Basalt and Kimberlite

Basalt

Kimberlite

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

Kimberlite is a rare, blue-tinged, coarse-grained intrusive igneous rock, which sometimes contains diamonds and is mostly found in South Africa and Siberia.

History

Origin

Egypt

Kimberley, South Africa

Discoverer

Georgius Agricola

Unknown

Etymology

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

From Kimberley +‎ -ite, from the name of the South African town of Kimberley where the rock was first found.

Class

Igneous Rocks

Sub-Class

Durable Rock, Medium Hardness Rock

Durable Rock, Hard Rock

Family

Group

Volcanic

Other Categories

Fine Grained Rock, Opaque Rock

Coarse Grained Rock, Fine Grained Rock, Opaque Rock

Texture

Glassy, Massive, Porphyritic, Scoriaceous, Vesicular

Porphyritic

Color

Black, Brown, Light to Dark Grey

Black, Bluish - Grey, Brown, Dark Greenish - Grey, Green, Grey

Maintenance

Less

Durability

Durable

Water Resistant

Yes

Scratch Resistant

Yes

Stain Resistant

Yes

Wind Resistant

Yes

Acid Resistant

Yes

Appearance

Dull and Soft

Dull and Banded

Uses

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, Paving Stone, Garden Decoration

Other Architectural Uses

Curbing, Whetstones

Curbing

Industry

Construction Industry

Arrowheads, As Dimension Stone, Cobblestones, Cutting Tool, Rail Track Ballast, Roadstone

As a Flux in the Production of Steel and Pig Iron, As a Sintering Agent in Steel Industry to process Iron Ore, As Dimension Stone, Cement Manufacture, for Road Aggregate, Making natural cement, Manufacture of Magnesium and Dolomite Refractories

Medical Industry

Not Yet Used

Taken as a Supplement for Calcium or Magnesium

Antiquity Uses

Artifacts, Monuments

Artifacts, Monuments, Sculpture, Small Figurines

Other Uses

Commercial Uses

An Oil and Gas Reservoir, Commemorative Tablets, Creating Artwork, Used in aquariums

An Oil and Gas Reservoir, As a Feed Additive for Livestock, Gemstone, Metallurgical Flux, Production of Lime, Soil Conditioner, Source of Magnesia (MgO)

Types

Alkaline Basalt, Boninite, High Alumina Basalt, Mid Ocean Ridge Basalt (MORB), Tholeiitic Basalt, Basaltic trachyandesite, Mugearite and Shoshonite

Basaltic Kimberlites and Micaceous Kimberlites

Features

Has High structural resistance against erosion and climate, Very fine grained rock

Always found as volcanic pipes over deep continental crust, Host rock for Diamond, Is one of the oldest rock, Surfaces are often shiny

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.

Kimberlite is an igneous rock and is the main source of diamonds. Its formation takes place deep beneath the Earth’s surface between 150 to 450 kilometres, and are erupted rapidly and violently.

Composition

Mineral Content

Olivine, Plagioclase, Pyroxene

Garnet, Olivine, Phlogopite, Pyroxene

Compound Content

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

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

Transformation

Metamorphism

Yes

Types of Metamorphism

Contact Metamorphism

Burial Metamorphism, Cataclastic Metamorphism, Contact Metamorphism, Hydrothermal Metamorphism, Impact Metamorphism, Regional Metamorphism

Weathering

Yes

Types of Weathering

Biological Weathering

Biological Weathering, Chemical Weathering, Mechanical Weathering

Erosion

Yes

Types of Erosion

Not Available

Chemical Erosion, Coastal Erosion, Glacier Erosion, Sea Erosion, Water Erosion, Wind Erosion

Properties

Physical Properties

Hardness

6-7

Grain Size

Fine Grained

Fine to Coarse Grained

Fracture

Conchoidal

Streak

White to Grey

White

Porosity

Less Porous

Very Less Porous

Luster

Not Available

Subvitreous to Dull

Compressive Strength

37.40 N/mm²

Not Available

Cleavage

Not Available

Conchoidal

Toughness

2.3

Not Available

Specific Gravity

2.8-3

2.86-2.87

Transparency

Opaque

Translucent to Opaque

Density

2.9-3.1 g/cm³

2.95-2.96 g/cm³

Thermal Properties

Specific Heat Capacity

0.84 kJ/Kg K

0.92 kJ/Kg K

Resistance

Heat Resistant, Pressure Resistant, Wear Resistant

Heat Resistant, Impact Resistant

Reserves

Deposits in Eastern Continents

Asia

India, Russia

Russia

Africa

South Africa

Angola, Botswana, Cameroon, Ethiopia, South Africa

Europe

Iceland

England, Hungary, Iceland, United Kingdom

Others

Not Yet Found

Antarctica

Deposits in Western Continents

North America

Canada, USA

South America

Brazil

Argentina, Colombia, Ecuador

Deposits in Oceania Continent

Australia

Not Yet Found

New South Wales, New Zealand, South Australia, Western Australia

Summary >>

<< Reserves

All about Basalt and Kimberlite Properties

Know all about Basalt and Kimberlite properties here. All properties of rocks are important as they define the type of rock and its application. Basalt and Kimberlite belong to Igneous Rocks.Texture of Basalt is Glassy, Massive, Porphyritic, Scoriaceous, Vesicular whereas that of Kimberlite is Porphyritic. Basalt appears Dull and Soft and Kimberlite appears Dull and Banded. The luster of Basalt is not available while that of Kimberlite is subvitreous to dull. Basalt is available in black, brown, light to dark grey colors whereas Kimberlite is available in black, bluish - grey, brown, dark greenish - grey, green, grey colors. The commercial uses of Basalt are an oil and gas reservoir, commemorative tablets, creating artwork, used in aquariums and that of Kimberlite are an oil and gas reservoir, as a feed additive for livestock, gemstone, metallurgical flux, production of lime, soil conditioner, source of magnesia (mgo).