Basalt and Claystone

Basalt

Claystone

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

Claystone is a fine-grained, dark gray to pink sedimentary rock which mainly consists of compacted and hardened clay

History

Origin

Egypt

Unknown

Discoverer

Georgius Agricola

Unknown

Etymology

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

From English clay and stone as the rock contains more amount of clay

Class

Igneous Rocks

Sedimentary Rocks

Sub-Class

Durable Rock, Medium Hardness Rock

Family

Group

Volcanic

Not Applicable

Other Categories

Fine Grained Rock, Opaque Rock

Texture

Glassy, Massive, Porphyritic, Scoriaceous, Vesicular

Clastic

Color

Black, Brown, Light to Dark Grey

Black, Blue, Brown, Green, Grey, Orange, Red, White, Yellow

Maintenance

Durability

Durable

Water Resistant

Yes

Scratch Resistant

Yes

Stain Resistant

Yes

Wind Resistant

Acid Resistant

Yes

Appearance

Dull and Soft

Rough and Dull

Uses

Architecture

Interior Uses

Floor Tiles, Homes, Hotels, Kitchens

Decorative Aggregates, Entryways, Floor Tiles, Homes, Interior Decoration

Exterior Uses

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

As Facing Stone, Roof Tiles

Other Architectural Uses

Curbing, Whetstones

Curbing

Industry

Construction Industry

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

As a Sintering Agent in Steel Industry to process Iron Ore, Cement Manufacture, Construction Aggregate, for Road Aggregate, Making natural cement, Raw material for the manufacture of mortar

Medical Industry

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

Pottery

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

Available in Lots of Colors and Patterns, Smooth to touch, Very fine grained rock

Archaeological Significance

Monuments

Used

Not Yet Used

Famous Monuments

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

Not Applicable

Sculpture

Used

Famous Sculptures

Data Not Available

Pictographs

Used

Petroglyphs

Used

Figurines

Used

Fossils

Absent

Present

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.

Claystone is generally quite soft, but can be hard and brittle. It forms due to weathering of mudstone.

Composition

Mineral Content

Olivine, Plagioclase, Pyroxene

Biotite, Chlorite, Feldspar, Micas, Muscovite or Illite, Plagioclase, Pyrite, Quartz

Compound Content

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

Aluminium Oxide, Ca, NaCl, CaO, Iron(III) Oxide, MgO, Silicon Dioxide

Transformation

Metamorphism

Yes

Types of Metamorphism

Contact Metamorphism

Not Applicable

Weathering

Yes

Types of Weathering

Biological Weathering

Biological Weathering, Chemical Weathering, Mechanical Weathering

Erosion

Yes

Types of Erosion

Not Available

Coastal Erosion, Water Erosion

Properties

Physical Properties

Hardness

3.5-4

Grain Size

Fine Grained

Fracture

Conchoidal

Not Available

Streak

White to Grey

White

Porosity

Less Porous

Very Less Porous

Luster

Not Available

Dull

Compressive Strength

37.40 N/mm²

Not Available

Cleavage

Not Available

Perfect

Toughness

2.3

2.6

Specific Gravity

2.8-3

Transparency

Opaque

Density

2.9-3.1 g/cm³

2-2.9 g/cm³

Thermal Properties

Specific Heat Capacity

0.84 kJ/Kg K

0.92 kJ/Kg K

Resistance

Heat Resistant, Pressure Resistant, Wear Resistant

Heat Resistant, Impact Resistant

Reserves

Deposits in Eastern Continents

Asia

India, Russia

Bangladesh, China, India, Russia

Africa

South Africa

Ethiopia, Kenya, Morocco, South Africa, Tanzania

Europe

Iceland

Austria, France, Germany, Greece, Italy, Romania, Scotland, Spain, Switzerland

Others

Not Yet Found

Deposits in Western Continents

North America

Canada, USA

Canada, Panama, USA

South America

Brazil

Bolivia, Chile, Colombia, Ecuador, Peru, Venezuela

Deposits in Oceania Continent

Australia

Not Yet Found

New South Wales, New Zealand, Queensland, Victoria, Western Australia

Summary >>

<< Reserves

All about Basalt and Claystone Properties

Know all about Basalt and Claystone properties here. All properties of rocks are important as they define the type of rock and its application. Basalt belongs to Igneous Rocks while Claystone belongs to Sedimentary Rocks.Texture of Basalt is Glassy, Massive, Porphyritic, Scoriaceous, Vesicular whereas that of Claystone is Clastic. Basalt appears Dull and Soft and Claystone appears Rough and Dull. The luster of Basalt is not available while that of Claystone is dull. Basalt is available in black, brown, light to dark grey colors whereas Claystone is available in black, blue, brown, green, grey, orange, red, white, yellow colors. The commercial uses of Basalt are an oil and gas reservoir, commemorative tablets, creating artwork, used in aquariums and that of Claystone are pottery.