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
  
Conglomerate is a sedimentary rock which forms from rounded gravel and boulder sized clasts which are cemented together in a matrix
  
History
  
  
Origin
Egypt
  
Italy
  
Discoverer
Georgius Agricola
  
Unknown
  
Etymology
From Late Latin Basaltes (variant of basanites ), very hard stone, which was imported from Ancient Greek Basanites
  
From Latin conglomeratus, to roll together, i.e. from com together + glomerare to gather into a ball, from glomus (genitive glomeris) a ball
  
Class
Igneous Rocks
  
Sedimentary Rocks
  
Sub-Class
Durable Rock, Medium Hardness Rock
  
Durable Rock, Soft Rock
  
Family
  
  
Group
Volcanic
  
Not Applicable
  
Other Categories
Fine Grained Rock, Opaque Rock
  
Coarse Grained Rock, Opaque Rock
  
Texture
Glassy, Massive, Porphyritic, Scoriaceous, Vesicular
  
Clastic
  
Color
Black, Brown, Light to Dark Grey
  
Beige, Black, Brown, Buff, Light to Dark Grey, Orange, Rust, White, Yellow
  
Maintenance
More
  
More
  
Durability
Durable
  
Durable
  
Water Resistant
No
  
No
  
Scratch Resistant
Yes
  
Yes
  
Stain Resistant
Yes
  
No
  
Wind Resistant
No
  
No
  
Acid Resistant
Yes
  
No
  
Appearance
Dull and Soft
  
Shiny and Rounded
  
Architecture
  
  
Interior Uses
Floor Tiles, Homes, Hotels, Kitchens
  
Decorative Aggregates, Floor Tiles, Homes
  
Exterior Uses
As Building Stone, Paving Stone, Garden Decoration, Office Buildings
  
As Building Stone, As Facing Stone, Garden Decoration, Office Buildings, Roof Tiles
  
Other Architectural Uses
Curbing, Whetstones
  
Curbing
  
Industry
  
  
Construction Industry
Arrowheads, As Dimension Stone, Cobblestones, Cutting Tool, Rail Track Ballast, Roadstone
  
As Dimension Stone, Cement Manufacture, Construction Aggregate, for Road Aggregate, Roadstone
  
Medical Industry
Not Yet Used
  
Not Yet Used
  
Antiquity Uses
Artifacts, Monuments
  
Artifacts, Monuments, Sculpture, Small Figurines
  
Other Uses
  
  
Commercial Uses
An Oil and Gas Reservoir, Commemorative Tablets, Creating Artwork, Used in aquariums
  
Cemetery Markers, In aquifers, Tombstones
  
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
  
Clasts are smooth to touch, Is one of the oldest rock, Matrix variable
  
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
  
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.
  
Conglomerate forms where sediments consisting mainly of pebble and cobble-size clasts at least two millimeters in diameter starts accumulating.
  
Composition
  
  
Mineral Content
Olivine, Plagioclase, Pyroxene
  
Clay, Sand, Silica, Silt
  
Compound Content
Aluminium Oxide, CaO, Iron(III) Oxide, FeO, Potassium Oxide, MgO, MnO, Sodium Oxide, Phosphorus Pentoxide, Silicon Dioxide, Titanium Dioxide
  
NaCl, CaO
  
Transformation
  
  
Metamorphism
Yes
  
Yes
  
Types of Metamorphism
Contact Metamorphism
  
Burial Metamorphism, Cataclastic Metamorphism, Regional Metamorphism
  
Weathering
Yes
  
No
  
Types of Weathering
Biological Weathering
  
Not Applicable
  
Erosion
No
  
No
  
Types of Erosion
Not Available
  
Chemical Erosion, Coastal Erosion
  
Physical Properties
  
  
Hardness
6
  
2-3
  
Grain Size
Fine Grained
  
Coarse Grained
  
Fracture
Conchoidal
  
Uneven
  
Streak
White to Grey
  
White
  
Porosity
Less Porous
  
Highly Porous
  
Luster
Not Available
  
Dull
  
Compressive Strength
37.40 N/mm
2
  
28
Not Available
  
Cleavage
Not Available
  
Non-Existent
  
Toughness
2.3
  
Not Available
  
Specific Gravity
2.8-3
  
2.86-2.88
  
Transparency
Opaque
  
Opaque
  
Density
2.9-3.1 g/cm3
  
1.7-2.3 g/cm3
  
Thermal Properties
  
  
Specific Heat Capacity
0.84 kJ/Kg K
  
15
0.92 kJ/Kg K
  
10
Resistance
Heat Resistant, Pressure Resistant, Wear Resistant
  
Heat Resistant
  
Deposits in Eastern Continents
  
  
Asia
India, Russia
  
China, India, Kazakhstan, Mongolia, Russia, Uzbekistan
  
Africa
South Africa
  
Namibia, Nigeria, South Africa
  
Europe
Iceland
  
Austria, Denmark, Germany, Great Britain, Netherlands, Norway, Poland, Sweden, Switzerland, United Kingdom
  
Others
Not Yet Found
  
Greenland
  
Deposits in Western Continents
  
  
North America
Canada, USA
  
Canada, USA
  
South America
Brazil
  
Brazil
  
Deposits in Oceania Continent
  
  
Australia
Not Yet Found
  
New South Wales, New Zealand
  
All about Basalt and Conglomerate Properties
Know all about Basalt and Conglomerate properties here. All properties of rocks are important as they define the type of rock and its application. Basalt belongs to Igneous Rocks while Conglomerate belongs to Sedimentary Rocks.Texture of Basalt is Glassy, Massive, Porphyritic, Scoriaceous, Vesicular whereas that of Conglomerate is Clastic. Basalt appears Dull and Soft and Conglomerate appears Shiny and Rounded. The luster of Basalt is not available while that of Conglomerate is dull. Basalt is available in black, brown, light to dark grey colors whereas Conglomerate is available in beige, black, brown, buff, light to dark grey, orange, rust, white, yellow colors. The commercial uses of Basalt are an oil and gas reservoir, commemorative tablets, creating artwork, used in aquariums and that of Conglomerate are cemetery markers, in aquifers, tombstones.