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Basalt and Picrite


Picrite and Basalt


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   
Picrite is a variety of high-magnesium olivine basalt that is very rich in the mineral olivine   

History
  
  

Origin
Egypt   
Hawaii Islands   

Discoverer
Georgius Agricola   
Unknown   

Etymology
From Late Latin Basaltes (variant of basanites ), very hard stone, which was imported from Ancient Greek Basanites   
From Greek pikros bitter + -ite, 19th century   

Class
Igneous Rocks   
Igneous Rocks   

Sub-Class
Durable Rock, Medium Hardness Rock   
Durable Rock, Hard Rock   

Family
  
  

Group
Volcanic   
Volcanic   

Other Categories
Fine Grained Rock, Opaque Rock   
Fine Grained Rock, Opaque Rock   

Texture

Texture
Glassy, Massive, Porphyritic, Scoriaceous, Vesicular   
Earthy, Rough   

Color
Black, Brown, Light to Dark Grey   
Black, Brown, Colourless, Green, Grey, Pink, White, Yellow   

Maintenance
More   
Less   

Durability
Durable   
Durable   

Water Resistant
No   
Yes   

Scratch Resistant
Yes   
Yes   

Stain Resistant
Yes   
Yes   

Wind Resistant
No   
Yes   

Acid Resistant
Yes   
Yes   

Appearance
Dull and Soft   
Rough and Shiny   

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, As Facing Stone, Garden Decoration, Paving Stone   

Other Architectural Uses
Curbing, Whetstones   
Curbing   

Industry
  
  

Construction Industry
Arrowheads, As Dimension Stone, Cobblestones, Cutting Tool, Rail Track Ballast, Roadstone   
As a Sintering Agent in Steel Industry to process Iron Ore, Cement Manufacture, for Road Aggregate, Manufacture of Magnesium and Dolomite Refractories, Roadstone, Used for flooring, stair treads, borders and window sills.   

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   
As a Feed Additive for Livestock, As armour rock for sea walls, Metallurgical Flux, Pottery, Source of Magnesia (MgO)   

Types

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

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   
Not Used   

Petroglyphs
Used   
Not 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.   
Picrite 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   
Biotite, Olivine, Plagioclase, Pyrrhotite   

Compound Content
Aluminium Oxide, CaO, Iron(III) Oxide, FeO, Potassium Oxide, MgO, MnO, Sodium Oxide, Phosphorus Pentoxide, Silicon Dioxide, Titanium Dioxide   
Al, CaO, Carbon Dioxide, Mg, MgO   

Transformation
  
  

Metamorphism
Yes   
Yes   

Types of Metamorphism
Contact Metamorphism   
Burial Metamorphism, Cataclastic Metamorphism, Impact Metamorphism, Regional Metamorphism   

Weathering
Yes   
Yes   

Types of Weathering
Biological Weathering   
Biological Weathering   

Erosion
No   
Yes   

Types of Erosion
Not Available   
Chemical Erosion, Coastal Erosion, Glacier Erosion, Sea Erosion, Water Erosion, Wind Erosion   

Properties

Physical Properties
  
  

Hardness
6   
6.8   

Grain Size
Fine Grained   
Fine Grained   

Fracture
Conchoidal   
Uneven   

Streak
White to Grey   
White, Greenish White or Grey   

Porosity
Less Porous   
Less Porous   

Luster
Not Available   
Subvitreous to Dull   

Compressive Strength
37.40 N/mm2   
28
189.00 N/mm2   
11

Cleavage
Not Available   
Imperfect   

Toughness
2.3   
2.1   

Specific Gravity
2.8-3   
2.75-2.92   

Transparency
Opaque   
Opaque   

Density
2.9-3.1 g/cm3   
1.5-2.5 g/cm3   

Thermal Properties
  
  

Specific Heat Capacity
0.84 kJ/Kg K   
15
0.88 kJ/Kg K   
13

Resistance
Heat Resistant, Pressure Resistant, Wear Resistant   
Heat Resistant   

Reserves

Deposits in Eastern Continents
  
  

Asia
India, Russia   
India, Russia   

Africa
South Africa   
South Africa   

Europe
Iceland   
Iceland   

Others
Not Yet Found   
Not Yet Found   

Deposits in Western Continents
  
  

North America
Canada, USA   
Canada, USA   

South America
Brazil   
Brazil   

Deposits in Oceania Continent
  
  

Australia
Not Yet Found   
Not Yet Found   

Summary >>
<< Reserves

All about Basalt and Picrite Properties

Know all about Basalt and Picrite properties here. All properties of rocks are important as they define the type of rock and its application. Basalt and Picrite belong to Igneous Rocks.Texture of Basalt is Glassy, Massive, Porphyritic, Scoriaceous, Vesicular whereas that of Picrite is Earthy, Rough. Basalt appears Dull and Soft and Picrite appears Rough and Shiny. The luster of Basalt is not available while that of Picrite is subvitreous to dull. Basalt is available in black, brown, light to dark grey colors whereas Picrite is available in black, brown, colourless, green, grey, pink, white, yellow colors. The commercial uses of Basalt are an oil and gas reservoir, commemorative tablets, creating artwork, used in aquariums and that of Picrite are as a feed additive for livestock, as armour rock for sea walls, metallurgical flux, pottery, source of magnesia (mgo).

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