Definition
Andesite is a dark, fine-grained, brown or greyish intermediate volcanic rock which is a commonly found in lava
Basanite is a black basaltic rock which mainly contains plagioclase, augite, olivine and nepheline and is formerly used as a touchstone
Discoverer
Theodor von Gümbel
Unknown
Etymology
From Andes mountains, where it is found in abundance
From Latin basanites + -ite
Class
Igneous Rocks
Igneous Rocks
Sub-Class
Durable Rock, Hard Rock
Durable Rock, Hard Rock
Other Categories
Fine Grained Rock, Opaque Rock
Fine Grained Rock, Opaque Rock
Texture
Aphanitic to Porphyritic
Aphanitic to Porphyritic
Color
Bluish - Grey, Grey, Pink, Yellow
Black, Brown, Green, Grey, Red, White
Durability
Durable
Durable
Scratch Resistant
Yes
Yes
Appearance
Dull and Soft
Glassy or Pearly
Interior Uses
Decorative Aggregates, Floor Tiles, Homes, Interior Decoration, Kitchens
Decorative Aggregates, Homes
Exterior Uses
Office Buildings, Roof Tiles
As Building Stone, Garden Decoration, Office Buildings
Other Architectural Uses
Curbing
Whetstones
Construction Industry
Cobblestones, Construction Aggregate, for Road Aggregate
Arrowheads, Construction Aggregate, Cutting Tool, Spear Points
Antiquity Uses
Artifacts, Monuments, Sculpture, Small Figurines
Artifacts, Monuments
Commercial Uses
Commemorative Tablets, Creating Artwork
As a touchstone, Creating Artwork, Gemstone, In fire-starting tools, Manufacture of tools, Metallurgical Flux, Jewelry, To ignite fire, Used in flintlock firearms
Types
Icelandite
Nepheline-Basanite, Analcite-Basanite and Leucite-Basanite
Features
Generally rough to touch, High silica content, Is one of the oldest 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
Famous Monuments
Middle of the Earth in Ecuador
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Formation
Andesite is a fine-grained igneous rock that forms when the magma is erupted onto the surface and is crystallized quickly.
Basanite is a fine-grained, hard rock that forms when bits of lava shoot out of volcanoes.
Mineral Content
Amphibole, Apatite, Biotite, Feldspar, Garnet, Hornblade, Ilmenite, Magnetite, Plagioclase, Pyroxene, Zircon
Augite, Feldspar, Ilmenite, Olivine, Plagioclase
Compound Content
Silicon Dioxide
Potassium Oxide, Sodium Oxide, Silicon Dioxide
Types of Metamorphism
Burial Metamorphism, Cataclastic Metamorphism, Contact Metamorphism, Hydrothermal Metamorphism, Impact Metamorphism, Regional Metamorphism
Burial Metamorphism, Cataclastic Metamorphism, Contact Metamorphism, Regional Metamorphism
Types of Weathering
Biological Weathering, Chemical Weathering, Mechanical Weathering
Chemical Weathering, Mechanical Weathering
Types of Erosion
Chemical Erosion, Coastal Erosion, Glacier Erosion
Chemical Erosion, Coastal Erosion, Glacier Erosion, Sea Erosion, Water Erosion, Wind Erosion
Grain Size
Very fine-grained
Fine Grained
Fracture
Uneven
Uneven, Splintery or Conchoidal
Porosity
Less Porous
Highly Porous
Luster
Vitreous
Waxy and Dull
Specific Gravity
2.5-2.8
2.5-2.8
Transparency
Opaque
Translucent to Opaque
Density
2.11-2.36 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
Asia
India, Indonesia, Japan, Nepal, South Korea
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Africa
Egypt, Ethiopia, Morocco, Namibia, South Africa, Tanzania
Uganda
Europe
Austria, Finland, Germany, Italy, Romania, Turkey, United Kingdom
Germany, Hungary, Italy, Spain
Others
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Greenland, Mid-Atlantic Ridge
Deposits in Western Continents
North America
Mexico, USA
USA
South America
Argentina, Bolivia, Chile, Colombia, Ecuador, Peru, Venezuela
Bolivia, Brazil
Deposits in Oceania Continent
Australia
New South Wales, New Zealand, Western Australia
New South Wales, New Zealand, Queensland, South Australia, Western Australia
Andesite 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. Andesite vs Basanite characteristics assist us to distinguish and recognize rocks. Also you can check about Properties of Andesite and Properties of Basanite . Learn more about Andesite vs Basanite in the next section. The interior uses of Andesite include Decorative aggregates, Floor tiles, Homes, Interior decoration and Kitchens whereas the interior uses of Basanite include Decorative aggregates and Homes. Due to some exceptional properties of Andesite and Basanite , they have various applications in construction industry. The uses of Andesite in construction industry include Cobblestones, Construction aggregate, For road aggregate and that of Basanite include Arrowheads, Construction aggregate, Cutting tool, Spear points.
More about Andesite and Basanite
Here you can know more about Andesite and Basanite . The life cycle of a rock consists of formation of rock, composition of rock and transformation of rock. The composition of Andesite and Basanite 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 Basanite includes Augite, Feldspar, Ilmenite, Olivine, Plagioclase. You can also check out the list of all Igneous Rocks. When we have to compare Andesite vs Basanite , 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, Basanite is available in black, brown, green, grey, red, white colors. Appearance of Andesite is Dull and Soft and that of Basanite is Glassy or Pearly. Properties of rock is another aspect for Andesite vs Basanite . Hardness of Andesite and Basanite is 7. The types of Andesite are Icelandite 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 Andesite and Basanite is white. The specific heat capacity of Andesite is 2.39 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.Andesite is heat resistant, pressure resistant, wear resistant whereas Basanite is heat resistant, impact resistant, pressure resistant, wear resistant.