Basalt

Mylonite

Basalt and Mylonite

Basalt

Mylonite

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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

Mylonite is a metamorphic rock formed by ductile deformation during intense shearing encountered during folding and faulting, a process termed cataclastic or dynamic metamorphism

History

Origin

Egypt

New Zealand

Discoverer

Georgius Agricola

Unknown

Etymology

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

From Greek mulōn mill + -ite

Class

Igneous Rocks

Metamorphic Rocks

Sub-Class

Durable Rock, Medium Hardness Rock

Family

Group

Volcanic

Other Categories

Fine Grained Rock, Opaque Rock

Texture

Glassy, Massive, Porphyritic, Scoriaceous, Vesicular

Foliated

Color

Black, Brown, Light to Dark Grey

Black to Grey

Maintenance

Less

Durability

Durable

Water Resistant

✔ ✘

Scratch Resistant

✔ ✘

Stain Resistant

✔ ✘

Wind Resistant

✔ ✘

Acid Resistant

✔ ✘

Appearance

Dull and Soft

Dull, Banded and Foilated

Uses

Architecture

Interior Uses

Floor Tiles, Homes, Hotels, Kitchens

Decorative Aggregates, Interior Decoration

Exterior Uses

As Building Stone, Paving Stone, Garden Decoration, Office Buildings

As Building Stone, As Facing 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

for Road Aggregate, Landscaping, Roadstone

Medical Industry

Antiquity Uses

Artifacts, Monuments

Other Uses

Commercial Uses

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

Creating Artwork, Gemstone, Jewelry

Types

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

Blastomylonites, Ultramylonites and Phyllonites

Features

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

Surfaces are often shiny

Archaeological Significance

Monuments

Famous Monuments

Easter Island in the Polynesian Triangle, Pacific Ocean, Gateway of India in Mumbai, India, Gol Gumbaz in Karnataka, India

Sculpture

Famous Sculptures

Pictographs

Petroglyphs

Figurines

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.

Mylonites are ductilely deformed rocks formed by the accumulation of large shear strain, in ductile fault zones.

Composition

Mineral Content

Olivine, Plagioclase, Pyroxene

Porphyroblasts

Compound Content

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

Aluminium Oxide, Calcium Sulfate, Chromium(III) Oxide, Iron(III) Oxide, Magnesium Carbonate, Silicon Dioxide

Transformation

Metamorphism

✔ ✘

Types of Metamorphism

Contact Metamorphism

Weathering

✔ ✘

Types of Weathering

Biological Weathering

Biological Weathering, Chemical Weathering, Mechanical Weathering

Erosion

✔ ✘

Types of Erosion

Chemical Erosion, Sea Erosion, Wind Erosion

Properties

Physical Properties

Hardness

63-4

1 7

👆🏻

Grain Size

Fine Grained

Fracture

Conchoidal

Streak

White to Grey

White

Porosity

Less Porous

Highly Porous

Luster

Shiny

Compressive Strength

37.40 N/mm²1.28 N/mm²

0.15 450

👆🏻

Cleavage

Conchoidal

Toughness

2.3

Specific Gravity

2.8-32.97-3.05

0 8.4

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Transparency

Opaque

Density

2.9-3.1 g/cm³2.6-4.8 g/cm³

0 1400

👆🏻

Thermal Properties

Specific Heat Capacity

0.84 kJ/Kg K1.50 kJ/Kg K

0.14 3.2

👆🏻

Resistance

Heat Resistant, Pressure Resistant, Wear Resistant

Heat Resistant, Impact Resistant, Pressure Resistant

Reserves

Deposits in Eastern Continents

Asia

India, Russia

China, India, Indonesia, Saudi Arabia, South Korea

Africa

South Africa

Eritrea, Ethiopia, Ghana, South Africa, Western Africa

Europe

Iceland

England, Finland, France, Germany, Great Britain, Greece, United Kingdom

Others

Deposits in Western Continents

North America

Canada, USA

USA

South America

Brazil

Deposits in Oceania Continent

Australia

Central Australia, Western Australia

All about Basalt and Mylonite Properties

Know all about Basalt and Mylonite properties here. All properties of rocks are important as they define the type of rock and its application. Basalt belongs to Igneous Rocks while Mylonite belongs to Metamorphic Rocks.Texture of Basalt is Glassy, Massive, Porphyritic, Scoriaceous, Vesicular whereas that of Mylonite is Foliated. Basalt appears Dull and Soft and Mylonite appears Dull, Banded and Foilated. The luster of Basalt is while that of Mylonite is shiny. Basalt is available in black, brown, light to dark grey colors whereas Mylonite is available in black to grey colors. The commercial uses of Basalt are an oil and gas reservoir, commemorative tablets, creating artwork, used in aquariums and that of Mylonite are creating artwork, gemstone, jewelry.