Basalt and Hornfels Definition

Definition of Basalt and Hornfels

The general Basalt and Hornfels definition can be stated as: Basalt is a common extrusive igneous rock formed by the rapid cooling of basaltic lava exposed at or very near the surface of Earth. On the other hand, Hornfels is a metamorphic rock formed by the contact between mudstone or other clay rich rock, and a hot igneous body, and represents a heat altered equivalent of the original rock. Along with definition of Basalt and Hornfels, get to know about Properties of Basalt and Hornfels. Get to know more information about Basalt and Hornfels origin and discoverer, etymology and class.

History of Basalt and Hornfels

The history of Basalt and Hornfels gives information about where the rock was found and who was its discoverer. Almost each and every aspect of Earth's history is recorded in rocks be it the volcanoes which were erupted or the plants, animals and organisms which are now extinct, as rocks are present from millions of years.

Basalt and Hornfels Origin and Discoverer

Basalt and Hornfels definition gives us a brief idea about the two rocks. In some cases, the definition also gives summary about the Formation of Basalt and Hornfels. In this section, you will know about Basalt and Hornfels Origin and Discoverer. Origin of Basalt is Egypt whereas Origin of Hornfels is New Zealand. It is interesting to know the name of Basalt and Hornfels discoverer. The Discoverer of Basalt is Georgius Agricola and the discoverer of Hornfels is Unknown.

Etymology of Basalt and Hornfels

Along with Basalt and Hornfels definition, know more about the etymology of Basalt and Hornfels. Etymology of Basalt and Hornfels gives information about origin and formation of a particular rock. Know more about Formation of Basalt and Formation of Hornfels. The etymology of Basalt is From Late Latin Basaltes (variant of basanites ), very hard stone, which was imported from Ancient Greek Basanites while that of Hornfels is From Late Latin Basaltes (variant of basanites ), very hard stone, which was imported from Ancient Greek Basanites. The process of formation of rocks defines the class of rock. All the rocks in a class are formed by similar processes. Basalt belongs to Igneous Rocks while Hornfels belongs to Metamorphic Rocks. The sub-class, group and other categories of Basalt and Hornfels are listed below.

For Basalt,

• Sub-class: Durable Rock and Medium Hardness Rock
• Group: Volcanic
• Other Categories: Fine grained rock and Opaque rock

For Hornfels,

• Sub-class: Durable Rock and Soft Rock
• Group: Not applicable
• Other Categories: Fine grained rock and Opaque rock