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
  
Gabbro is an intrusive igneous rock which is chemically equivalent to plutonic Basalt
  
History
  
  
Origin
Egypt
  
Germany
  
Discoverer
Georgius Agricola
  
Christian Leopold von Buch
  
Etymology
From Late Latin Basaltes (variant of basanites ), very hard stone, which was imported from Ancient Greek Basanites
  
From Latin glaber bare, smooth, bald
  
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
  
Coarse Grained Rock, Opaque Rock
  
Texture
Glassy, Massive, Porphyritic, Scoriaceous, Vesicular
  
Phaneritic
  
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
  
Yes
  
Appearance
Dull and Soft
  
Veined and Shiny
  
Architecture
  
  
Interior Uses
Floor Tiles, Homes, Hotels, Kitchens
  
Countertops, 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
  
Other Uses
  
  
Commercial Uses
An Oil and Gas Reservoir, Commemorative Tablets, Creating Artwork, Used in aquariums
  
Cemetery Markers, Commemorative Tablets, Laboratory bench tops, Jewelry, Sea Defence, 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
  
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
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.
  
Gabbro, a mafic rock, forms due to cooling and crystallization of magma underneath Earth's surface.
  
Composition
  
  
Mineral Content
Olivine, Plagioclase, Pyroxene
  
Augite, 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, CaO, Chromium(III) Oxide, Iron(III) Oxide, Potassium Oxide, MgO, Sodium Oxide, Silicon Dioxide, Sulfur Trioxide
  
Transformation
  
  
Metamorphism
Yes
  
Yes
  
Types of Metamorphism
Contact Metamorphism
  
Impact Metamorphism
  
Weathering
Yes
  
Yes
  
Types of Weathering
Biological Weathering
  
Chemical Weathering
  
Erosion
No
  
Yes
  
Types of Erosion
Not Available
  
Coastal Erosion
  
Physical Properties
  
  
Hardness
6
  
7
  
Grain Size
Fine Grained
  
Coarse 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
225.00 N/mm2
  
7
Cleavage
Not Available
  
Not Available
  
Toughness
2.3
  
1.6
  
Specific Gravity
2.8-3
  
2.86-2.87
  
Transparency
Opaque
  
Opaque
  
Density
2.9-3.1 g/cm3
  
2.7-3.3 g/cm3
  
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
  
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