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
Coal is a combustible black or brownish-black sedimentary rock usually occurring in rock strata in layers called coal beds
Discoverer
Georgius Agricola
John Peter Salley
Etymology
From Late Latin Basaltes (variant of basanites ), very hard stone, which was imported from Ancient Greek Basanites
From the Old English term col, which has meant mineral of fossilized carbon since the 13th century
Class
Igneous Rocks
Sedimentary Rocks
Sub-Class
Durable Rock, Medium Hardness Rock
Durable Rock, Soft Rock
Other Categories
Fine Grained Rock, Opaque Rock
Coarse Grained Rock, Fine Grained Rock, Medium Grained Rock, Opaque Rock
Texture
Glassy, Massive, Porphyritic, Scoriaceous, Vesicular
Amorphous, Glassy
Color
Black, Brown, Light to Dark Grey
Black, Brown, Dark Brown, Grey, Light to Dark Grey
Durability
Durable
Durable
Appearance
Dull and Soft
Veined or Pebbled
Interior Uses
Floor Tiles, Homes, Hotels, Kitchens
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Exterior Uses
As Building Stone, Paving Stone, Garden Decoration, Office Buildings
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Other Architectural Uses
Curbing, Whetstones
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Construction Industry
Arrowheads, As Dimension Stone, Cobblestones, Cutting Tool, Rail Track Ballast, Roadstone
Cement Manufacture, for Road Aggregate, Making natural cement, Steel Production
Antiquity Uses
Artifacts, Monuments
Artifacts
Commercial Uses
An Oil and Gas Reservoir, Commemorative Tablets, Creating Artwork, Used in aquariums
Alumina Refineries, Electricity Generation, Liquid Fuel, Manufacture of Soap, Solvents, Dyes, Plastics and Fibres, Paper Industry
Types
Alkaline Basalt, Boninite, High Alumina Basalt, Mid Ocean Ridge Basalt (MORB), Tholeiitic Basalt, Basaltic trachyandesite, Mugearite and Shoshonite
Peat, Lignite, Sub-Bituminous Coal, Bituminous Coal, Anthracite, Graphite
Features
Has High structural resistance against erosion and climate, Very fine grained rock
Helps in production of Heat and Electricity, Used as fossil fuel
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.
Coal forms from the accumulation of plant debris in a swamp environment which is buried by sediments such as mud or sand and then compacted to form coal.
Mineral Content
Olivine, Plagioclase, Pyroxene
Analcime, Apatite, Barite, Calcite, Chalcopyrite, Chlorite, Chromite, Clausthalite, Clay Minerals, Crandallite Group, Dolomite, Feldspar, Galena, Gypsum, Marcasite, Muscovite or Illite, Pyrite, Quartz, Siderite, Sphalerite, Zircon
Compound Content
Aluminium Oxide, CaO, Iron(III) Oxide, FeO, Potassium Oxide, MgO, MnO, Sodium Oxide, Phosphorus Pentoxide, Silicon Dioxide, Titanium Dioxide
Carbon, Hydrogen, Nitrogen, Oxygen, Sulphur
Types of Metamorphism
Contact Metamorphism
Burial Metamorphism, Cataclastic Metamorphism, Regional Metamorphism
Types of Weathering
Biological Weathering
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Grain Size
Fine Grained
Medium to Fine Coarse Grained
Fracture
Conchoidal
Conchoidal
Streak
White to Grey
Black
Porosity
Less Porous
Less Porous
Luster
-
Dull to Vitreous to Submetallic
Specific Gravity
2.8-3
1.1-1.4
Transparency
Opaque
Opaque
Density
2.9-3.1 g/cm3
1100-1400 g/cm3
Resistance
Heat Resistant, Pressure Resistant, Wear Resistant
Heat Resistant
Deposits in Eastern Continents
Asia
India, Russia
Bangladesh, Burma, Cambodia, China, India, Indonesia, Kazakhstan, Malaysia, Mongolia, Pakistan, Turkey, Vietnam
Africa
South Africa
Botswana, Kenya, Morocco, Mozambique, South Africa, Tanzania
Europe
Iceland
Belgium, Bulgaria, England, France, Germany, Greece, Hungary, Kosovo, Netherlands, Norway, Poland, Romania, Serbia, Slovakia, Slovenia, The Czech Republic, Ukraine, United Kingdom
Deposits in Western Continents
North America
Canada, USA
Canada, Mexico, USA
South America
Brazil
Brazil, Chile, Colombia, Venezuela
Deposits in Oceania Continent
Australia
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New South Wales, Queensland, Victoria
All about Basalt and Coal Properties
Know all about Basalt and Coal properties here. All properties of rocks are important as they define the type of rock and its application. Basalt belongs to Igneous Rocks while Coal belongs to Sedimentary Rocks.Texture of Basalt is Glassy, Massive, Porphyritic, Scoriaceous, Vesicular whereas that of Coal is Amorphous, Glassy. Basalt appears Dull and Soft and Coal appears Veined or Pebbled. The luster of Basalt is while that of Coal is dull to vitreous to submetallic. Basalt is available in black, brown, light to dark grey colors whereas Coal is available in black, brown, dark brown, grey, light to dark grey colors. The commercial uses of Basalt are an oil and gas reservoir, commemorative tablets, creating artwork, used in aquariums and that of Coal are alumina refineries, electricity generation, liquid fuel, manufacture of soap, solvents, dyes, plastics and fibres, paper industry.