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Basalt vs Adakite


Adakite vs 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  
Adakite is an intermediate to felsic volcanic rock that has geochemical characteristics of magma which is said to be formed by partial melting of altered basalt that is subducted below volcanic arcs  

History
  
  

Origin
Egypt  
Adak, Aleutian Islands  

Discoverer
Georgius Agricola  
Defant and Drummond  

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

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  
Fine Grained Rock, Medium Grained Rock, Opaque Rock  

Texture

Texture
Glassy, Massive, Porphyritic, Scoriaceous, Vesicular  
Porphyritic  

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

Maintenance
More  
Less  

Durability
Durable  
Durable  

Water Resistant
No  
No  

Scratch Resistant
Yes  
No  

Stain Resistant
Yes  
No  

Wind Resistant
No  
Yes  

Acid Resistant
Yes  
Yes  

Appearance
Dull and Soft  
Dull and Soft  

Uses

Architecture
  
  

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

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

Other Architectural Uses
Curbing, Whetstones  
Whetstones  

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  
Monuments, Sculpture, Small Figurines  

Other Uses
  
  

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

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, Host rock for Diamond, Very fine grained rock  

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  
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.  
Adakite rocks are formed when the hydrous fluids are released from minerals that break down in metamorphosed basalt, and rise into the mantle they initiate partial melting.  

Composition
  
  

Mineral Content
Olivine, Plagioclase, Pyroxene  
Olivine, Plagioclase, Pyroxene  

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

Transformation
  
  

Metamorphism
Yes  
Yes  

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

Weathering
Yes  
Yes  

Types of Weathering
Biological Weathering  
Chemical Weathering, Mechanical Weathering  

Erosion
No  
Yes  

Types of Erosion
Not Available  
Coastal Erosion, Sea Erosion, Water Erosion  

Properties

Physical Properties
  
  

Hardness
6  
3-4  

Grain Size
Fine Grained  
Fine to Medium Grained  

Fracture
Conchoidal  
Conchoidal  

Streak
White to Grey  
Bluish Black  

Porosity
Less Porous  
Less Porous  

Luster
Not Available  
Grainy, Pearly and Vitreous  

Compressive Strength
37.40 N/mm2  
28
Not Available  

Cleavage
Not Available  
Not Available  

Toughness
2.3  
Not Available  

Specific Gravity
2.8-3  
Not Available  

Transparency
Opaque  
Opaque  

Density
2.9-3.1 g/cm3  
Not Available  

Thermal Properties
  
  

Specific Heat Capacity
0.84 kJ/Kg K  
15
Not Available  

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

Reserves

Deposits in Eastern Continents
  
  

Asia
India, Russia  
India, Russia  

Africa
South Africa  
Ethiopia, Somalia, 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  

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Basalt vs Adakite Information

Earth’s outer layer is covered by rocks and these rocks have different physical and chemical properties. As two rocks are not same, it’s fun to compare them. You can also know more about Basalt and Adakite Reserves. Basalt is a common extrusive igneous rock formed by the rapid cooling of basaltic lava exposed at or very near the surface of Earth. Adakite is an intermediate to felsic volcanic rock that has geochemical characteristics of magma which is said to be formed by partial melting of altered basalt that is subducted below volcanic arcs. These rocks are composed of many distinct minerals. The process of formation of rocks is different for various rocks. Rocks are quarried from many years for various purposes. You can check out Basalt vs Adakite information and Basalt vs Adakite characteristics in the upcoming sections.

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Basalt vs Adakite Characteristics

Though some rocks look identical, they have certain characteristics which distinguish them from others. Characteristics of rocks include texture, appearance, color, fracture, streak, hardness etc. Basalt vs Adakite characteristics assist us to distinguish and recognize rocks. Also you can check about Properties of Basalt and Properties of Adakite. Learn more about Basalt vs Adakite in the next section. The interior uses of Basalt include Floor tiles, Homes, Hotels and Kitchens whereas the interior uses of Adakite include Decorative aggregates, Floor tiles, Homes, Hotels and Kitchens. Due to some exceptional properties of Basalt and Adakite, they have various applications in construction industry. The uses of Basalt in construction industry include Arrowheads, As dimension stone, Cobblestones, Cutting tool, Rail track ballast, Roadstone and that of Adakite include As dimension stone, Cobblestones, Rail track ballast, Roadstone.

More about Basalt and Adakite

Here you can know more about Basalt and Adakite. The life cycle of a rock consists of formation of rock, composition of rock and transformation of rock. The composition of Basalt and Adakite consists of mineral content and compound content. The mineral content of Basalt includes Olivine, Plagioclase, Pyroxene and mineral content of Adakite includes Olivine, Plagioclase, Pyroxene. You can also check out the list of all Igneous Rocks. When we have to compare Basalt vs Adakite, the texture, color and appearance plays an important role in determining the type of rock. Basalt is available in black, brown, light to dark grey colors whereas, Adakite is available in black, brown, light to dark grey colors. Appearance of Basalt is Dull and Soft and that of Adakite is Dull and Soft. Properties of rock is another aspect for Basalt vs Adakite. The hardness of Basalt is 6 and that of Adakite is 3-4. The types of Basalt are Alkaline Basalt, Boninite, High Alumina Basalt, Mid Ocean Ridge Basalt (MORB), Tholeiitic Basalt, Basaltic trachyandesite, Mugearite and Shoshonite whereas types of Adakite are Not Available. Streak of rock is the color of powder produced when it is dragged across an unweathered surface. The streak of Basalt is white to grey while that of Adakite is bluish black. The specific heat capacity of Basalt is 0.84 kJ/Kg K and that of Adakite is Not Available. Depending on the properties like hardness, toughness, specific heat capacity, porosity etc., rocks are resistant to heat, wear, impact, etc.Basalt is heat resistant, pressure resistant, wear resistant whereas Adakite is heat resistant, pressure resistant, wear resistant.

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