Basalt

Amphibolite

Basalt and Amphibolite

Basalt

Amphibolite

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1 Definition

1.1 Definition

Basalt is a common extrusive igneous rock formed by the rapid cooling of basaltic lava exposed at or very near the surface of Earth

Amphibolite can be defined as a granular metamorphic rock which mainly consist of hornblende and plagioclase

1.2 History

1.2.1 Origin

Egypt

Unknown

1.2.2 Discoverer

Georgius Agricola

Alexandre Brongniart

1.3 Etymology

From Late Latin Basaltes (variant of basanites ), very hard stone, which was imported from Ancient Greek Basanites

From Amphibole + -ite

1.4 Class

Igneous Rocks

Metamorphic Rocks

1.4.1 Sub-Class

Durable Rock, Medium Hardness Rock

Durable Rock, Hard Rock

1.5 Family

1.5.1 Group

Volcanic

Not Applicable

1.6 Other Categories

Fine Grained Rock, Opaque Rock

Coarse Grained Rock, Medium Grained Rock, Opaque Rock

2 Texture

2.1 Texture

Glassy, Massive, Porphyritic, Scoriaceous, Vesicular

Banded, Foliated, Massive

2.2 Color

Black, Brown, Light to Dark Grey

Black, Brown, Green, Grey

2.3 Maintenance

Less

2.4 Durability

Durable

2.4.1 Water Resistant

✔ ✘

81% Igneous Rocks Rocks have it !

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81% Igneous Rocks Rocks have it !

2.4.2 Scratch Resistant

✔ ✘

86% Igneous Rocks Rocks have it !

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86% Igneous Rocks Rocks have it !

2.4.3 Stain Resistant

✔ ✘

66% Igneous Rocks Rocks have it !

✔ ✘

66% Igneous Rocks Rocks have it !

2.4.4 Wind Resistant

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49% Igneous Rocks Rocks have it !

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49% Igneous Rocks Rocks have it !

2.4.5 Acid Resistant

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48% Igneous Rocks Rocks have it !

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48% Igneous Rocks Rocks have it !

2.5 Appearance

Dull and Soft

Foliated

3 Uses

3.1 Architecture

3.1.1 Interior Uses

Floor Tiles, Homes, Hotels, Kitchens

Countertops, Decorative Aggregates, Entryways, Floor Tiles, Flooring, Homes, Hotels, Kitchens

3.1.2 Exterior Uses

As Building Stone, Paving Stone, Garden Decoration, Office Buildings

As Building Stone, As Facing Stone, Paving Stone, Office Buildings

3.1.3 Other Architectural Uses

Curbing, Whetstones

Curbing

3.2 Industry

3.2.1 Construction Industry

Arrowheads, As Dimension Stone, Cobblestones, Cutting Tool, Rail Track Ballast, Roadstone

As Dimension Stone, Building houses or walls, Cobblestones, Construction Aggregate, for Road Aggregate, Landscaping, Production of Glass and Ceramics, Roadstone

3.2.2 Medical Industry

Not Yet Used

3.3 Antiquity Uses

Artifacts, Monuments

Artifacts, Sculpture, Small Figurines

3.4 Other Uses

3.4.1 Commercial Uses

An Oil and Gas Reservoir, Commemorative Tablets, Creating Artwork, Used in aquariums

Cemetery Markers, Commemorative Tablets, Creating Artwork

4 Types

4.1 Types

Alkaline Basalt, Boninite, High Alumina Basalt, Mid Ocean Ridge Basalt (MORB), Tholeiitic Basalt, Basaltic trachyandesite, Mugearite and Shoshonite

Hornblendite

4.2 Features

Has High structural resistance against erosion and climate, Very fine grained rock

Clasts are smooth to touch, Matrix variable, Surfaces are often shiny

4.3 Archaeological Significance

4.3.1 Monuments

Used

4.3.2 Famous Monuments

Easter Island in the Polynesian Triangle, Pacific Ocean, Gateway of India in Mumbai, India, Gol Gumbaz in Karnataka, India

Data Not Available

4.3.3 Sculpture

Used

4.3.4 Famous Sculptures

Data Not Available

4.3.5 Pictographs

Used

Not Used

4.3.6 Petroglyphs

Used

Not Used

4.3.7 Figurines

Used

4.4 Fossils

Absent

5 Formation

5.1 Formation

Basalt forms when lava reaches the Earth's surface near an active volcano. The temperature of lava is between 1100 to 1250° C when it gets to the surface.

Amphibolite is a coarse-grained metamorphic rock which forms by metamorphism of mafic igneous rocks like basalt and gabbro or from the metamorphism of clay-rich sedimentary rocks like marl or graywacke.

5.2 Composition

5.2.1 Mineral Content

Olivine, Plagioclase, Pyroxene

Amphibole, Andalusite, Biotite, Calcite, Epidote, Garnet, Hornblade, Kyanite, Magnetite, Olivine, Plagioclase, Pyroxene, Staurolite, Wollastonite

5.2.2 Compound Content

Aluminium Oxide, CaO, Iron(III) Oxide, FeO, Potassium Oxide, MgO, MnO, Sodium Oxide, Phosphorus Pentoxide, Silicon Dioxide, Titanium Dioxide

5.3 Transformation

5.3.1 Metamorphism

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97% Igneous Rocks Rocks have it !

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97% Igneous Rocks Rocks have it !

5.3.2 Types of Metamorphism

Contact Metamorphism

Not Applicable

5.3.3 Weathering

✔ ✘

99% Igneous Rocks Rocks have it !

✔ ✘

99% Igneous Rocks Rocks have it !

5.3.4 Types of Weathering

Biological Weathering

Chemical Weathering, Mechanical Weathering

5.3.5 Erosion

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92% Igneous Rocks Rocks have it !

✔ ✘

92% Igneous Rocks Rocks have it !

5.3.6 Types of Erosion

Not Available

Chemical Erosion, Glacier Erosion, Sea Erosion, Wind Erosion

6 Properties

6.1 Physical Properties

6.1.1 Hardness

6-7

6.1.2 Grain Size

Fine Grained

Medium to Coarse Grained

6.1.3 Fracture

Conchoidal

Irregular to Conchoidal

6.1.4 Streak

White to Grey

6.1.5 Porosity

Less Porous

6.1.6 Luster

Not Available

Vitreous to Dull

6.1.7 Compressive Strength

What Is Flint

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37.40 N/mm²

Rank: 28 (Overall)▶

Not Available

Rank: N/A (Overall)▶

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What Is Obsidian

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175 (What Is Grani..)

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6.1.8 Cleavage

Not Available

Irregular

6.1.9 Toughness

2.3

6.1.10 Specific Gravity

2.8-3

2.5

6.1.11 Transparency

Opaque

6.1.12 Density

2.9-3.1 g/cm³

2.85-3.07 g/cm³

6.2 Thermal Properties

6.2.1 Specific Heat Capacity

What Is Banded ..

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▼

0.84 kJ/Kg K

Rank: 15 (Overall)▶

Not Available

Rank: N/A (Overall)▶

▲

What Is Granulite

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1.09 (What Is Trave..)

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6.2.2 Resistance

Heat Resistant, Pressure Resistant, Wear Resistant

7 Reserves

7.1 Deposits in Eastern Continents

7.1.1 Asia

India, Russia

Russia, Turkey

7.1.2 Africa

South Africa

Burundi, Djibouti, Eritrea, Ethiopia, Kenya, Madagascar, Rwanda, Somalia, South Africa, Sudan, Tanzania, Uganda

7.1.3 Europe

Iceland

Germany, Greece, Iceland, Norway, Poland

7.1.4 Others

Not Yet Found

7.2 Deposits in Western Continents

7.2.1 North America

Canada, USA

7.2.2 South America

Brazil

7.3 Deposits in Oceania Continent

7.3.1 Australia

Not Yet Found

South Australia, Western Australia

All about Basalt and Amphibolite Properties

Know all about Basalt and Amphibolite properties here. All properties of rocks are important as they define the type of rock and its application. Basalt belongs to Igneous Rocks while Amphibolite belongs to Metamorphic Rocks.Texture of Basalt is Glassy, Massive, Porphyritic, Scoriaceous, Vesicular whereas that of Amphibolite is Banded, Foliated, Massive. Basalt appears Dull and Soft and Amphibolite appears Foliated. The luster of Basalt is not available while that of Amphibolite is vitreous to dull. Basalt is available in black, brown, light to dark grey colors whereas Amphibolite is available in black, brown, green, grey colors. The commercial uses of Basalt are an oil and gas reservoir, commemorative tablets, creating artwork, used in aquariums and that of Amphibolite are cemetery markers, commemorative tablets, creating artwork.