Basalt and Amphibolite
Definition
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
History
Origin
Egypt
Unknown
Discoverer
Georgius Agricola
Alexandre Brongniart
Etymology
From Late Latin Basaltes (variant of basanites ), very hard stone, which was imported from Ancient Greek Basanites
From Amphibole + -ite
Class
Igneous Rocks
Metamorphic Rocks
Sub-Class
Durable Rock, Medium Hardness Rock
Durable Rock, Hard Rock
Family
Group
Volcanic
Not Applicable
Other Categories
Fine Grained Rock, Opaque Rock
Coarse Grained Rock, Medium Grained Rock, Opaque Rock
Texture
Texture
Glassy, Massive, Porphyritic, Scoriaceous, Vesicular
Banded, Foliated, Massive
Color
Black, Brown, Light to Dark Grey
Black, Brown, Green, Grey
Maintenance
More
Less
Durability
Durable
Durable
Water Resistant
No
Yes
Scratch Resistant
Yes
Yes
Stain Resistant
Yes
Yes
Wind Resistant
No
No
Acid Resistant
Yes
Yes
Appearance
Dull and Soft
Foliated
Uses
Architecture
Interior Uses
Floor Tiles, Homes, Hotels, Kitchens
Countertops, Decorative Aggregates, Entryways, Floor Tiles, Flooring, Homes, Hotels, Kitchens
Exterior Uses
As Building Stone, Paving Stone, Garden Decoration, Office Buildings
As Building Stone, As Facing Stone, Paving Stone, Office Buildings
Other Architectural Uses
Curbing, Whetstones
Curbing
Industry
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
Medical Industry
Not Yet Used
Not Yet Used
Antiquity Uses
Artifacts, Monuments
Artifacts, Sculpture, Small Figurines
Other Uses
Commercial Uses
An Oil and Gas Reservoir, Commemorative Tablets, Creating Artwork, Used in aquariums
Cemetery Markers, Commemorative Tablets, Creating Artwork
Types
Types
Alkaline Basalt, Boninite, High Alumina Basalt, Mid Ocean Ridge Basalt (MORB), Tholeiitic Basalt, Basaltic trachyandesite, Mugearite and Shoshonite
Hornblendite
Features
Has High structural resistance against erosion and climate, Very fine grained rock
Clasts are smooth to touch, Matrix variable, Surfaces are often shiny
Archaeological Significance
Monuments
Used
Used
Famous Monuments
Easter Island in the Polynesian Triangle, Pacific Ocean, Gateway of India in Mumbai, India, Gol Gumbaz in Karnataka, India
Data Not Available
Sculpture
Used
Used
Famous Sculptures
Data Not Available
Data Not Available
Pictographs
Used
Not Used
Petroglyphs
Used
Not Used
Figurines
Used
Used
Fossils
Absent
Absent
Formation
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.
Composition
Mineral Content
Olivine, Plagioclase, Pyroxene
Amphibole, Andalusite, Biotite, Calcite, Epidote, Garnet, Hornblade, Kyanite, Magnetite, Olivine, Plagioclase, Pyroxene, Staurolite, Wollastonite
Compound Content
Aluminium Oxide, CaO, Iron(III) Oxide, FeO, Potassium Oxide, MgO, MnO, Sodium Oxide, Phosphorus Pentoxide, Silicon Dioxide, Titanium Dioxide
Aluminium Oxide, CaO, Iron(III) Oxide, FeO, Potassium Oxide, MgO, MnO, Sodium Oxide, Phosphorus Pentoxide, Silicon Dioxide, Titanium Dioxide
Transformation
Metamorphism
Yes
No
Types of Metamorphism
Contact Metamorphism
Not Applicable
Weathering
Yes
Yes
Types of Weathering
Biological Weathering
Chemical Weathering, Mechanical Weathering
Erosion
No
Yes
Types of Erosion
Not Available
Chemical Erosion, Glacier Erosion, Sea Erosion, Wind Erosion
Properties
Physical Properties
Hardness
6
6-7
Grain Size
Fine Grained
Medium to Coarse Grained
Fracture
Conchoidal
Irregular to Conchoidal
Streak
White to Grey
White to Grey
Porosity
Less Porous
Less Porous
Luster
Not Available
Vitreous to Dull
Compressive Strength
37.40 N/mm2
28
Not Available
Cleavage
Not Available
Irregular
Toughness
2.3
2.3
Specific Gravity
2.8-3
2.5
Transparency
Opaque
Opaque
Density
2.9-3.1 g/cm3
2.85-3.07 g/cm3
Thermal Properties
Specific Heat Capacity
0.84 kJ/Kg K
15
Not Available
Resistance
Heat Resistant, Pressure Resistant, Wear Resistant
Heat Resistant, Pressure Resistant, Wear Resistant
Reserves
Deposits in Eastern Continents
Asia
India, Russia
Russia, Turkey
Africa
South Africa
Burundi, Djibouti, Eritrea, Ethiopia, Kenya, Madagascar, Rwanda, Somalia, South Africa, Sudan, Tanzania, Uganda
Europe
Iceland
Germany, Greece, Iceland, Norway, Poland
Others
Not Yet Found
Not Yet Found
Deposits in Western Continents
North America
Canada, USA
Canada, USA
South America
Brazil
Brazil
Deposits in Oceania Continent
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.
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