Basalt and Flint
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
Flint is a hard type of sedimentary rock that produces a small piece of burning material when hit by steel
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 Old English flint - a type of rock mainly known for high hardness and for giving off sparks when struck
Class
Igneous Rocks
Sedimentary Rocks
Sub-Class
Durable Rock, Medium Hardness Rock
Durable Rock, Hard Rock
Family
Group
Volcanic
Not Applicable
Other Categories
Fine Grained Rock, Opaque Rock
Fine Grained Rock, Opaque Rock
Texture
Texture
Glassy, Massive, Porphyritic, Scoriaceous, Vesicular
Banded, Rough
Color
Black, Brown, Light to Dark Grey
Black, Brown, Green, Grey, Red, White
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
Glassy or Pearly
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
Arrowheads, Cutting Tool, Spear Points
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
Creating Artwork, Gemstone, In fire-starting tools, Manufacture of tools, Metallurgical Flux, Jewelry, To ignite fire, Used in flintlock firearms
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
Clasts are smooth to touch, Easily splits into thin plates, Has High structural resistance against erosion and climate
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
Not Used
Petroglyphs
Used
Not Used
Figurines
Used
Not Yet Used
Fossils
Absent
Present
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.
Flint is formed by the decomposition and compaction of various organisms such as sponges and diatoms under the water.
Composition
Mineral Content
Olivine, Plagioclase, Pyroxene
Silicon
Compound Content
Aluminium Oxide, CaO, Iron(III) Oxide, FeO, Potassium Oxide, MgO, MnO, Sodium Oxide, Phosphorus Pentoxide, Silicon Dioxide, Titanium Dioxide
Silicon Dioxide
Transformation
Metamorphism
Yes
No
Types of Metamorphism
Contact Metamorphism
Not Applicable
Weathering
Yes
No
Types of Weathering
Biological Weathering
Not Applicable
Erosion
No
Yes
Types of Erosion
Not Available
Chemical Erosion, Coastal Erosion, Water Erosion
Properties
Physical Properties
Hardness
6
7
Grain Size
Fine Grained
Very fine-grained
Fracture
Conchoidal
Conchoidal
Streak
White to Grey
White
Porosity
Less Porous
Highly Porous
Luster
Not Available
Vitreous
Compressive Strength
37.40 N/mm2
28
450.00 N/mm2
1
Cleavage
Not Available
Non-Existent
Toughness
2.3
1.5
Specific Gravity
2.8-3
2.5-2.8
Transparency
Opaque
Translucent to Opaque
Density
2.9-3.1 g/cm3
2.7-2.71 g/cm3
Thermal Properties
Specific Heat Capacity
0.84 kJ/Kg K
15
0.74 kJ/Kg K
19
Resistance
Heat Resistant, Pressure Resistant, Wear Resistant
Heat Resistant, Impact Resistant, Pressure Resistant, Wear Resistant
Reserves
Deposits in Eastern Continents
Asia
India, Russia
Azerbaijan, China, Russia
Africa
South Africa
Not Yet Found
Europe
Iceland
Austria, Belgium, Cyprus, Denmark, France, Germany, Italy, Malta, Netherlands, Poland, Portugal, Romania, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland, Turkey, Ukraine, United Kingdom
Others
Not Yet Found
Not Yet Found
Deposits in Western Continents
North America
Canada, USA
USA
South America
Brazil
Bolivia
Deposits in Oceania Continent
Australia
Not Yet Found
New Zealand, South Australia
All about Basalt and Flint Properties
Know all about Basalt and Flint properties here. All properties of rocks are important as they define the type of rock and its application. Basalt belongs to Igneous Rocks while Flint belongs to Sedimentary Rocks.Texture of Basalt is Glassy, Massive, Porphyritic, Scoriaceous, Vesicular whereas that of Flint is Banded, Rough. Basalt appears Dull and Soft and Flint appears Glassy or Pearly. The luster of Basalt is not available while that of Flint is vitreous. Basalt is available in black, brown, light to dark grey colors whereas Flint is available in black, brown, green, grey, red, white colors. The commercial uses of Basalt are an oil and gas reservoir, commemorative tablets, creating artwork, used in aquariums and that of Flint are creating artwork, gemstone, in fire-starting tools, manufacture of tools, metallurgical flux, jewelry, to ignite fire, used in flintlock firearms.
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