Basalt vs Andesite

Basalt vs Andesite 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 Andesite 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. Andesite is a dark, fine-grained, brown or greyish intermediate volcanic rock which is a commonly found in lava. 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 Andesite information and Basalt vs Andesite characteristics in the upcoming sections.

Basalt vs Andesite 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 Andesite characteristics assist us to distinguish and recognize rocks. Also you can check about Properties of Basalt and Properties of Andesite. Learn more about Basalt vs Andesite in the next section. The interior uses of Basalt include Floor tiles, Homes, Hotels and Kitchens whereas the interior uses of Andesite include Decorative aggregates, Floor tiles, Homes, Interior decoration and Kitchens. Due to some exceptional properties of Basalt and Andesite, 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 Andesite include Cobblestones, Construction aggregate, For road aggregate.

More about Basalt and Andesite

Here you can know more about Basalt and Andesite. The life cycle of a rock consists of formation of rock, composition of rock and transformation of rock. The composition of Basalt and Andesite consists of mineral content and compound content. The mineral content of Basalt includes Olivine, Plagioclase, Pyroxene and mineral content of Andesite includes Amphibole, Apatite, Biotite, Feldspar, Garnet, Hornblade, Ilmenite, Magnetite, Plagioclase, Pyroxene, Zircon. You can also check out the list of all Igneous Rocks. When we have to compare Basalt vs Andesite, 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, Andesite is available in bluish - grey, grey, pink, yellow colors. Appearance of Basalt is Dull and Soft and that of Andesite is Dull and Soft. Properties of rock is another aspect for Basalt vs Andesite. The hardness of Basalt is 6 and that of Andesite is 7. 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 Andesite are Icelandite. 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 Andesite is white. The specific heat capacity of Basalt is 0.84 kJ/Kg K and that of Andesite is 2.39 kJ/Kg K. 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 Andesite is heat resistant, pressure resistant, wear resistant.