Andesite

Basalt

Andesite vs Basalt

Andesite

Basalt

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1 Definition

1.1 Definition

Andesite is a dark, fine-grained, brown or greyish intermediate volcanic rock which is a commonly found in lava

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

1.2 History

1.2.1 Origin

North America

Egypt

1.2.2 Discoverer

Unknown

Georgius Agricola

1.3 Etymology

From Andes mountains, where it is found in abundance

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

1.4 Class

Igneous Rocks

1.4.1 Sub-Class

Durable Rock, Hard Rock

Durable Rock, Medium Hardness Rock

1.5 Family

1.5.1 Group

Volcanic

1.6 Other Categories

Fine Grained Rock, Opaque Rock

2 Texture

2.1 Texture

Aphanitic to Porphyritic

Glassy, Massive, Porphyritic, Scoriaceous, Vesicular

2.2 Color

Bluish - Grey, Grey, Pink, Yellow

Black, Brown, Light to Dark Grey

2.3 Maintenance

2.4 Durability

Durable

2.4.1 Water Resistant

✔ ✘

2.4.2 Scratch Resistant

✔ ✘

2.4.3 Stain Resistant

✔ ✘

2.4.4 Wind Resistant

✔ ✘

2.4.5 Acid Resistant

✔ ✘

2.5 Appearance

Dull and Soft

3 Uses

3.1 Architecture

3.1.1 Interior Uses

Decorative Aggregates, Floor Tiles, Homes, Interior Decoration, Kitchens

Floor Tiles, Homes, Hotels, Kitchens

3.1.2 Exterior Uses

Office Buildings, Roof Tiles

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

3.1.3 Other Architectural Uses

Curbing

Curbing, Whetstones

3.2 Industry

3.2.1 Construction Industry

Cobblestones, Construction Aggregate, for Road Aggregate

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

3.2.2 Medical Industry

Not Yet Used

3.3 Antiquity Uses

Artifacts, Monuments, Sculpture, Small Figurines

Artifacts, Monuments

3.4 Other Uses

3.4.1 Commercial Uses

Commemorative Tablets, Creating Artwork

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

4 Types

4.1 Types

Icelandite

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

4.2 Features

Generally rough to touch, High silica content, Is one of the oldest rock

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

4.3 Archaeological Significance

4.3.1 Monuments

Used

4.3.2 Famous Monuments

Middle of the Earth in Ecuador

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

4.3.3 Sculpture

Used

4.3.4 Famous Sculptures

Data Not Available

4.3.5 Pictographs

Not Used

Used

4.3.6 Petroglyphs

Not Used

Used

4.3.7 Figurines

Used

4.4 Fossils

Absent

5 Formation

5.1 Formation

Andesite is a fine-grained igneous rock that forms when the magma is erupted onto the surface and is crystallized quickly.

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.

5.2 Composition

5.2.1 Mineral Content

Amphibole, Apatite, Biotite, Feldspar, Garnet, Hornblade, Ilmenite, Magnetite, Plagioclase, Pyroxene, Zircon

Olivine, Plagioclase, Pyroxene

5.2.2 Compound Content

Silicon Dioxide

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

✔ ✘

5.3.2 Types of Metamorphism

Burial Metamorphism, Cataclastic Metamorphism, Contact Metamorphism, Hydrothermal Metamorphism, Impact Metamorphism, Regional Metamorphism

Contact Metamorphism

5.3.3 Weathering

✔ ✘

5.3.4 Types of Weathering

Biological Weathering, Chemical Weathering, Mechanical Weathering

Biological Weathering

5.3.5 Erosion

✔ ✘

5.3.6 Types of Erosion

Chemical Erosion, Coastal Erosion, Glacier Erosion

Not Available

6 Properties

6.1 Physical Properties

6.1.1 Hardness

1 7

6.1.2 Grain Size

Very fine-grained

Fine Grained

6.1.3 Fracture

Uneven

Conchoidal

6.1.4 Streak

White

White to Grey

6.1.5 Porosity

Less Porous

6.1.6 Luster

Vitreous

Not Available

6.1.7 Compressive Strength

225.00 N/mm²37.40 N/mm²

0.15 450

6.1.8 Cleavage

Not Available

6.1.9 Toughness

1.1

2.3

6.1.10 Specific Gravity

2.5-2.82.8-3

0 8.4

6.1.11 Transparency

Opaque

6.1.12 Density

2.11-2.36 g/cm³2.9-3.1 g/cm³

0 1400

6.2 Thermal Properties

6.2.1 Specific Heat Capacity

2.39 kJ/Kg K0.84 kJ/Kg K

0.14 3.2

6.2.2 Resistance

Heat Resistant, Pressure Resistant, Wear Resistant

7 Reserves

7.1 Deposits in Eastern Continents

7.1.1 Asia

India, Indonesia, Japan, Nepal, South Korea

India, Russia

7.1.2 Africa

Egypt, Ethiopia, Morocco, Namibia, South Africa, Tanzania

South Africa

7.1.3 Europe

Austria, Finland, Germany, Italy, Romania, Turkey, United Kingdom

Iceland

7.1.4 Others

Not Yet Found

7.2 Deposits in Western Continents

7.2.1 North America

Mexico, USA

Canada, USA

7.2.2 South America

Argentina, Bolivia, Chile, Colombia, Ecuador, Peru, Venezuela

Brazil

7.3 Deposits in Oceania Continent

7.3.1 Australia

New South Wales, New Zealand, Western Australia

Not Yet Found

Andesite vs Basalt Information

Earth’s outer layer is covered by rocks and these rocks have different physical and chemical properties. As two rocks are not same, it’s fun to compare them. You can also know more about Andesite and Basalt Reserves. Andesite is a dark, fine-grained, brown or greyish intermediate volcanic rock which is a commonly found in lava. Basalt is a common extrusive igneous rock formed by the rapid cooling of basaltic lava exposed at or very near the surface of Earth. These rocks are composed of many distinct minerals. The process of formation of rocks is different for various rocks. Rocks are quarried from many years for various purposes. You can check out Andesite vs Basalt information and Andesite vs Basalt characteristics in the upcoming sections.

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Andesite vs Basalt 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. Andesite vs Basalt characteristics assist us to distinguish and recognize rocks. Also you can check about Properties of Andesite and Properties of Basalt. Learn more about Andesite vs Basalt in the next section. The interior uses of Andesite include Decorative aggregates, Floor tiles, Homes, Interior decoration and Kitchens whereas the interior uses of Basalt include Floor tiles, Homes, Hotels and Kitchens. Due to some exceptional properties of Andesite and Basalt, they have various applications in construction industry. The uses of Andesite in construction industry include Cobblestones, Construction aggregate, For road aggregate and that of Basalt include Arrowheads, As dimension stone, Cobblestones, Cutting tool, Rail track ballast, Roadstone.

More about Andesite and Basalt

Here you can know more about Andesite and Basalt. The life cycle of a rock consists of formation of rock, composition of rock and transformation of rock. The composition of Andesite and Basalt consists of mineral content and compound content. The mineral content of Andesite includes Amphibole, Apatite, Biotite, Feldspar, Garnet, Hornblade, Ilmenite, Magnetite, Plagioclase, Pyroxene, Zircon and mineral content of Basalt includes Olivine, Plagioclase, Pyroxene. You can also check out the list of all Igneous Rocks. When we have to compare Andesite vs Basalt, the texture, color and appearance plays an important role in determining the type of rock. Andesite is available in bluish - grey, grey, pink, yellow colors whereas, Basalt is available in black, brown, light to dark grey colors. Appearance of Andesite is Dull and Soft and that of Basalt is Dull and Soft. Properties of rock is another aspect for Andesite vs Basalt. The hardness of Andesite is 7 and that of Basalt is 6. The types of Andesite are Icelandite whereas types of Basalt are Alkaline Basalt, Boninite, High Alumina Basalt, Mid Ocean Ridge Basalt (MORB), Tholeiitic Basalt, Basaltic trachyandesite, Mugearite and Shoshonite. Streak of rock is the color of powder produced when it is dragged across an unweathered surface. The streak of Andesite is white while that of Basalt is white to grey. The specific heat capacity of Andesite is 2.39 kJ/Kg K and that of Basalt is 0.84 kJ/Kg K. Depending on the properties like hardness, toughness, specific heat capacity, porosity etc., rocks are resistant to heat, wear, impact, etc.Andesite is heat resistant, pressure resistant, wear resistant whereas Basalt is heat resistant, pressure resistant, wear resistant.