Definition
Adakite is an intermediate to felsic volcanic rock that has geochemical characteristics of magma which is said to be formed by partial melting of altered basalt that is subducted below volcanic arcs
Basanite is a black basaltic rock which mainly contains plagioclase, augite, olivine and nepheline and is formerly used as a touchstone
Origin
Adak, Aleutian Islands
-
Discoverer
Defant and Drummond
Unknown
Etymology
From Adak, Aleutian Islands
From Latin basanites + -ite
Class
Igneous Rocks
Igneous Rocks
Sub-Class
Durable Rock, Medium Hardness Rock
Durable Rock, Hard Rock
Other Categories
Fine Grained Rock, Medium Grained Rock, Opaque Rock
Fine Grained Rock, Opaque Rock
Texture
Porphyritic
Aphanitic to Porphyritic
Color
Black, Brown, Light to Dark Grey
Black, Brown, Green, Grey, Red, White
Durability
Durable
Durable
Appearance
Dull and Soft
Glassy or Pearly
Interior Uses
Decorative Aggregates, Floor Tiles, Homes, Hotels, Kitchens
Decorative Aggregates, Homes
Exterior Uses
As Building Stone, As Facing Stone, Office Buildings
As Building Stone, Garden Decoration, Office Buildings
Other Architectural Uses
Whetstones
Whetstones
Construction Industry
As Dimension Stone, Cobblestones, Rail Track Ballast, Roadstone
Arrowheads, Construction Aggregate, Cutting Tool, Spear Points
Antiquity Uses
Monuments, Sculpture, Small Figurines
Artifacts, Monuments
Commercial Uses
Commemorative Tablets, Pottery, Used in aquariums
As a touchstone, Creating Artwork, Gemstone, In fire-starting tools, Manufacture of tools, Metallurgical Flux, Jewelry, To ignite fire, Used in flintlock firearms
Types
Intermediate volcanic rock
Nepheline-Basanite, Analcite-Basanite and Leucite-Basanite
Features
Has High structural resistance against erosion and climate, Host rock for Diamond, Very fine grained rock
Clasts are smooth to touch, Easily splits into thin plates, Has High structural resistance against erosion and climate, Used as a touchstone
Archaeological Significance
Formation
Adakite rocks are formed when the hydrous fluids are released from minerals that break down in metamorphosed basalt, and rise into the mantle they initiate partial melting.
Basanite is a fine-grained, hard rock that forms when bits of lava shoot out of volcanoes.
Mineral Content
Olivine, Plagioclase, Pyroxene
Augite, Feldspar, Ilmenite, Olivine, Plagioclase
Compound Content
Aluminium Oxide, MgO, Silicon Dioxide
Potassium Oxide, Sodium Oxide, Silicon Dioxide
Types of Metamorphism
Cataclastic Metamorphism, Contact Metamorphism, Impact Metamorphism, Regional Metamorphism
Burial Metamorphism, Cataclastic Metamorphism, Contact Metamorphism, Regional Metamorphism
Types of Weathering
Chemical Weathering, Mechanical Weathering
Chemical Weathering, Mechanical Weathering
Types of Erosion
Coastal Erosion, Sea Erosion, Water Erosion
Chemical Erosion, Coastal Erosion, Glacier Erosion, Sea Erosion, Water Erosion, Wind Erosion
Grain Size
Fine to Medium Grained
Fine Grained
Fracture
Conchoidal
Uneven, Splintery or Conchoidal
Streak
Bluish Black
White
Porosity
Less Porous
Highly Porous
Luster
Grainy, Pearly and Vitreous
Waxy and Dull
Specific Gravity
-9999
2.5-2.8
Transparency
Opaque
Translucent to Opaque
Density
-9999 g/cm3
2.7 g/cm3
Resistance
Heat Resistant, Pressure Resistant, Wear Resistant
Heat Resistant, Impact Resistant, Pressure Resistant, Wear Resistant
Deposits in Eastern Continents
Africa
Ethiopia, Somalia, South Africa
Uganda
Europe
Iceland
Germany, Hungary, Italy, Spain
Others
-
Greenland, Mid-Atlantic Ridge
Deposits in Western Continents
North America
Canada, USA
USA
South America
Brazil
Bolivia, Brazil
Deposits in Oceania Continent
Australia
-
New South Wales, New Zealand, Queensland, South Australia, Western Australia
Adakite vs Basanite Characteristics
Though some rocks look identical, they have certain characteristics which distinguish them from others. Characteristics of rocks include texture, appearance, color, fracture, streak, hardness etc. Adakite vs Basanite characteristics assist us to distinguish and recognize rocks. Also you can check about Properties of Adakite and Properties of Basanite . Learn more about Adakite vs Basanite in the next section. The interior uses of Adakite include Decorative aggregates, Floor tiles, Homes, Hotels and Kitchens whereas the interior uses of Basanite include Decorative aggregates and Homes. Due to some exceptional properties of Adakite and Basanite , they have various applications in construction industry. The uses of Adakite in construction industry include As dimension stone, Cobblestones, Rail track ballast, Roadstone and that of Basanite include Arrowheads, Construction aggregate, Cutting tool, Spear points.
More about Adakite and Basanite
Here you can know more about Adakite and Basanite . The life cycle of a rock consists of formation of rock, composition of rock and transformation of rock. The composition of Adakite and Basanite consists of mineral content and compound content. The mineral content of Adakite includes Olivine, Plagioclase, Pyroxene and mineral content of Basanite includes Augite, Feldspar, Ilmenite, Olivine, Plagioclase. You can also check out the list of all Igneous Rocks. When we have to compare Adakite vs Basanite , the texture, color and appearance plays an important role in determining the type of rock. Adakite is available in black, brown, light to dark grey colors whereas, Basanite is available in black, brown, green, grey, red, white colors. Appearance of Adakite is Dull and Soft and that of Basanite is Glassy or Pearly. Properties of rock is another aspect for Adakite vs Basanite . The hardness of Adakite is 3-4 and that of Basanite is 7. The types of Adakite are Intermediate volcanic rock whereas types of Basanite are Nepheline-Basanite, Analcite-Basanite and Leucite-Basanite. Streak of rock is the color of powder produced when it is dragged across an unweathered surface. The streak of Adakite is bluish black while that of Basanite is white. The specific heat capacity of Adakite is 0.84 kJ/Kg K and that of Basanite is 0.74 kJ/Kg K. Depending on the properties like hardness, toughness, specific heat capacity, porosity etc., rocks are resistant to heat, wear, impact, etc.Adakite is heat resistant, pressure resistant, wear resistant whereas Basanite is heat resistant, impact resistant, pressure resistant, wear resistant.