Encyclopedy Index
Tonalite is an igneous, plutonic (intrusive) rock, of felsic composition, with
phaneritic texture.
Feldspar is present as
plagioclase (typically oligoclase or andesine) with 10% or less alkali
feldspar.
Quartz is present as more than 20% of the rock. Amphiboles and pyroxenes are common accessory minerals.
In older references tonalite is sometimes used as a synonym for
quartz diorite, however the current IUGS classification defines tonalite as having greater than 20%
quartz and
quartz diorite with from 5 to 20%
quartz.
Trondhjemite is a variety of tonalite with
biotite as the only mafic mineral, named after Norway's third largest city, Trondheim.
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