Basalt

Tachylite

Basalt and Tachylite

Basalt

Tachylite

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1 Definition

1.1 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

Tachylite is a vitreous form of basaltic volcanic glass. This glass is formed naturally by the rapid cooling of molten basalt

1.2 History

1.2.1 Origin

Egypt

Iceland

1.2.2 Discoverer

Georgius Agricola

Unknown

1.3 Etymology

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

From German Tachylite, from tachy- + Greek lutos soluble, melting

1.4 Class

Igneous Rocks

1.4.1 Sub-Class

Durable Rock, Medium Hardness Rock

1.5 Family

1.5.1 Group

Volcanic

1.6 Other Categories

Fine Grained Rock, Opaque Rock

Coarse Grained Rock, Fine Grained Rock, Medium Grained Rock, Opaque Rock

2 Texture

2.1 Texture

Glassy, Massive, Porphyritic, Scoriaceous, Vesicular

Vitreous

2.2 Color

Black, Brown, Light to Dark Grey

Black, Dark Brown

2.3 Maintenance

2.4 Durability

Durable

2.4.1 Water Resistant

✔ ✘

81% Igneous Rocks Rocks have it !

✔ ✘

81% Igneous Rocks Rocks have it !

2.4.2 Scratch Resistant

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86% Igneous Rocks Rocks have it !

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86% Igneous Rocks Rocks have it !

2.4.3 Stain Resistant

✔ ✘

66% Igneous Rocks Rocks have it !

✔ ✘

66% Igneous Rocks Rocks have it !

2.4.4 Wind Resistant

✔ ✘

49% Igneous Rocks Rocks have it !

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49% Igneous Rocks Rocks have it !

2.4.5 Acid Resistant

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48% Igneous Rocks Rocks have it !

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48% Igneous Rocks Rocks have it !

2.5 Appearance

Dull and Soft

Glassy

3 Uses

3.1 Architecture

3.1.1 Interior Uses

Floor Tiles, Homes, Hotels, Kitchens

Decorative Aggregates, Interior Decoration

3.1.2 Exterior Uses

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

As Building Stone, As Facing Stone, Garden Decoration, Paving Stone

3.1.3 Other Architectural Uses

Curbing, Whetstones

Curbing

3.2 Industry

3.2.1 Construction Industry

Arrowheads, As Dimension Stone, Cobblestones, Cutting Tool, Rail Track Ballast, Roadstone

Cutting Tool, Knives, Landscaping, Scrapers

3.2.2 Medical Industry

Not Yet Used

3.3 Antiquity Uses

Artifacts, Monuments

Artifacts

3.4 Other Uses

3.4.1 Commercial Uses

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

Cemetery Markers, Creating Artwork

4 Types

4.1 Types

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

Not Available

4.2 Features

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

Available in Lots of Colors and Patterns, Clasts are smooth to touch, NA

4.3 Archaeological Significance

4.3.1 Monuments

Used

Not Yet Used

4.3.2 Famous Monuments

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

Not Applicable

4.3.3 Sculpture

Used

Not Yet Used

4.3.4 Famous Sculptures

Data Not Available

Not Applicable

4.3.5 Pictographs

Used

4.3.6 Petroglyphs

Used

4.3.7 Figurines

Used

Not Yet Used

4.4 Fossils

Absent

5 Formation

5.1 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.

Tachylite 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.

5.2 Composition

5.2.1 Mineral Content

Olivine, Plagioclase, Pyroxene

Feldspar, Olivine

5.2.2 Compound Content

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

Fe, Mg

5.3 Transformation

5.3.1 Metamorphism

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97% Igneous Rocks Rocks have it !

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97% Igneous Rocks Rocks have it !

5.3.2 Types of Metamorphism

Contact Metamorphism

Burial Metamorphism, Cataclastic Metamorphism, Contact Metamorphism, Hydrothermal Metamorphism, Impact Metamorphism, Regional Metamorphism

5.3.3 Weathering

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99% Igneous Rocks Rocks have it !

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99% Igneous Rocks Rocks have it !

5.3.4 Types of Weathering

Biological Weathering

Biological Weathering, Chemical Weathering, Mechanical Weathering

5.3.5 Erosion

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92% Igneous Rocks Rocks have it !

✔ ✘

92% Igneous Rocks Rocks have it !

5.3.6 Types of Erosion

Not Available

Chemical Erosion, Sea Erosion, Water Erosion, Wind Erosion

6 Properties

6.1 Physical Properties

6.1.1 Hardness

5.5

6.1.2 Grain Size

Fine Grained

Medium to Fine Coarse Grained

6.1.3 Fracture

Conchoidal

6.1.4 Streak

White to Grey

Vermilion

6.1.5 Porosity

Less Porous

6.1.6 Luster

Not Available

Resinous

6.1.7 Compressive Strength

What Is Flint

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37.40 N/mm²

Rank: 28 (Overall)▶

206.00 N/mm²

Rank: 8 (Overall)▶

▲

What Is Obsidian

⊕

▶

175 (What Is Grani..)

◀ ▶ ADD ⊕

6.1.8 Cleavage

Not Available

6.1.9 Toughness

2.3

Not Available

6.1.10 Specific Gravity

2.8-3

2.4

6.1.11 Transparency

Opaque

6.1.12 Density

2.9-3.1 g/cm³

3.058 g/cm³

6.2 Thermal Properties

6.2.1 Specific Heat Capacity

What Is Banded ..

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▶

▼

0.84 kJ/Kg K

Rank: 15 (Overall)▶

0.56 kJ/Kg K

Rank: 22 (Overall)▶

▲

What Is Granulite

⊕

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1.09 (What Is Trave..)

◀ ▶ ADD ⊕

6.2.2 Resistance

Heat Resistant, Pressure Resistant, Wear Resistant

Heat Resistant, Impact Resistant, Wear Resistant

7 Reserves

7.1 Deposits in Eastern Continents

7.1.1 Asia

India, Russia

Cambodia, Russia, South Korea

7.1.2 Africa

South Africa

East Africa

7.1.3 Europe

Iceland

England, Germany, Hungary, Iceland, Scotland, Sweden

7.1.4 Others

Not Yet Found

Hawaii Islands

7.2 Deposits in Western Continents

7.2.1 North America

Canada, USA

USA

7.2.2 South America

Brazil

Not Yet Found

7.3 Deposits in Oceania Continent

7.3.1 Australia

Not Yet Found

Victoria

All about Basalt and Tachylite Properties

Know all about Basalt and Tachylite properties here. All properties of rocks are important as they define the type of rock and its application. Basalt and Tachylite belong to Igneous Rocks.Texture of Basalt is Glassy, Massive, Porphyritic, Scoriaceous, Vesicular whereas that of Tachylite is Vitreous. Basalt appears Dull and Soft and Tachylite appears Glassy. The luster of Basalt is not available while that of Tachylite is resinous. Basalt is available in black, brown, light to dark grey colors whereas Tachylite is available in 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 Tachylite are cemetery markers, creating artwork.