Basalt

Basalt and Basalt

Basalt

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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

History

Origin

Egypt

Discoverer

Georgius Agricola

Etymology

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

Class

Igneous Rocks

Sub-Class

Durable Rock, Medium Hardness Rock

Family

Group

Volcanic

Other Categories

Fine Grained Rock, Opaque Rock

Texture

Glassy, Massive, Porphyritic, Scoriaceous, Vesicular

Color

Black, Brown, Light to Dark Grey

Maintenance

Durability

Durable

Water Resistant

✔ ✘

Scratch Resistant

✔ ✘

Stain Resistant

✔ ✘

Wind Resistant

✔ ✘

Acid Resistant

✔ ✘

Appearance

Dull and Soft

Uses

Architecture

Interior Uses

Floor Tiles, Homes, Hotels, Kitchens

Exterior Uses

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

Other Architectural Uses

Curbing, Whetstones

Industry

Construction Industry

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

Medical Industry

Antiquity Uses

Artifacts, Monuments

Other Uses

Commercial Uses

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

Types

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

Features

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

Archaeological Significance

Monuments

Famous Monuments

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

Sculpture

Famous Sculptures

Pictographs

Petroglyphs

Figurines

Fossils

Absent

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.

Composition

Mineral Content

Olivine, Plagioclase, Pyroxene

Compound Content

Aluminium Oxide, CaO, Iron(III) Oxide, FeO, Potassium Oxide, MgO, MnO, Sodium Oxide, Phosphorus Pentoxide, Silicon Dioxide, Titanium Dioxide

Transformation

Metamorphism

✔ ✘

Types of Metamorphism

Contact Metamorphism

Weathering

✔ ✘

Types of Weathering

Biological Weathering

Erosion

✔ ✘

Types of Erosion

Properties

Physical Properties

Hardness

1 7

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Grain Size

Fine Grained

Fracture

Conchoidal

Streak

White to Grey

Porosity

Less Porous

Luster

Compressive Strength

37.40 N/mm²37.40 N/mm²

0.15 450

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Cleavage

Toughness

2.3

Specific Gravity

2.8-32.8-3

0 8.4

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Transparency

Opaque

Density

2.9-3.1 g/cm³2.9-3.1 g/cm³

0 1400

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Thermal Properties

Specific Heat Capacity

0.84 kJ/Kg K0.84 kJ/Kg K

0.14 3.2

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Resistance

Heat Resistant, Pressure Resistant, Wear Resistant

Reserves

Deposits in Eastern Continents

Asia

India, Russia

Africa

South Africa

Europe

Iceland

Others

Deposits in Western Continents

North America

Canada, USA

South America

Brazil

Deposits in Oceania Continent

Australia

All about Basalt and Basalt Properties

Know all about Basalt and Basalt properties here. All properties of rocks are important as they define the type of rock and its application. Basalt and Basalt belong to Igneous Rocks.Texture of Basalt is Glassy, Massive, Porphyritic, Scoriaceous, Vesicular whereas that of Basalt is Glassy, Massive, Porphyritic, Scoriaceous, Vesicular. Basalt appears Dull and Soft and Basalt appears Dull and Soft. The luster of Basalt and Basalt is . Basalt and Basalt are available in black, brown, light to dark grey colors. The commercial uses of Basalt and Basalt are an oil and gas reservoir, commemorative tablets, creating artwork, used in aquariums.