Basalt and Shoshonite
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
Shoshonite is a basaltic rock, properly a potassic trachyandesite, composed of olivine, augite and plagioclase phenocrysts in a groundmass with calcic plagioclase and sanidine and some dark-colored volcanic glass
History
Origin
Egypt
Wyoming,USA
Discoverer
Georgius Agricola
Iddings
Etymology
From Late Latin Basaltes (variant of basanites ), very hard stone, which was imported from Ancient Greek Basanites
From the place of origin called Shoshone riverin Wyoming
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
Coarse Grained Rock, Fine Grained Rock, Medium Grained Rock, Opaque Rock
Texture
Texture
Glassy, Massive, Porphyritic, Scoriaceous, Vesicular
Porphyritic
Color
Black, Brown, Light to Dark Grey
Brown- Black, Dark Brown
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
Dull
Uses
Architecture
Interior Uses
Floor Tiles, Homes, Hotels, Kitchens
Decorative Aggregates, Homes, Interior Decoration
Exterior Uses
As Building Stone, Paving Stone, Garden Decoration, Office Buildings
As Building Stone, As Facing Stone
Other Architectural Uses
Curbing, Whetstones
Curbing
Industry
Construction Industry
Arrowheads, As Dimension Stone, Cobblestones, Cutting Tool, Rail Track Ballast, Roadstone
As Dimension Stone, Cobblestones, Rail Track Ballast, Roadstone
Medical Industry
Not Yet Used
Not Yet Used
Antiquity Uses
Artifacts, Monuments
Sculpture
Other Uses
Commercial Uses
An Oil and Gas Reservoir, Commemorative Tablets, Creating Artwork, Used in aquariums
Cemetery Markers, Creating Artwork
Types
Types
Alkaline Basalt, Boninite, High Alumina Basalt, Mid Ocean Ridge Basalt (MORB), Tholeiitic Basalt, Basaltic trachyandesite, Mugearite and Shoshonite
Not Available
Features
Has High structural resistance against erosion and climate, Very fine grained rock
Has High structural resistance against erosion and climate, Very fine grained rock
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
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.
Shoshonite 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
Pyroxene
Compound Content
Aluminium Oxide, CaO, Iron(III) Oxide, FeO, Potassium Oxide, MgO, MnO, Sodium Oxide, Phosphorus Pentoxide, Silicon Dioxide, Titanium Dioxide
Aluminium Oxide, Iron(III) Oxide, Potassium Oxide, Sodium Oxide, Titanium Dioxide
Transformation
Metamorphism
Yes
Yes
Types of Metamorphism
Contact Metamorphism
Burial Metamorphism, Cataclastic Metamorphism, Contact 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, Coastal Erosion, Glacier Erosion
Properties
Physical Properties
Hardness
6
6
Grain Size
Fine Grained
Medium to Fine Coarse Grained
Fracture
Conchoidal
Uneven
Streak
White to Grey
White to Grey
Porosity
Less Porous
Less Porous
Luster
Not Available
Dull
Compressive Strength
37.40 N/mm2
28
Not Available
Cleavage
Not Available
Poor
Toughness
2.3
1.6
Specific Gravity
2.8-3
2.98
Transparency
Opaque
Opaque
Density
2.9-3.1 g/cm3
2.9-3 g/cm3
Thermal Properties
Specific Heat Capacity
0.84 kJ/Kg K
15
Not Available
Resistance
Heat Resistant, Pressure Resistant, Wear Resistant
Heat Resistant, Pressure 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
All about Basalt and Shoshonite Properties
Know all about Basalt and Shoshonite properties here. All properties of rocks are important as they define the type of rock and its application. Basalt and Shoshonite belong to Igneous Rocks.Texture of Basalt is Glassy, Massive, Porphyritic, Scoriaceous, Vesicular whereas that of Shoshonite is Porphyritic. Basalt appears Dull and Soft and Shoshonite appears Dull. The luster of Basalt is not available while that of Shoshonite is dull. Basalt is available in black, brown, light to dark grey colors whereas Shoshonite is available in brown- black, dark brown colors. The commercial uses of Basalt are an oil and gas reservoir, commemorative tablets, creating artwork, used in aquariums and that of Shoshonite are cemetery markers, creating artwork.
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