Basalt and Blueschist
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
Blueschist is a metamorphic rock which is generally blue in color and is formed under conditions of high pressure and low temperature
History
Origin
Egypt
USA
Discoverer
Georgius Agricola
Edgar Bailey
Etymology
From Late Latin Basaltes (variant of basanites ), very hard stone, which was imported from Ancient Greek Basanites
From French schiste, Greek skhistos i.e. split
Class
Igneous Rocks
Metamorphic Rocks
Sub-Class
Durable Rock, Medium Hardness Rock
Durable Rock, Medium Hardness Rock
Family
Group
Volcanic
Not Applicable
Other Categories
Fine Grained Rock, Opaque Rock
Fine Grained Rock, Medium Grained Rock, Opaque Rock
Texture
Texture
Glassy, Massive, Porphyritic, Scoriaceous, Vesicular
Foliated
Color
Black, Brown, Light to Dark Grey
Blue, Bluish - Grey, Purple, Shades of Blue
Maintenance
More
Less
Durability
Durable
Durable
Water Resistant
No
No
Scratch Resistant
Yes
No
Stain Resistant
Yes
No
Wind Resistant
No
No
Acid Resistant
Yes
No
Appearance
Dull and Soft
Dull and Banded
Uses
Architecture
Interior Uses
Floor Tiles, Homes, Hotels, Kitchens
Floor Tiles, Flooring, Homes, Hotels, Kitchens
Exterior Uses
As Building Stone, Paving Stone, Garden Decoration, Office Buildings
Garden Decoration, Office Buildings
Other Architectural Uses
Curbing, Whetstones
Not Yet Used
Industry
Construction Industry
Arrowheads, As Dimension Stone, Cobblestones, Cutting Tool, Rail Track Ballast, Roadstone
As Dimension Stone, Cobblestones, Rail Track Ballast, Roadstone
Medical Industry
Not Yet Used
Not Yet Used
Antiquity Uses
Artifacts, Monuments
Artifacts, Monuments, Sculpture
Other Uses
Commercial Uses
An Oil and Gas Reservoir, Commemorative Tablets, Creating Artwork, Used in aquariums
Cemetery Markers, Commemorative Tablets, Creating Artwork, Curling, Tombstones
Types
Types
Alkaline Basalt, Boninite, High Alumina Basalt, Mid Ocean Ridge Basalt (MORB), Tholeiitic Basalt, Basaltic trachyandesite, Mugearite and Shoshonite
Not Available
Features
Has High structural resistance against erosion and climate, Very fine grained rock
Has High structural resistance against erosion and climate, Very fine grained rock
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
Used
Petroglyphs
Used
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.
Blueschist forms due to the metamorphism of basalt and other rocks with similar composition at high pressures and low temperatures and approximately corresponding to a depth of 15 to 30 kilometers and 200 to 500 °C.
Composition
Mineral Content
Olivine, Plagioclase, Pyroxene
Albite, Chlorite, Epidote, Garnet, Glaucophane, Lawsonite, Muscovite or Illite, Quartz
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
Mechanical Weathering
Erosion
No
Yes
Types of Erosion
Not Available
Chemical Erosion, Coastal Erosion, Water Erosion, Wind Erosion
Properties
Physical Properties
Hardness
6
3.5-4
Grain Size
Fine Grained
Fine to Medium Grained
Fracture
Conchoidal
Conchoidal
Streak
White to Grey
White to Grey
Porosity
Less Porous
Highly Porous
Luster
Not Available
Dull
Compressive Strength
37.40 N/mm2
28
Not Available
Cleavage
Not Available
Slaty
Toughness
2.3
1.5
Specific Gravity
2.8-3
3-3.2
Transparency
Opaque
Opaque
Density
2.9-3.1 g/cm3
2.8-2.9 g/cm3
Thermal Properties
Specific Heat Capacity
0.84 kJ/Kg K
15
Not Available
Resistance
Heat Resistant, Pressure Resistant, Wear Resistant
Impact Resistant, Pressure Resistant
Reserves
Deposits in Eastern Continents
Asia
India, Russia
Japan, Turkey
Africa
South Africa
Egypt, Ethiopia, South Africa
Europe
Iceland
France, Greece, Iceland
Others
Not Yet Found
Not Yet Found
Deposits in Western Continents
North America
Canada, USA
USA
South America
Brazil
Not Yet Found
Deposits in Oceania Continent
Australia
Not Yet Found
New Zealand
All about Basalt and Blueschist Properties
Know all about Basalt and Blueschist properties here. All properties of rocks are important as they define the type of rock and its application. Basalt belongs to Igneous Rocks while Blueschist belongs to Metamorphic Rocks.Texture of Basalt is Glassy, Massive, Porphyritic, Scoriaceous, Vesicular whereas that of Blueschist is Foliated. Basalt appears Dull and Soft and Blueschist appears Dull and Banded. The luster of Basalt is not available while that of Blueschist is dull. Basalt is available in black, brown, light to dark grey colors whereas Blueschist is available in blue, bluish - grey, purple, shades of blue colors. The commercial uses of Basalt are an oil and gas reservoir, commemorative tablets, creating artwork, used in aquariums and that of Blueschist are cemetery markers, commemorative tablets, creating artwork, curling, tombstones.
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