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
Basanite is a black basaltic rock which mainly contains plagioclase, augite, olivine and nepheline and is formerly used as a touchstone
Discoverer
Georgius Agricola
Unknown
Etymology
From Late Latin Basaltes (variant of basanites ), very hard stone, which was imported from Ancient Greek Basanites
From Latin basanites + -ite
Class
Igneous Rocks
Igneous Rocks
Sub-Class
Durable Rock, Medium Hardness Rock
Durable Rock, Hard Rock
Other Categories
Fine Grained Rock, Opaque Rock
Fine Grained Rock, Opaque Rock
Texture
Glassy, Massive, Porphyritic, Scoriaceous, Vesicular
Aphanitic to Porphyritic
Color
Black, Brown, Light to Dark Grey
Black, Brown, Green, Grey, Red, White
Durability
Durable
Durable
Scratch Resistant
Yes
Yes
Appearance
Dull and Soft
Glassy or Pearly
Interior Uses
Floor Tiles, Homes, Hotels, Kitchens
Decorative Aggregates, Homes
Exterior Uses
As Building Stone, Paving Stone, Garden Decoration, Office Buildings
As Building Stone, Garden Decoration, Office Buildings
Other Architectural Uses
Curbing, Whetstones
Whetstones
Construction Industry
Arrowheads, As Dimension Stone, Cobblestones, Cutting Tool, Rail Track Ballast, Roadstone
Arrowheads, Construction Aggregate, Cutting Tool, Spear Points
Antiquity Uses
Artifacts, Monuments
Artifacts, Monuments
Commercial Uses
An Oil and Gas Reservoir, Commemorative Tablets, Creating Artwork, Used in aquariums
As a touchstone, Creating Artwork, Gemstone, In fire-starting tools, Manufacture of tools, Metallurgical Flux, Jewelry, To ignite fire, Used in flintlock firearms
Types
Alkaline Basalt, Boninite, High Alumina Basalt, Mid Ocean Ridge Basalt (MORB), Tholeiitic Basalt, Basaltic trachyandesite, Mugearite and Shoshonite
Nepheline-Basanite, Analcite-Basanite and Leucite-Basanite
Features
Has High structural resistance against erosion and climate, Very fine grained 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
Easter Island in the Polynesian Triangle, Pacific Ocean, Gateway of India in Mumbai, India, Gol Gumbaz in Karnataka, India
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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.
Basanite is a fine-grained, hard rock that forms when bits of lava shoot out of volcanoes.
Mineral Content
Olivine, Plagioclase, Pyroxene
Augite, Feldspar, Ilmenite, Olivine, Plagioclase
Compound Content
Aluminium Oxide, CaO, Iron(III) Oxide, FeO, Potassium Oxide, MgO, MnO, Sodium Oxide, Phosphorus Pentoxide, Silicon Dioxide, Titanium Dioxide
Potassium Oxide, Sodium Oxide, Silicon Dioxide
Types of Metamorphism
Contact Metamorphism
Burial Metamorphism, Cataclastic Metamorphism, Contact Metamorphism, Regional Metamorphism
Types of Weathering
Biological Weathering
Chemical Weathering, Mechanical Weathering
Types of Erosion
-
Chemical Erosion, Coastal Erosion, Glacier Erosion, Sea Erosion, Water Erosion, Wind Erosion
Grain Size
Fine Grained
Fine Grained
Fracture
Conchoidal
Uneven, Splintery or Conchoidal
Streak
White to Grey
White
Porosity
Less Porous
Highly Porous
Specific Gravity
2.8-3
2.5-2.8
Transparency
Opaque
Translucent to Opaque
Density
2.9-3.1 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
Africa
South Africa
Uganda
Europe
Iceland
Germany, Hungary, Italy, Spain
Others
-
Greenland, Mid-Atlantic Ridge
Deposits in Western Continents
North America
Canada, USA
USA
South America
Brazil
Bolivia, Brazil
Deposits in Oceania Continent
Australia
-
New South Wales, New Zealand, Queensland, South Australia, Western Australia
All about Basalt and Basanite Properties
Know all about Basalt and Basanite properties here. All properties of rocks are important as they define the type of rock and its application. Basalt and Basanite belong to Igneous Rocks.Texture of Basalt is Glassy, Massive, Porphyritic, Scoriaceous, Vesicular whereas that of Basanite is Aphanitic to Porphyritic. Basalt appears Dull and Soft and Basanite appears Glassy or Pearly. The luster of Basalt is while that of Basanite is waxy and dull. Basalt is available in black, brown, light to dark grey colors whereas Basanite is available in black, brown, green, grey, red, white colors. The commercial uses of Basalt are an oil and gas reservoir, commemorative tablets, creating artwork, used in aquariums and that of Basanite are as a touchstone, creating artwork, gemstone, in fire-starting tools, manufacture of tools, metallurgical flux, jewelry, to ignite fire, used in flintlock firearms.