Basalt

Basanite

Basalt and Basanite

Basalt

Basanite

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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

Basanite is a black basaltic rock which mainly contains plagioclase, augite, olivine and nepheline and is formerly used as a touchstone

History

Origin

Egypt

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

Sub-Class

Durable Rock, Medium Hardness Rock

Durable Rock, Hard Rock

Family

Group

Volcanic

Other Categories

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

Maintenance

Less

Durability

Durable

Water Resistant

✔ ✘

Scratch Resistant

✔ ✘

Stain Resistant

✔ ✘

Wind Resistant

✔ ✘

Acid Resistant

✔ ✘

Appearance

Dull and Soft

Glassy or Pearly

Uses

Architecture

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

Industry

Construction Industry

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

Arrowheads, Construction Aggregate, Cutting Tool, Spear Points

Medical Industry

Antiquity Uses

Artifacts, Monuments

Other Uses

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

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.

Basanite is a fine-grained, hard rock that forms when bits of lava shoot out of volcanoes.

Composition

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

Transformation

Metamorphism

✔ ✘

Types of Metamorphism

Contact Metamorphism

Burial Metamorphism, Cataclastic Metamorphism, Contact Metamorphism, Regional Metamorphism

Weathering

✔ ✘

Types of Weathering

Biological Weathering

Chemical Weathering, Mechanical Weathering

Erosion

✔ ✘

Types of Erosion

Chemical Erosion, Coastal Erosion, Glacier Erosion, Sea Erosion, Water Erosion, Wind Erosion

Properties

Physical Properties

Hardness

1 7

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Grain Size

Fine Grained

Fracture

Conchoidal

Uneven, Splintery or Conchoidal

Streak

White to Grey

White

Porosity

Less Porous

Highly Porous

Luster

Waxy and Dull

Compressive Strength

37.40 N/mm²100.00 N/mm²

0.15 450

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Cleavage

Toughness

2.3

1.5

Specific Gravity

2.8-32.5-2.8

0 8.4

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Transparency

Opaque

Translucent to Opaque

Density

2.9-3.1 g/cm³2.7 g/cm³

0 1400

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Thermal Properties

Specific Heat Capacity

0.84 kJ/Kg K0.74 kJ/Kg K

0.14 3.2

👆🏻

Resistance

Heat Resistant, Pressure Resistant, Wear Resistant

Heat Resistant, Impact Resistant, Pressure Resistant, Wear Resistant

Reserves

Deposits in Eastern Continents

Asia

India, Russia

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.