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Basalt and Dacite


Dacite and Basalt


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   
Dacite is a volcanic igneous rock which is rintermediate in composition between andesite and rhyolite   

History
  
  

Origin
Egypt   
Romania and Moldova, Europe   

Discoverer
Georgius Agricola   
Unknown   

Etymology
From Late Latin Basaltes (variant of basanites ), very hard stone, which was imported from Ancient Greek Basanites   
From Dacia, a province of the Roman Empire which lay between the Danube River and Carpathian Mountains where the rock was first described   

Class
Igneous Rocks   
Igneous Rocks   

Sub-Class
Durable Rock, Medium Hardness Rock   
Durable Rock, Soft Rock   

Family
  
  

Group
Volcanic   
Volcanic   

Other Categories
Fine Grained Rock, Opaque Rock   
Fine Grained Rock, Medium Grained Rock, Opaque Rock   

Texture

Texture
Glassy, Massive, Porphyritic, Scoriaceous, Vesicular   
Aphanitic to Porphyritic   

Color
Black, Brown, Light to Dark Grey   
Bluish - Grey, Brown, Grey, Light to Dark Grey   

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   
Vesicular   

Uses

Architecture
  
  

Interior Uses
Floor Tiles, Homes, Hotels, Kitchens   
Decorative Aggregates, Entryways, Interior Decoration   

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

Other Architectural Uses
Curbing, Whetstones   
Curbing   

Industry
  
  

Construction Industry
Arrowheads, As Dimension Stone, Cobblestones, Cutting Tool, Rail Track Ballast, Roadstone   
As Dimension Stone, Construction Aggregate, for Road Aggregate, Landscaping   

Medical Industry
Not Yet Used   
Not Yet Used   

Antiquity Uses
Artifacts, Monuments   
Artifacts   

Other Uses
  
  

Commercial Uses
An Oil and Gas Reservoir, Commemorative Tablets, Creating Artwork, Used in aquariums   
Commemorative Tablets, Creating Artwork   

Types

Types
Alkaline Basalt, Boninite, High Alumina Basalt, Mid Ocean Ridge Basalt (MORB), Tholeiitic Basalt, Basaltic trachyandesite, Mugearite and Shoshonite   
Footwall Dacite, Hanging wall Dacite, Tuff and Biotite Dacite   

Features
Has High structural resistance against erosion and climate, Very fine grained rock   
Host Rock for Lead, Is one of the oldest 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   
Not Yet Used   

Famous Sculptures
Data Not Available   
Not Applicable   

Pictographs
Used   
Used   

Petroglyphs
Used   
Used   

Figurines
Used   
Not Yet 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.   
Dacitic magma is formed by the subduction of young oceanic crust under a thick felsic continental plate. Further, the Oceanic crust is hydrothermally altered as quartz and sodium are added.   

Composition
  
  

Mineral Content
Olivine, Plagioclase, Pyroxene   
Amphibole, Apatite, Biotite, Feldspar, Garnet, Hornblade, Magnetite, Plagioclase, Pyroxene, Quartz, Zircon   

Compound Content
Aluminium Oxide, CaO, Iron(III) Oxide, FeO, Potassium Oxide, MgO, MnO, Sodium Oxide, Phosphorus Pentoxide, Silicon Dioxide, Titanium Dioxide   
Ca, Fe, Potassium Oxide, Mg, Potassium, Silicon Dioxide   

Transformation
  
  

Metamorphism
Yes   
Yes   

Types of Metamorphism
Contact Metamorphism   
Burial Metamorphism, Cataclastic Metamorphism   

Weathering
Yes   
Yes   

Types of Weathering
Biological Weathering   
Biological Weathering, Chemical Weathering, Mechanical Weathering   

Erosion
No   
Yes   

Types of Erosion
Not Available   
Chemical Erosion   

Properties

Physical Properties
  
  

Hardness
6   
2-2.25   

Grain Size
Fine Grained   
Medium to Fine Coarse Grained   

Fracture
Conchoidal   
Conchoidal   

Streak
White to Grey   
White   

Porosity
Less Porous   
Less Porous   

Luster
Not Available   
Subvitreous to Dull   

Compressive Strength
37.40 N/mm2   
28
Not Available   

Cleavage
Not Available   
Perfect   

Toughness
2.3   
Not Available   

Specific Gravity
2.8-3   
2.86-2.87   

Transparency
Opaque   
Translucent   

Density
2.9-3.1 g/cm3   
2.77-2.771 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, Impact Resistant, Pressure Resistant, Wear Resistant   

Reserves

Deposits in Eastern Continents
  
  

Asia
India, Russia   
Not Yet Found   

Africa
South Africa   
Not Yet Found   

Europe
Iceland   
France, Greece, Romania, Scotland, Spain   

Others
Not Yet Found   
Not Yet Found   

Deposits in Western Continents
  
  

North America
Canada, USA   
USA   

South America
Brazil   
Argentina, Bolivia, Chile, Colombia, Ecuador, Peru, Venezuela   

Deposits in Oceania Continent
  
  

Australia
Not Yet Found   
New Zealand, South Australia, Western Australia   

Summary >>
<< Reserves

All about Basalt and Dacite Properties

Know all about Basalt and Dacite properties here. All properties of rocks are important as they define the type of rock and its application. Basalt and Dacite belong to Igneous Rocks.Texture of Basalt is Glassy, Massive, Porphyritic, Scoriaceous, Vesicular whereas that of Dacite is Aphanitic to Porphyritic. Basalt appears Dull and Soft and Dacite appears Vesicular. The luster of Basalt is not available while that of Dacite is subvitreous to dull. Basalt is available in black, brown, light to dark grey colors whereas Dacite is available in bluish - grey, brown, grey, light to dark grey colors. The commercial uses of Basalt and Dacite are an oil and gas reservoir, commemorative tablets, creating artwork, used in aquariums.

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