Basalt and Latite
Definition
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
Latite is an igneous, volcanic rock, with aphanitic-aphyric to aphyric-porphyritic texture
History
Origin
Egypt
Italy
Discoverer
Georgius Agricola
Unknown
Etymology
From Late Latin Basaltes (variant of basanites ), very hard stone, which was imported from Ancient Greek Basanites
From the Latin word latium
Class
Igneous Rocks
Igneous Rocks
Sub-Class
Durable Rock, Medium Hardness Rock
Durable Rock, Medium Hardness Rock
Family
Group
Volcanic
Volcanic
Other Categories
Fine Grained Rock, Opaque Rock
Fine Grained Rock, Opaque Rock
Texture
Texture
Glassy, Massive, Porphyritic, Scoriaceous, Vesicular
Aphanitic to Porphyritic
Color
Black, Brown, Light to Dark Grey
Black, Brown, Colourless, Green, Grey, Pink, White
Maintenance
More
Less
Durability
Durable
Durable
Water Resistant
No
No
Scratch Resistant
Yes
Yes
Stain Resistant
Yes
Yes
Wind Resistant
No
No
Acid Resistant
Yes
No
Appearance
Dull and Soft
Rough
Uses
Architecture
Interior Uses
Floor Tiles, Homes, Hotels, Kitchens
Decorative Aggregates, Entryways, Interior Decoration
Exterior Uses
As Building Stone, Paving Stone, Garden Decoration, Office Buildings
As Building Stone, As Facing Stone, Garden Decoration, Office Buildings
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
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
An Oil and Gas Reservoir, As a Feed Additive for Livestock, Metallurgical Flux, Soil Conditioner, Source of Magnesia (MgO)
Types
Types
Alkaline Basalt, Boninite, High Alumina Basalt, Mid Ocean Ridge Basalt (MORB), Tholeiitic Basalt, Basaltic trachyandesite, Mugearite and Shoshonite
Rhomb porphyries
Features
Has High structural resistance against erosion and climate, Very fine grained rock
Host Rock for Lead
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
Used
Petroglyphs
Used
Used
Figurines
Used
Used
Fossils
Absent
Absent
Formation
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.
Latite is a fine-grained, hard rock which is a type of metasomatite, essentially altered basalt. It forms with or without crystallization, either below the surface as intrusive rocks or on the surface as extrusive rocks.
Composition
Mineral Content
Olivine, Plagioclase, Pyroxene
Alkali feldspar, Biotite, Plagioclase, Pyroxene
Compound Content
Aluminium Oxide, CaO, Iron(III) Oxide, FeO, Potassium Oxide, MgO, MnO, Sodium Oxide, Phosphorus Pentoxide, Silicon Dioxide, Titanium Dioxide
CaO, Cl, MgO
Transformation
Metamorphism
Yes
Yes
Types of Metamorphism
Contact Metamorphism
Burial Metamorphism, Cataclastic Metamorphism
Weathering
Yes
Yes
Types of Weathering
Biological Weathering
Biological Weathering, Chemical Weathering, Mechanical Weathering
Erosion
No
Yes
Types of Erosion
Not Available
Chemical Erosion, Water Erosion, Wind Erosion
Properties
Physical Properties
Hardness
6
5-5.5
Grain Size
Fine Grained
Fine Grained
Fracture
Conchoidal
Conchoidal
Streak
White to Grey
White
Porosity
Less Porous
Very Less Porous
Luster
Not Available
Subvitreous to Dull
Compressive Strength
37.40 N/mm2
28
310.00 N/mm2
2
Cleavage
Not Available
Perfect
Toughness
2.3
2.7
Specific Gravity
2.8-3
2.86
Transparency
Opaque
Translucent
Density
2.9-3.1 g/cm3
2.8-2.9 g/cm3
Thermal Properties
Specific Heat Capacity
0.84 kJ/Kg K
15
0.92 kJ/Kg K
10
Resistance
Heat Resistant, Pressure Resistant, Wear Resistant
Heat Resistant, Pressure Resistant
Reserves
Deposits in Eastern Continents
Asia
India, Russia
Not Yet Found
Africa
South Africa
Not Yet Found
Europe
Iceland
Bulgaria
Others
Not Yet Found
Not Yet Found
Deposits in Western Continents
North America
Canada, USA
USA
South America
Brazil
Not Yet Found
Deposits in Oceania Continent
Australia
Not Yet Found
Not Yet Found
All about Basalt and Latite Properties
Know all about Basalt and Latite properties here. All properties of rocks are important as they define the type of rock and its application. Basalt and Latite belong to Igneous Rocks.Texture of Basalt is Glassy, Massive, Porphyritic, Scoriaceous, Vesicular whereas that of Latite is Aphanitic to Porphyritic. Basalt appears Dull and Soft and Latite appears Rough. The luster of Basalt is not available while that of Latite is subvitreous to dull. Basalt is available in black, brown, light to dark grey colors whereas Latite is available in black, brown, colourless, green, grey, pink, white colors. The commercial uses of Basalt are an oil and gas reservoir, commemorative tablets, creating artwork, used in aquariums and that of Latite are an oil and gas reservoir, as a feed additive for livestock, metallurgical flux, soil conditioner, source of magnesia (mgo).
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