Definition
Arkose is a sedimentary rock, specifically a type of sandstone containing at least 25% feldspar
Basalt is a common extrusive igneous rock formed by the rapid cooling of basaltic lava exposed at or very near the surface of Earth
Discoverer
Alexandre Brongniart
Georgius Agricola
Etymology
From Auvergne region of France used by a French geologist Alexandre Brongniart in 1826 who applied this term to some feldspathic sandstones
From Late Latin Basaltes (variant of basanites ), very hard stone, which was imported from Ancient Greek Basanites
Class
Sedimentary Rocks
Igneous Rocks
Sub-Class
Durable Rock, Hard Rock
Durable Rock, Medium Hardness Rock
Other Categories
Coarse Grained Rock, Opaque Rock
Fine Grained Rock, Opaque Rock
Texture
Clastic
Glassy, Massive, Porphyritic, Scoriaceous, Vesicular
Color
Reddish Brown
Black, Brown, Light to Dark Grey
Durability
Durable
Durable
Scratch Resistant
Yes
Yes
Appearance
Rough and Dull
Dull and Soft
Interior Uses
Decorative Aggregates, Homes, Interior Decoration
Floor Tiles, Homes, Hotels, Kitchens
Exterior Uses
Paving Stone, Office Buildings
As Building Stone, Paving Stone, Garden Decoration, Office Buildings
Other Architectural Uses
Whetstones
Curbing, Whetstones
Construction Industry
Cement Manufacture, Construction Aggregate, for Road Aggregate, Production of Glass and Ceramics, Raw material for the manufacture of mortar
Arrowheads, As Dimension Stone, Cobblestones, Cutting Tool, Rail Track Ballast, Roadstone
Antiquity Uses
Artifacts, Sculpture, Small Figurines
Artifacts, Monuments
Commercial Uses
In aquifers, Soil Conditioner, Source of Magnesia (MgO), Tombstones
An Oil and Gas Reservoir, Commemorative Tablets, Creating Artwork, Used in aquariums
Types
Arkose
Alkaline Basalt, Boninite, High Alumina Basalt, Mid Ocean Ridge Basalt (MORB), Tholeiitic Basalt, Basaltic trachyandesite, Mugearite and Shoshonite
Features
Available in Lots of Colors and Patterns, Generally rough to touch, Is one of the oldest rock
Has High structural resistance against erosion and climate, Very fine grained rock
Archaeological Significance
Famous Monuments
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Easter Island in the Polynesian Triangle, Pacific Ocean, Gateway of India in Mumbai, India, Gol Gumbaz in Karnataka, India
Formation
Arkose rock forms from the weathering of feldspar-rich igneous or metamorphic rock, most commonly granitic rocks, which are primarily composed of quartz and feldspar.
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.
Mineral Content
Calcite, Clay, Clay Minerals, Feldspar, Micas, Quartz
Olivine, Plagioclase, Pyroxene
Compound Content
Aluminium Oxide, CaO, Iron(III) Oxide, Potassium Oxide, MgO, Sodium Oxide, Silicon Dioxide
Aluminium Oxide, CaO, Iron(III) Oxide, FeO, Potassium Oxide, MgO, MnO, Sodium Oxide, Phosphorus Pentoxide, Silicon Dioxide, Titanium Dioxide
Types of Metamorphism
-
Contact Metamorphism
Types of Weathering
Biological Weathering, Chemical Weathering, Mechanical Weathering
Biological Weathering
Types of Erosion
Coastal Erosion, Glacier Erosion, Water Erosion, Wind Erosion
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Grain Size
Coarse Grained
Fine Grained
Fracture
Conchoidal
Conchoidal
Streak
White
White to Grey
Porosity
Highly Porous
Less Porous
Transparency
Opaque
Opaque
Density
-9999 g/cm3
2.9-3.1 g/cm3
Resistance
Heat Resistant, Impact Resistant, Pressure Resistant
Heat Resistant, Pressure Resistant, Wear Resistant
Deposits in Eastern Continents
Asia
China, India, Kazakhstan, Mongolia, Russia, Uzbekistan
India, Russia
Africa
Namibia, Nigeria, South Africa
South Africa
Europe
Austria, Denmark, Germany, Great Britain, Netherlands, Norway, Poland, Sweden, Switzerland, United Kingdom
Iceland
Deposits in Western Continents
North America
Canada, USA
Canada, USA
South America
Brazil
Brazil
Deposits in Oceania Continent
Australia
New South Wales, New Zealand
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Arkose 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. Arkose vs Basalt characteristics assist us to distinguish and recognize rocks. Also you can check about Properties of Arkose and Properties of Basalt. Learn more about Arkose vs Basalt in the next section. The interior uses of Arkose include Decorative aggregates, Homes and Interior decoration whereas the interior uses of Basalt include Floor tiles, Homes, Hotels and Kitchens. Due to some exceptional properties of Arkose and Basalt, they have various applications in construction industry. The uses of Arkose in construction industry include Cement manufacture, Construction aggregate, For road aggregate, Production of glass and ceramics, Raw material for the manufacture of mortar and that of Basalt include Arrowheads, As dimension stone, Cobblestones, Cutting tool, Rail track ballast, Roadstone.
More about Arkose and Basalt
Here you can know more about Arkose and Basalt. The life cycle of a rock consists of formation of rock, composition of rock and transformation of rock. The composition of Arkose and Basalt consists of mineral content and compound content. The mineral content of Arkose includes Calcite, Clay, Clay Minerals, Feldspar, Micas, Quartz and mineral content of Basalt includes Olivine, Plagioclase, Pyroxene. You can also check out the list of all Sedimentary Rocks. When we have to compare Arkose vs Basalt, the texture, color and appearance plays an important role in determining the type of rock. Arkose is available in reddish brown colors whereas, Basalt is available in black, brown, light to dark grey colors. Appearance of Arkose is Rough and Dull and that of Basalt is Dull and Soft. Properties of rock is another aspect for Arkose vs Basalt. The hardness of Arkose is 6-7 and that of Basalt is 6. The types of Arkose are Arkose 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 Arkose is white while that of Basalt is white to grey. The specific heat capacity of Arkose is 0.78 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.Arkose is heat resistant, impact resistant, pressure resistant whereas Basalt is heat resistant, pressure resistant, wear resistant.