Basalt and Essexite
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
Essexite which is also known as nepheline monzogabbro, is a dark gray or black holocrystalline plutonic Iigneous Rock
History
Origin
Egypt
USA
Discoverer
Georgius Agricola
Unknown
Etymology
From Late Latin Basaltes (variant of basanites ), very hard stone, which was imported from Ancient Greek Basanites
From the locality in Essex County, Massachusetts,US
Class
Igneous Rocks
Igneous Rocks
Sub-Class
Durable Rock, Medium Hardness Rock
Durable Rock, Hard Rock
Family
Group
Volcanic
Plutonic
Other Categories
Fine Grained Rock, Opaque Rock
Fine Grained Rock, Opaque Rock
Texture
Texture
Glassy, Massive, Porphyritic, Scoriaceous, Vesicular
Granular
Color
Black, Brown, Light to Dark Grey
Dark Grey to Black
Maintenance
More
Less
Durability
Durable
Durable
Water Resistant
No
Yes
Scratch Resistant
Yes
Yes
Stain Resistant
Yes
Yes
Wind Resistant
No
Yes
Acid Resistant
Yes
No
Appearance
Dull and Soft
Banded
Uses
Architecture
Interior Uses
Floor Tiles, Homes, Hotels, Kitchens
Decorative Aggregates, Homes, Interior Decoration
Exterior Uses
As Building Stone, Paving Stone, Garden Decoration, Office Buildings
As Building Stone, As Facing Stone, Garden Decoration, Office Buildings, Paving Stone
Other Architectural Uses
Curbing, Whetstones
Curbing
Industry
Construction Industry
Arrowheads, As Dimension Stone, Cobblestones, Cutting Tool, Rail Track Ballast, Roadstone
As Dimension Stone, Building houses or walls, Cement Manufacture, Construction Aggregate, for Road Aggregate
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, Commemorative Tablets, Jewelry, Sea Defence, 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
Is one of the oldest rock, Smooth to touch
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
Not Used
Petroglyphs
Used
Not 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.
Essexite is a type of igneous rock, which is usually dark grey to black plutonic rock. For the formation of essexite, suitable magma with exact composition of K, Ba, Rb, Cs, Sr should be produced.
Composition
Mineral Content
Olivine, Plagioclase, Pyroxene
Augite, Feldspar, Hornblende, Nepheline, Olivine, Plagioclase, Pyroxene
Compound Content
Aluminium Oxide, CaO, Iron(III) Oxide, FeO, Potassium Oxide, MgO, MnO, Sodium Oxide, Phosphorus Pentoxide, Silicon Dioxide, Titanium Dioxide
Aluminium Oxide, Ba, Ca, Cs, Potassium, Rb, Sodium, Sr
Transformation
Metamorphism
Yes
Yes
Types of Metamorphism
Contact Metamorphism
Burial Metamorphism, Cataclastic Metamorphism, Contact Metamorphism, Hydrothermal Metamorphism, Impact Metamorphism
Weathering
Yes
Yes
Types of Weathering
Biological Weathering
Biological Weathering, Chemical Weathering
Erosion
No
Yes
Types of Erosion
Not Available
Coastal Erosion, Glacier Erosion, Water Erosion
Properties
Physical Properties
Hardness
6
7
Grain Size
Fine Grained
Fine Grained
Fracture
Conchoidal
Conchoidal
Streak
White to Grey
Black
Porosity
Less Porous
Highly Porous
Luster
Not Available
Not Available
Compressive Strength
37.40 N/mm2
28
Not Available
Cleavage
Not Available
Not Available
Toughness
2.3
1.6
Specific Gravity
2.8-3
Not Available
Transparency
Opaque
Opaque
Density
2.9-3.1 g/cm3
Not Available
Thermal Properties
Specific Heat Capacity
0.84 kJ/Kg K
15
Not Available
Resistance
Heat Resistant, Pressure Resistant, Wear Resistant
Impact Resistant, Pressure Resistant, Wear Resistant
Reserves
Deposits in Eastern Continents
Asia
India, Russia
India, Russia
Africa
South Africa
South Africa
Europe
Iceland
Germany, Greece, Italy, Scotland, Turkey
Others
Not Yet Found
Greenland
Deposits in Western Continents
North America
Canada, USA
Canada, USA
South America
Brazil
Brazil, Colombia, Venezuela
Deposits in Oceania Continent
Australia
Not Yet Found
New Zealand, Queensland
All about Basalt and Essexite Properties
Know all about Basalt and Essexite properties here. All properties of rocks are important as they define the type of rock and its application. Basalt and Essexite belong to Igneous Rocks.Texture of Basalt is Glassy, Massive, Porphyritic, Scoriaceous, Vesicular whereas that of Essexite is Granular. Basalt appears Dull and Soft and Essexite appears Banded. The luster of Basalt and Essexite is not available. Basalt is available in black, brown, light to dark grey colors whereas Essexite is available in dark grey to black colors. The commercial uses of Basalt are an oil and gas reservoir, commemorative tablets, creating artwork, used in aquariums and that of Essexite are cemetery markers, commemorative tablets, jewelry, sea defence, tombstones.
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