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Basalt and Rhyolite


Rhyolite 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   
Rhyolite is a fine-grained igneous rock which is rich in silica   

History
  
  

Origin
Egypt   
North America   

Discoverer
Georgius Agricola   
Ferdinand von Richthofen   

Etymology
From Late Latin Basaltes (variant of basanites ), very hard stone, which was imported from Ancient Greek Basanites   
From German Rhyolit, from Greek rhuax lava stream + lithos stone   

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   
Coarse Grained Rock, Opaque Rock   

Texture

Texture
Glassy, Massive, Porphyritic, Scoriaceous, Vesicular   
Aphanitic, Glassy, Porphyritic   

Color
Black, Brown, Light to Dark Grey   
Grey, White, Light Black   

Maintenance
More   
More   

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   
Banded   

Uses

Architecture
  
  

Interior Uses
Floor Tiles, Homes, Hotels, Kitchens   
Decorative Aggregates, Homes, Hotels, Interior Decoration, Kitchens   

Exterior Uses
As Building Stone, Paving Stone, Garden Decoration, Office Buildings   
As Building Stone, As Facing Stone, Paving Stone, Office Buildings   

Other Architectural Uses
Curbing, Whetstones   
Not Yet Used   

Industry
  
  

Construction Industry
Arrowheads, As Dimension Stone, Cobblestones, Cutting Tool, Rail Track Ballast, Roadstone   
Arrowheads, As Dimension Stone, Building houses or walls, Construction Aggregate, Cutting Tool, for Road Aggregate, Knives   

Medical Industry
Not Yet Used   
Not Yet Used   

Antiquity Uses
Artifacts, Monuments   
Artifacts   

Other Uses
  
  

Commercial Uses
An Oil and Gas Reservoir, Commemorative Tablets, Creating Artwork, Used in aquariums   
Gemstone, Laboratory bench tops, Jewelry   

Types

Types
Alkaline Basalt, Boninite, High Alumina Basalt, Mid Ocean Ridge Basalt (MORB), Tholeiitic Basalt, Basaltic trachyandesite, Mugearite and Shoshonite   
Pumice Rocks, Obsidian Rocks, Perlite Rocks, Porphyritic Rocks.   

Features
Has High structural resistance against erosion and climate, Very fine grained rock   
Acidic in nature, Available in lots of colors   

Archaeological Significance
  
  

Monuments
Used   
Not Yet Used   

Famous Monuments
Easter Island in the Polynesian Triangle, Pacific Ocean, Gateway of India in Mumbai, India, Gol Gumbaz in Karnataka, India   
Not Applicable   

Sculpture
Used   
Not Yet Used   

Famous Sculptures
Data Not Available   
Not Applicable   

Pictographs
Used   
Not Used   

Petroglyphs
Used   
Not Used   

Figurines
Used   
Not Yet 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.   
Rhyolite is a felsic extrusive rock and due to its high silica content, rhyolite lava is very viscous and is volcanic equivalent of granite.   

Composition
  
  

Mineral Content
Olivine, Plagioclase, Pyroxene   
Biotite, Feldspar, Hornblade, Plagioclase, Pyroxene, Quartz   

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

Transformation
  
  

Metamorphism
Yes   
Yes   

Types of Metamorphism
Contact Metamorphism   
Burial Metamorphism, Cataclastic Metamorphism, Regional 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, Sea Erosion, Water Erosion, Wind Erosion   

Properties

Physical Properties
  
  

Hardness
6   
6-7   

Grain Size
Fine Grained   
Large and Coarse Grained   

Fracture
Conchoidal   
Sub-conchoidal   

Streak
White to Grey   
Colorless   

Porosity
Less Porous   
Highly Porous   

Luster
Not Available   
Earthy   

Compressive Strength
37.40 N/mm2   
28
140.00 N/mm2   
15

Cleavage
Not Available   
Not Available   

Toughness
2.3   
2   

Specific Gravity
2.8-3   
2.65-2.67   

Transparency
Opaque   
Opaque   

Density
2.9-3.1 g/cm3   
2.4-2.6 g/cm3   

Thermal Properties
  
  

Specific Heat Capacity
0.84 kJ/Kg K   
15
Not Available   

Resistance
Heat Resistant, Pressure Resistant, Wear Resistant   
Heat Resistant, Wear Resistant   

Reserves

Deposits in Eastern Continents
  
  

Asia
India, Russia   
China, India   

Africa
South Africa   
Angola, Egypt, Madagascar, Namibia, Nigeria, South Africa   

Europe
Iceland   
Germany, Iceland, Ireland, Italy, Spain   

Others
Not Yet Found   
Not Yet Found   

Deposits in Western Continents
  
  

North America
Canada, USA   
Canada, USA   

South America
Brazil   
Argentina, Bolivia, Chile, Colombia, Ecuador, Peru, Venezuela   

Deposits in Oceania Continent
  
  

Australia
Not Yet Found   
New Zealand, Queensland, Western Australia   

Summary >>
<< Reserves

All about Basalt and Rhyolite Properties

Know all about Basalt and Rhyolite properties here. All properties of rocks are important as they define the type of rock and its application. Basalt and Rhyolite belong to Igneous Rocks.Texture of Basalt is Glassy, Massive, Porphyritic, Scoriaceous, Vesicular whereas that of Rhyolite is Aphanitic, Glassy, Porphyritic. Basalt appears Dull and Soft and Rhyolite appears Banded. The luster of Basalt is not available while that of Rhyolite is earthy. Basalt is available in black, brown, light to dark grey colors whereas Rhyolite is available in grey, white, light black colors. The commercial uses of Basalt are an oil and gas reservoir, commemorative tablets, creating artwork, used in aquariums and that of Rhyolite are gemstone, laboratory bench tops, jewelry.

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