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
Hyaloclastite is an aggregate of fine, glassy debris formed by the sudden contact of hot, coherent magma and cold water or water-saturated sediment
Discoverer
Georgius Agricola
Unknown
Etymology
From Late Latin Basaltes (variant of basanites ), very hard stone, which was imported from Ancient Greek Basanites
From hyalo + -ite
Class
Igneous Rocks
Igneous Rocks
Sub-Class
Durable Rock, Medium Hardness Rock
Durable Rock, Soft Rock
Other Categories
Fine Grained Rock, Opaque Rock
Fine Grained Rock, Opaque Rock
Texture
Glassy, Massive, Porphyritic, Scoriaceous, Vesicular
Pyroclastic
Color
Black, Brown, Light to Dark Grey
Brown, Grey, Yellow
Durability
Durable
Durable
Appearance
Dull and Soft
Dull
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, Paving Stone, Garden Decoration, Office Buildings
Other Architectural Uses
Curbing, Whetstones
Curbing
Construction Industry
Arrowheads, As Dimension Stone, Cobblestones, Cutting Tool, Rail Track Ballast, Roadstone
Building houses or walls, Construction Aggregate
Medical Industry
Not Yet Used
Not Yet Used
Antiquity Uses
Artifacts, Monuments
Artifacts, Jewellery, Monuments, Sculpture
Commercial Uses
An Oil and Gas Reservoir, Commemorative Tablets, Creating Artwork, Used in aquariums
Cemetery Markers, Creating Artwork
Types
Alkaline Basalt, Boninite, High Alumina Basalt, Mid Ocean Ridge Basalt (MORB), Tholeiitic Basalt, Basaltic trachyandesite, Mugearite and Shoshonite
Welded tuff, Rhyolitic tuff, Basaltic tuff, Trachyte tuff and Andesitic tuff.
Features
Has High structural resistance against erosion and climate, Very fine grained rock
Always found as volcanic pipes over deep continental crust
Archaeological Significance
Famous Monuments
Easter Island in the Polynesian Triangle, Pacific Ocean, Gateway of India in Mumbai, India, Gol Gumbaz in Karnataka, India
Data Not Available
Famous Sculptures
Data Not Available
Data Not Available
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.
Hyaloclastite is a type of Igneous rock is formed through the cooling and solidification of lava or magma.
Mineral Content
Olivine, Plagioclase, Pyroxene
Calcite, Chlorite
Compound Content
Aluminium Oxide, CaO, Iron(III) Oxide, FeO, Potassium Oxide, MgO, MnO, Sodium Oxide, Phosphorus Pentoxide, Silicon Dioxide, Titanium Dioxide
Hydrogen Sulfide, Sulfur Dioxide
Types of Metamorphism
Contact Metamorphism
Burial Metamorphism, Cataclastic Metamorphism, Contact Metamorphism, Hydrothermal Metamorphism
Types of Weathering
Biological Weathering
Biological Weathering, Chemical Weathering, Mechanical Weathering
Types of Erosion
Not Available
Chemical Erosion, Coastal Erosion
Grain Size
Fine Grained
Fine Grained
Fracture
Conchoidal
Not Available
Streak
White to Grey
Colorless
Porosity
Less Porous
Highly Porous
Luster
Not Available
Dull and Grainy
Compressive Strength
Not Available
Cleavage
Not Available
Not Available
Toughness
2.3
Not Available
Specific Gravity
2.8-3
Not Available
Transparency
Opaque
Opaque
Density
2.9-3.1 g/cm3
Not Available
Specific Heat Capacity
Not Available
Resistance
Heat Resistant, Pressure Resistant, Wear Resistant
Heat Resistant
Deposits in Eastern Continents
Asia
India, Russia
Russia
Africa
South Africa
South Africa
Others
Not Yet Found
Not Yet Found
Deposits in Western Continents
North America
Canada, USA
Canada, USA
South America
Brazil
Brazil, Colombia
Deposits in Oceania Continent
Australia
Not Yet Found
Not Yet Found
All about Basalt and Hyaloclastite Properties
Know all about Basalt and Hyaloclastite properties here. All properties of rocks are important as they define the type of rock and its application. Basalt and Hyaloclastite belong to Igneous Rocks.Texture of Basalt is Glassy, Massive, Porphyritic, Scoriaceous, Vesicular whereas that of Hyaloclastite is Pyroclastic. Basalt appears Dull and Soft and Hyaloclastite appears Dull. The luster of Basalt is not available while that of Hyaloclastite is dull and grainy. Basalt is available in black, brown, light to dark grey colors whereas Hyaloclastite is available in brown, grey, yellow colors. The commercial uses of Basalt are an oil and gas reservoir, commemorative tablets, creating artwork, used in aquariums and that of Hyaloclastite are cemetery markers, creating artwork.