively thin sedimentary veneer of the continents. The continental crust is the layer of granitic, Sedimentary, and Metamorphic rocks which form the Continents and the areas of shallow seabed Basement or Basement Rock music was a sub-genre coined in 2006 in an article by music magazine TGR Sedimentary rock is one of the three main rock types (the others being igneous and Metamorphic rock)

Despite being fairly common throughout the world, the areas with the most commercial granite quarries are located in Finland, Norway and Sweden (Bohuslän), northern Portugal in Chaves and Vila Pouca de Aguiar, Spain (mostly Galicia and Extremadura), Brazil, India and several countries in southern Africa, namely Angola, Namibia, Zimbabwe and South Africa. A quarry is a type of open-pit mine from which rock or Minerals are extracted Finland, officially the Republic of Finland ( is a Nordic country situated in the Fennoscandian region of northern Europe. Norway ( Norwegian: Norge ( Bokmål) or Noreg ( Nynorsk) officially the Kingdom of Norway, is a Constitutional is one of the 25 traditional non-administrative Provinces of Sweden ( landskap in Swedish situated on the west coast of the country Portugal, officially the Portuguese Republic (República Portuguesa is a country on the Iberian Peninsula. Chaves ( pron 'ʃavɨʃ is a town and seat of municipality in the far North of Portugal, 10 km south of the Spanish border and 22 km south of Verín Vila Pouca de Aguiar ( pron. 'vilɐ 'po(owkɐ dɨ ɐgi'aɾ is a municipality in Portugal with a total area of 437 Spain () or the Kingdom of Spain (Reino de España is a country located mostly in southwestern Europe on the Iberian Peninsula. Galicia (occasionally Galiza) is an autonomous community in northwest Spain. Extremadura is an autonomous community of western Spain whose capital city is Mérida. |utc_offset = -2 to -4 |time_zone_DST = BRST |utc_offset_DST = -2 to -5 |cctld India, officially the Republic of India (भारत गणराज्य inc-Latn Bhārat Gaṇarājya; see also other Indian languages) is a country Angola, officially the Republic of Angola (República de Angola Pronounced ʁɛˈpublikɐ dɨ ɐ̃ˈgɔlɐ Repubilika ya Ngola is a country in south-central Namibia, officially the Republic of Namibia, is a country in Southern Africa on the Atlantic coast See also Great Zimbabwe National Monument. For information about the March and June 2008 presidential elections see Zimbabwean presidential election The Republic of South Africa (also known by other official names) is a country located at the southern tip of the continent of Africa

Origin

Close-up of granite exposed in Chennai, India.

Granite is an igneous rock and is formed from magma. Igneous rocks (etymology from Latin ignis, fire are rocks formed by solidification of cooled Magma (molten rock Magma (Plurals magmas and magmata) is molten rock that sometimes forms beneath the surface of the Earth (or any other Terrestrial planet Granitic magma has many potential origins but it must intrude other rocks. Most granite intrusions are emplaced at depth within the crust, usually greater than 1. 5 kilometres and up to 50 km depth within thick continental crust. The origin of granite is contentious and has led to varied schemes of classification. Classification schemes are regional; there is a French scheme, a British scheme and an American scheme. This confusion arises because the classification schemes define granite by different means. Generally the 'alphabet-soup' classification is used because it classifies based on genesis or origin of the magma.

Geochemical origins

Granitoids are a ubiquitous component of the crust. They have crystallized from magmas that have compositions at or near a eutectic point (or a temperature minimum on a cotectic curve). Magmas will evolve to the eutectic because of igneous differentiation, or because they represent low degrees of partial melting. Igneous differentiation is an umbrella term for the various processes by which Magmas undergo bulk chemical change during the Partial melting process cooling Fractional crystallisation serves to reduce a melt in iron, magnesium, titanium, calcium and sodium, and enrich the melt in potassium and silicon - alkali feldspar (rich in potassium) and quartz (SiO₂), are two of the defining constituents of granite. Fractional crystallization is one of the most important geochemical and physical processes operating within the Earth's crust and mantle. Iron (ˈаɪɚn is a Chemical element with the symbol Fe (ferrum and Atomic number 26 Magnesium (mægˈniːziəm is a Chemical element with the symbol Mg, Atomic number 12 Atomic weight 24 Titanium (taɪˈteɪniəm is a Chemical element with the symbol Ti and Atomic number 22 Calcium (ˈkælsiəm is the Chemical element with the symbol Ca and Atomic number 20 Sodium (ˈsoʊdiəm is an element which has the symbol Na( Latin natrium, from Arabic natrun) atomic number 11 atomic mass 22 Potassium (pəˈtæsiəm is a Chemical element. It has the symbol K (kalium from qalīy Atomic number 19 and Atomic mass 39 Silicon (ˈsɪlɪkən or /ˈsɪlɪkɒn/ silicium is the Chemical element that has the symbol Si and Atomic number 14 Quartz (from German) is the most abundant Mineral in the Earth 's Continental crust (although Feldspar is more common in

This process operates regardless of the origin of the parental magma to the granite, and regardless of its chemistry. However, the composition and origin of the magma which differentiates into granite, leaves certain geochemical and mineralogical evidence as to what the granite's parental rock was. The final mineralogy, texture and chemical composition of a granite is often distinctive as to its origin. For instance, a granite which is formed from melted sediments may have more alkali feldspar, whereas a granite derived from melted basalt may be richer in plagioclase feldspar. Basalt (bəˈsɔːlt ˈbeisɔːlt ˈbæsɔːlt is a common Extrusive Volcanic rock. Plagioclase is a very important series of tectosilicate Minerals within the Feldspar family It is on this basis that the modern "alphabet" classification schemes are based.

Alphabet soup classification

The 'alphabet soup' scheme of Chappell & White was proposed initially to divide granites into I-type granite (or igneous protolith) granite and S-type or sedimentary protolith granite^[2]. Igneous rocks (etymology from Latin ignis, fire are rocks formed by solidification of cooled Magma (molten rock Protolith refers to the precursor Lithology of a Metamorphic rock Both of these types of granite are formed by melting of high grade metamorphic rocks, either other granite or intrusive mafic rocks, or buried sediment, respectively. Metamorphic rock is the result of the transformation of an existing rock type the protolith, in a process called Metamorphism, which means "change

M-type or mantle derived granite was proposed later, to cover those granites which were clearly sourced from crystallised mafic magmas, generally sourced from the mantle. The mantle is a part of an Astronomical object. The interior of the Earth, similar to the other Terrestrial planets, is Chemically divided Mafic is an adjective describing a Silicate mineral or rock that is rich in magnesium and iron the term was derived by contracting "magnesium" and "ferric" These are rare, because it is difficult to turn basalt into granite via fractional crystallisation. Basalt (bəˈsɔːlt ˈbeisɔːlt ˈbæsɔːlt is a common Extrusive Volcanic rock.

A-type or anorogenic granites are formed above volcanic "hot spot" activity and have peculiar mineralogy and geochemistry. The field of geochemistry involves study of the chemical composition of the Earth and other Planets chemical processes and reactions that govern the composition These granites are formed by melting of the lower crust under conditions that are usually extremely dry. The rhyolites of the Yellowstone caldera are examples of volcanic equivalents of A-type granite. The Yellowstone Caldera is the volcanic Caldera in Yellowstone National Park in the United States. ^{[3] [4]}

Granitization

An old, and largely discounted theory, granitization states that granite is formed in place by extreme metasomatism by fluids bringing in elements e. Metasomatism is the chemical alteration of a rock by Hydrothermal and other fluids g. potassium and removing others e. g. calcium to transform the metamorphic rock into a granite. This was supposed to occur across a migrating front. The production of granite by metamorphic heat is difficult, but is observed to occur in certain amphibolite and granulite terrains. Amphibolite (æmˈfɪbəlaɪt is the name given to a rock consisting mainly of hornblende Amphibole, the use of the term being restricted however to Metamorphic Granulites are fine to medium–grained Metamorphic rocks that have experienced high Temperatures of metamorphism composed mainly of Feldspars sometimes associated In-situ granitisation or melting by metamorphism is difficult to recognise except where leucosome and melanosome textures are present in gneisses. A melanosome in Geology refers to the dark mafic mineral bands formed in Migmatite which is undergoing eutaxitic melting probably to form Granite. Gneiss (ˈnaɪs is a common and widely distributed type of rock formed by high-grade regional metamorphic processes from preexisting formations that were originally Once a metamorphic rock is melted it is no longer a metamorphic rock and is a magma, so these rocks are seen as a transitional between the two, but are not technically granite as they do not actually intrude into other rocks. In all cases, melting of solid rock requires high temperature, and also water or other volatiles which act as a catalyst by lowering the solidus temperature of the rock. Water is a common Chemical substance that is essential for the survival of all known forms of Life. In Planetary science, volatiles, are that group of elements and compounds with low boiling points (see volatile) that are associated with a planet's or moon's Catalysis is the process in which the rate of a Chemical reaction is increased by means of a Chemical substance known as a catalyst In Chemistry, Materials science, and Physics, the solidus is a temperature (a line on a Phase diagram) below which a given substance is completely

Ascent and emplacement

The ascent and emplacement of large volumes of granite within the upper continental crust is a source of much debate amongst geologists. There is a lack of field evidence for any proposed mechanisms, so hypotheses are predominantly based upon experimental data. There are two major hypotheses for the ascent of magma through the crust:

• Stokes Diapir
• Fracture Propagation

Of these two mechanisms, Stokes diapir was favoured for many years in the absence of a reasonable alternative. A diapir (ˈdaɪəpɪər) ( French, from Greek diapeirein, to pierce through is an Intrusion caused by Buoyancy and Pressure The basic idea is that magma will rise through the crust as a single mass through buoyancy. In Physics, buoyancy ( BrE IPA: /ˈbɔɪənsi/ is the upward Force on an object produced by the surrounding liquid or gas in which it is As it rises it heats the wall rocks, causing them to behave as a power-law fluid and thus flow around the pluton allowing it to pass rapidly and without major heat loss (Weinberg, 1994). Country rock is a geological term meaning the rock native to an area A power law is any Polynomial relationship that exhibits the property of Scale invariance. A pluton in Geology is an Intrusive Igneous rock body that crystallized from a Magma slowly cooling below the surface of the Earth This is entirely feasible in the warm, ductile lower crust where rocks are easily deformed, but runs into problems in the upper crust which is far colder and more brittle. Ductility is a mechanical property used to describe the extent to which materials can be deformed plastically or "stretched" into "wires" without Rocks there do not deform so easily: for magma to rise as a pluton it would expend far too much energy in heating wall rocks, thus cooling and solidifying before reaching higher levels within the crust.

Nowadays fracture propagation is the mechanism preferred by many geologists as it largely eliminates the major problems of moving a huge mass of magma through cold brittle crust. A fracture is the (local separation of an object or material into two or more pieces under the action of stress. Magma rises instead in small channels along self-propagating dykes which form along new or pre-existing fault systems and networks of active shear zones (Clemens, 1998)^[5]. A dike or dyke in Geology is a type of Sheet intrusion referring to any geologic body that cuts Discordantly ' across planar In Geology a fault, or fault line, is a planar rock fracture which shows evidence of relative movement As these narrow conduits open, the first magma to enter solidifies and provides a form of insulation for later magma.

Granitic magma must make room for itself or be intruded into other rocks in order to form an intrusion, and several mechanisms have been proposed to explain how large batholiths have been emplaced:

• Stoping, where the granite cracks the wall rocks and pushes upwards as it removes blocks of the overlying crust
• Assimilation, where the granite melts its way up into the crust and removes overlying material in this way
• Inflation, where the granite body inflates under pressure and is injected into position

Most geologists today accept that a combination of these phenomena can be used to explain granite intrusions, and that not all granites can be explained entirely by one or another mechanism. A batholith (from Greek bathos, depth + lithos, rock is a large emplacement of Igneous intrusive (also called plutonic rock that forms Stoping is a process accommodating the ascent of magmatic bodies from their sources in the Mantle (geology or lower crust to the surface

Natural Radiation

Granite is a normal, geological source of radiation in the natural environment. Particle radiation is the radiation of Energy by means of fast-moving Subatomic particles. Granite contains around 10 to 20 parts per million of uranium. Uranium (jʊˈreɪniəm is a silvery-gray Metallic Chemical element in the By contrast, more mafic rocks such as tonalite, gabbro or diorite have 1 to 5 ppm uranium, and limestones and sedimentary rocks usually have equally low amounts. Tonalite is an igneous, Plutonic ( Intrusive) rock, of Felsic composition with Phaneritic texture Gabbro (ˈɡæbrəʊ is a dark coarse-grained intrusive Igneous rock chemically equivalent to Basalt. Diorite (ˈdaɪəraɪt is a grey to dark grey intermediate intrusive Igneous rock composed principally of Plagioclase Feldspar (typically Limestone is a Sedimentary rock composed largely of the Mineral Calcite ( Calcium carbonate: CaCO3 Sedimentary rock is one of the three main rock types (the others being igneous and Metamorphic rock)

Many large granite plutons are the sources for palaeochannel-hosted or roll front uranium ore deposits, where the uranium washes into the sediments from the granite uplands and associated, often highly radioactive, pegmatites. Palaeochannels are deposits of unconsolidated or semi-consolidated sedimentary rocks deposited in ancient currently inactive river and stream channel systems Uranium ore deposits are Ore deposits which constitute economically recoverable concentrations of Uranium within the Earth's crust Sediment is any particulate matter that can be transported by fluid flow and which eventually is deposited as a layer of solid particles on the bed or bottom of a body of Pegmatite is a very coarse-grained Igneous rock that has a grain size of 20 mm or more such rocks are referred to as pegmatitic.

Granite could be considered a potential natural radiological hazard as, for instance, villages located over granite may be susceptible to higher doses of radiation than other communities. ^[6] Cellars and basements sunk into soils formed over or from particularly uraniferous granites can become a trap for radon gas, which is heavier than air. Radon (ˈreɪdɒn is the Chemical element that has the symbol Rn and Atomic number 86

However, in the majority of cases, although granite is a significant source of natural radiation as compared to other rocks it is not often an acute health threat or significant risk factor. Various resources from national geological survey organisations are accessible online to assist in assessing the risk factors in granite country and design rules relating, in particular, to preventing accumulation of radon gas in enclosed basements and dwellings.

Uses

Antiquity

Life-size elephant and other creatures carved in granite; Mahabalipuram, India.

The Red Pyramid of Egypt (c. This article is about the pyramid For the Silent Hill monster see Pyramid Head. Ancient Egypt was an Ancient Civilization in eastern North Africa, concentrated along the lower reaches of the Nile River in what is now 26th century BC), named for the light crimson hue of its exposed granite surfaces, is the third largest of Egyptian pyramids. The Egyptian pyramids are pyramid shaped structures located in Egypt, and were built as a tomb for dead pharaohs Menkaure's Pyramid, likely dating to the same era, was constructed of limestone and granite blocks. Menkaure's Pyramid, located on the Giza Plateau on the southwestern outskirts of Cairo, Egypt, is the smallest of the three Pyramids of Limestone is a Sedimentary rock composed largely of the Mineral Calcite ( Calcium carbonate: CaCO3 The Great Pyramid of Giza (c. The Great Pyramid of Giza, also called Khufu's Pyramid or the Pyramid of Khufu, and Pyramid of Cheops, is the oldest and largest of the three 2580 BC) contains a huge granite sarcophagus fashioned of "Red Aswan Granite. The 26th century BC is a Century which lasted from the year 2600 BC to 2501 BC A sarcophagus is a Funeral receptacle for a Corpse, most commonly carved or cut from stone Aswan (formerly spelled Assuan (in standard أسوان Aswān) Egyptian: Swenet ( trade) Coptic: Swān; Greek " The mostly ruined Black Pyramid dating from the reign of Amenemhat III once had a polished granite pyramidion or capstone, now on display in the main hall of the Egyptian Museum in Cairo (see Dahshur). King Amenemhat III built the Black pyramid during the Middle Kingdom of Egypt (2040-1640 BC Amenemhat III, alt Amenemhet III, (c 1860 BC-1814 BC was a Pharaoh of the Twelfth Dynasty of Egypt. In archaeological parlance a pyramidion (pl pyramidia) is the uppermost piece or Capstone, of an Egyptian pyramid. The Museum of Egyptian Antiquities, known commonly as the Egyptian Museum, in Cairo, Egypt, is home to the most extensive collection of Ancient Cairo () which means "the Vanquisher" or "the Triumphant" is the capital and largest city of Egypt. Dahshur (Arabic دهشور Dahšūr, in English often called Dashur) is a royal Necropolis located in the Desert on the west bank of the Other uses in Ancient Egypt,^[7] include columns, door lintels, sills, jambs, and wall and floor veneer. Ancient Egypt was an Ancient Civilization in eastern North Africa, concentrated along the lower reaches of the Nile River in what is now A column in Structural engineering is a vertical structural element that transmits through compression, the weight of the structure above to other structural For lintel as a decorative element see Lintel (architecture For beam as load-bearing member see beam A door jamb is the vertical portion of the frame onto which a Door is secured How the Egyptians worked the solid granite is still a matter of debate. This article is about the contemporary North African ethnic group Dr. Patrick Hunt^[8] has postulated that the Egyptians used emery shown to have higher hardness on the Mohs scale. Emery is a very hard rock type used to make abrasive powder It largely consists of the mineral Corundum ( Aluminum oxide) mixed with other species such as the iron-bearing The hardenability of a Metal Alloy is its capability to be hardened by Heat treatment. The Mohs scale of mineral hardness characterizes the scratch resistance of various Minerals through the ability of a harder material to scratch a softer material

Many large Hindu temples in southern India, particularly those built by the 11th century king Rajaraja Chola I, were made of granite. Rajaraja Chola I (இராஜராஜ சோழன் is one of the greatest kings of the Chola Empire, who ruled between 985 and 1014 CE There is a large amount of granite in these structures. They are comparable to the Great Pyramid of Giza. ^[9]

Modern

Granite has been extensively used as a dimension stone and as flooring tiles in public and commercial buildings and monuments. Dimension stone is natural stone or rock that has been selected and fabricated (i Because of its abundance granite was commonly used as to build foundations for homes in New England. The Granite Railway, America's first railroad, was built to haul granite from the quarries in Quincy, Massachusetts, to the Neponset River for transport. The Granite Railway was one of the First railroads in the United States, built to convey granite from Quincy Massachusetts to a dock on the Neponset River in Quincy is a city in Norfolk County, Massachusetts, United States. The Neponset River is a River in eastern Massachusetts in the United States With increasing amounts of acid rain in parts of the world, granite has begun to supplant marble as a monument material, since it is much more durable. Acid rain is Rain or any other form of precipitation that is unusually Acidic It has harmful effects on plants aquatic animals and infastructure Marble is a nonfoliated Metamorphic rock resulting from the Metamorphism of Limestone, composed mostly of Calcite (a crystalline form of Polished granite is also a popular choice for kitchen countertops due to its high durability and aesthetic qualities. For the Banana Yashimoto novel see Kitchen (novel A kitchen, is a room or part of a room (sometimes called "kitchen Countertop (also counter top, countertopping, or ( British English) worktop) usually refers to a horizontal worksurface in kitchens other food

Azul Noche (Spain)

Santa Cecelia (Brazil)

Gran Violet (Brazil)

Lavanda Blue (Brazil)

Engineers have traditionally used polished granite surfaces to establish a plane of reference, since they are relatively impervious and inflexible. Spain () or the Kingdom of Spain (Reino de España is a country located mostly in southwestern Europe on the Iberian Peninsula. |utc_offset = -2 to -4 |time_zone_DST = BRST |utc_offset_DST = -2 to -5 |cctld |utc_offset = -2 to -4 |time_zone_DST = BRST |utc_offset_DST = -2 to -5 |cctld |utc_offset = -2 to -4 |time_zone_DST = BRST |utc_offset_DST = -2 to -5 |cctld An engineer is a person professionally engaged in a field of Engineering. Sandblasted concrete with a heavy aggregate content has an appearance similar to rough granite, and is often used as a substitute when use of real granite is impractical. Concrete is a construction material composed of Cement (commonly Portland cement) as well as other cementitious materials such as Fly ash and Slag Aggregate is the component of a Composite material used to resist compressive stress A most unusual use of granite was in the construction of the rails for the Haytor Granite Tramway, Devon, England, in 1820. The Haytor Granite Tramway was a unique granite-railed tramway running down from Haytor Down Dartmoor, Devon. Curling stones are traditionally fashioned of Ailsa Craig granite. Curling is a team Sport with similarities to Bowls and Shuffle board, played by two teams of four players each on a rectangular sheet of carefully prepared The first stones were made in the 1750s, the original source being Ailsa Craig in Scotland. Ailsa Craig ( Scottish Gaelic: Creag Ealasaid) is an Island in the outer Firth of Clyde, Scotland where granite was quarried to Scotland ( Gaelic: Alba) is a Country in northwest Europethat occupies the northern third of the island of Great Britain. Because of the particular rarity of the granite, the best stones can cost as much as US$1,500. Between 60–70 percent of the stones used today are made from Ailsa Craig granite, although the island is now a wildlife reserve and is no longer used for quarrying. ^[10]

Rock climbing

The granite peaks of the Torres del Paine in the Chilean Patagonia

Granite is one of the rocks most prized by climbers, for its steepness, soundness, crack systems, and friction. Chile, officially the Republic of Chile ( Spanish:) is a country in South America occupying a long and narrow Coastal strip wedged between the Llao LLaojpg|thumb|250px| Lake Nahuel Huapi, near Bariloche, Argentina Well-known venues for granite climbing include Yosemite, the Bugaboos, the Mont Blanc massif (and peaks such as the Aiguille du Dru, the Aiguille du Midi and the Grandes Jorasses), the Bregaglia, Corsica, parts of the Karakoram, the Fitzroy Massif, Patagonia, Baffin Island, the Cornish coast and the Cairngorms. Yosemite Valley (joʊˈsɛməti yoh-SEM-it-ee) is a world-famous scenic location in the Sierra Nevada mountains of California. The Bugaboos (or Bugaboos) are a granite Mountain range in the Purcell Mountains of eastern British Columbia, Canada. Mont Blanc Massif The Mont Blanc ( French for white mountain) or Monte Bianco ( Italian 'White Mountain' also The Aiguille du Dru (also the Dru or the Drus; French, Les Drus) is a Mountain in the Mont Blanc massif in the The Aiguille du Midi (3842 m is a Mountain in the Mont Blanc massif in the French Alps. The Grandes Jorasses (4208 m is a Mountain in the Mont Blanc range The Bregaglia Range (commonly the Bregaglia) is a small group of mostly Granite Mountains in Graubünden, Switzerland and Corsica (Corse Corsican and Italian: Corsica) is the fourth largest island in the Mediterranean Sea (after Sicily Karakoram is a mountain range spanning the borders between Pakistan, China, and India, located in the regions of Gilgit, Ladakh, and Baffin Island (ᕿᑭᖅᑖᓗᒃ Qikiqtaaluk, Île de Baffin Old Norse: Helluland) in the territory of Nunavut is the largest member Cornwall ( Kernow ˈkɛɹnɔʊ is the most southwesterly county of England, on the Peninsula that lies to the west of the River Tamar The Cairngorms are a mountain range in the eastern Highlands of Scotland closely associated with the mountain of the same name - Cairn Gorm.

Granite rock climbing is so popular that many of the artificial rock climbing walls found in gyms and theme parks are made to look and feel like granite. Rock climbing is a Sport in which participants climb up or across natural rock formations or man-made rock walls with the goal of reaching the A climbing wall is an artificially constructed wall with grips for hands and feet used for Climbing. Most, however, are made from manufactured materials, given the fact that granite is generally too heavy for portable rock climbing walls, as well as the buildings in which stationary walls are located.

See also

• List of minerals
• List of rock types
• Igneous rocks
• Dimension stone
• Skarn
• Greisen
• Aplite
• Batholith
• New Hampshire, the "Granite State"
• Barre (town), Vermont "Granite Capital of the World", home of the Rock of Ages Corporation
• Elberton, Georgia, the "Granite Capital of the World"
• Aberdeen, Scotland's third largest city nicknamed "The Granite City"
• Quartz monzonite

References

External links

• The Emplacement and Origin of Granite