Basalt and Granulite

Basalt

Granulite

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

Granulite is fine to medium grained metamorphic rock with a granular of polygonal crystals.

History

Origin

Egypt

Central Europe

Discoverer

Georgius Agricola

Unknown

Etymology

From Late Latin Basaltes (variant of basanites ), very hard stone, which was imported from Ancient Greek Basanites

From Latin granulum, a little grain or fine grained

Class

Igneous Rocks

Metamorphic Rocks

Sub-Class

Durable Rock, Medium Hardness Rock

Durable Rock, Hard Rock

Family

Group

Volcanic

Not Applicable

Other Categories

Fine Grained Rock, Opaque Rock

Coarse Grained Rock, Medium Grained Rock, Opaque Rock

Texture

Glassy, Massive, Porphyritic, Scoriaceous, Vesicular

Granoblastic

Color

Black, Brown, Light to Dark Grey

Black, Brown

Maintenance

Less

Durability

Durable

Water Resistant

Yes

Scratch Resistant

Yes

Stain Resistant

Yes

Wind Resistant

Acid Resistant

Yes

Appearance

Dull and Soft

Veined or Pebbled

Uses

Architecture

Interior Uses

Floor Tiles, Homes, Hotels, Kitchens

Bathrooms, Countertops, Decorative Aggregates, Entryways, Flooring, Homes, Hotels, Interior Decoration, Kitchens, Stair Treads

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

Medical Industry

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

Curling, Gemstone, Laboratory bench tops, Soil Conditioner, 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

Archaeological Significance

Monuments

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

Famous Sculptures

Data Not Available

Pictographs

Used

Not Used

Petroglyphs

Used

Not Used

Figurines

Used

Fossils

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.

Granulite is a fine-grained granular metamorphic rock in which the main component minerals are feldspars and quartz and forms at high temperature and pressure conditions.

Composition

Mineral Content

Olivine, Plagioclase, Pyroxene

Amphibole, Biotite, Feldspar, Hornblade, Micas, Muscovite or Illite, Plagioclase, Quartz

Compound Content

Aluminium Oxide, CaO, Iron(III) Oxide, FeO, Potassium Oxide, MgO, MnO, Sodium Oxide, Phosphorus Pentoxide, Silicon Dioxide, Titanium Dioxide

Aluminium Oxide, CaO, Carbon Dioxide, Iron(III) Oxide, FeO, Potassium Oxide, MgO, MnO, Sodium Oxide, Phosphorus Pentoxide, Sulfur Dioxide, Titanium Dioxide

Transformation

Metamorphism

Yes

Types of Metamorphism

Contact Metamorphism

Not Applicable

Weathering

Yes

Types of Weathering

Biological Weathering

Biological Weathering, Chemical Weathering

Erosion

Yes

Types of Erosion

Not Available

Chemical Erosion, Water Erosion, Wind Erosion

Properties

Physical Properties

Hardness

6-7

Grain Size

Fine Grained

Medium to Coarse Grained

Fracture

Conchoidal

Not Available

Streak

White to Grey

White

Porosity

Less Porous

Very Less Porous

Luster

Not Available

Vitreous

Compressive Strength

37.40 N/mm²

175.00 N/mm²

Cleavage

Not Available

Imperfect

Toughness

2.3

Not Available

Specific Gravity

2.8-3

2.8-3.0

Transparency

Opaque

Density

2.9-3.1 g/cm³

3.06-3.33 g/cm³

Thermal Properties

Specific Heat Capacity

0.84 kJ/Kg K

0.14 kJ/Kg K

Resistance

Heat Resistant, Pressure Resistant, Wear Resistant

Heat Resistant, Wear Resistant

Reserves

Deposits in Eastern Continents

Asia

India, Russia

China, India, Iran, Saudi Arabia, Sri Lanka, Taiwan, Thailand, Turkey, Vietnam

Africa

South Africa

Angola, Egypt, Madagascar, Nigeria, South Africa

Europe

Iceland

Austria, Belgium, Finland, France, Germany, Italy, Norway, Sardinia, Spain, Switzerland, The Czech Republic, Venezuela

Others

Not Yet Found

Deposits in Western Continents

North America

Canada, USA

South America

Brazil

Not Yet Found

Deposits in Oceania Continent

Australia

Not Yet Found

Summary >>

<< Reserves

All about Basalt and Granulite Properties

Know all about Basalt and Granulite properties here. All properties of rocks are important as they define the type of rock and its application. Basalt belongs to Igneous Rocks while Granulite belongs to Metamorphic Rocks.Texture of Basalt is Glassy, Massive, Porphyritic, Scoriaceous, Vesicular whereas that of Granulite is Granoblastic. Basalt appears Dull and Soft and Granulite appears Veined or Pebbled. The luster of Basalt is not available while that of Granulite is vitreous. Basalt and Granulite are available in black, brown, light to dark grey colors. The commercial uses of Basalt are an oil and gas reservoir, commemorative tablets, creating artwork, used in aquariums and that of Granulite are curling, gemstone, laboratory bench tops, soil conditioner, tombstones.