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
Appinite is an igneous rock in which the crystals are so fine grained that individual minerals cannot be easily distinguished
Discoverer
Georgius Agricola
Unknown
Etymology
From Late Latin Basaltes (variant of basanites ), very hard stone, which was imported from Ancient Greek Basanites
From the variety of Lamprophyre Greek lampros bright and shining + porphureos purple
Class
Igneous Rocks
Igneous Rocks
Sub-Class
Durable Rock, Medium Hardness Rock
Durable Rock, Medium Hardness Rock
Other Categories
Fine Grained Rock, Opaque Rock
Coarse Grained Rock, Fine Grained Rock, Opaque Rock
Texture
Glassy, Massive, Porphyritic, Scoriaceous, Vesicular
Porphyritic
Color
Black, Brown, Light to Dark Grey
Black, Bluish - Grey, Brown, Dark Greenish - Grey, Green, Grey
Durability
Durable
Durable
Scratch Resistant
Yes
Yes
Appearance
Dull and Soft
Dull, Banded and Foilated
Interior Uses
Floor Tiles, Homes, Hotels, Kitchens
Decorative Aggregates, Homes, Interior Decoration
Exterior Uses
As Building Stone, Paving Stone, Garden Decoration, Office Buildings
Paving Stone, Garden Decoration, Office Buildings
Other Architectural Uses
Curbing, Whetstones
Whetstones
Construction Industry
Arrowheads, As Dimension Stone, Cobblestones, Cutting Tool, Rail Track Ballast, Roadstone
As Dimension Stone, Cement Manufacture, for Road Aggregate, Making natural cement, Manufacture of Magnesium and Dolomite Refractories
Medical Industry
-
Taken as a Supplement for Calcium or Magnesium
Antiquity Uses
Artifacts, Monuments
Artifacts, Monuments, Sculpture, Small Figurines
Commercial Uses
An Oil and Gas Reservoir, Commemorative Tablets, Creating Artwork, Used in aquariums
An Oil and Gas Reservoir, As a Feed Additive for Livestock, Gemstone, Metallurgical Flux, Production of Lime, Soil Conditioner
Types
Alkaline Basalt, Boninite, High Alumina Basalt, Mid Ocean Ridge Basalt (MORB), Tholeiitic Basalt, Basaltic trachyandesite, Mugearite and Shoshonite
Igneous rock
Features
Has High structural resistance against erosion and climate, Very fine grained rock
Always found as volcanic pipes over deep continental crust, Host rock for Diamond, Is one of the oldest rock, Surfaces are often shiny
Archaeological Significance
Famous Monuments
Easter Island in the Polynesian Triangle, Pacific Ocean, Gateway of India in Mumbai, India, Gol Gumbaz in Karnataka, India
-
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.
The formation of Appinite takes place deep beneath the Earth’s surface at around 150 to 450 kms, and are erupted rapidly and violently.
Mineral Content
Olivine, Plagioclase, Pyroxene
Amphibole, Carbonate, Garnet, Micas, Olivine, Phlogopite, Pyroxene
Compound Content
Aluminium Oxide, CaO, Iron(III) Oxide, FeO, Potassium Oxide, MgO, MnO, Sodium Oxide, Phosphorus Pentoxide, Silicon Dioxide, Titanium Dioxide
Aluminium Oxide, NaCl, CaO, Iron(III) Oxide, FeO, Potassium Oxide, MgO, MnO, Sodium Oxide, Silicon Dioxide, Titanium Dioxide
Types of Metamorphism
Contact Metamorphism
Burial Metamorphism, Cataclastic Metamorphism, Contact Metamorphism, Hydrothermal Metamorphism, Regional Metamorphism
Types of Weathering
Biological Weathering
Chemical Weathering, Mechanical Weathering
Types of Erosion
-
Chemical Erosion, Water Erosion, Wind Erosion
Grain Size
Fine Grained
Fine to Coarse Grained
Fracture
Conchoidal
Conchoidal
Streak
White to Grey
White
Porosity
Less Porous
Very Less Porous
Luster
-
Subvitreous to Dull
Specific Gravity
2.8-3
2.86-2.87
Transparency
Opaque
Translucent to Opaque
Density
2.9-3.1 g/cm3
2.95-2.96 g/cm3
Resistance
Heat Resistant, Pressure Resistant, Wear Resistant
Heat Resistant, Impact Resistant
Deposits in Eastern Continents
Asia
India, Russia
Russia
Africa
South Africa
Angola, Botswana, Cameroon, Ethiopia, South Africa
Europe
Iceland
England, Hungary, Iceland, United Kingdom
Others
-
Antarctica, Greenland
Deposits in Western Continents
North America
Canada, USA
Canada, Mexico, USA
South America
Brazil
Argentina, Colombia, Ecuador
Deposits in Oceania Continent
Australia
-
New South Wales, New Zealand, Queensland, South Australia, Western Australia
Basalt vs Appinite 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 Appinite characteristics assist us to distinguish and recognize rocks. Also you can check about Properties of Basalt and Properties of Appinite. Learn more about Basalt vs Appinite in the next section. The interior uses of Basalt include Floor tiles, Homes, Hotels and Kitchens whereas the interior uses of Appinite include Decorative aggregates, Homes and Interior decoration. Due to some exceptional properties of Basalt and Appinite, 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 Appinite include As dimension stone, Cement manufacture, For road aggregate, Making natural cement, Manufacture of magnesium and dolomite refractories.
More about Basalt and Appinite
Here you can know more about Basalt and Appinite. The life cycle of a rock consists of formation of rock, composition of rock and transformation of rock. The composition of Basalt and Appinite consists of mineral content and compound content. The mineral content of Basalt includes Olivine, Plagioclase, Pyroxene and mineral content of Appinite includes Amphibole, Carbonate, Garnet, Micas, Olivine, Phlogopite, Pyroxene. You can also check out the list of all Igneous Rocks. When we have to compare Basalt vs Appinite, 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, Appinite is available in black, bluish - grey, brown, dark greenish - grey, green, grey colors. Appearance of Basalt is Dull and Soft and that of Appinite is Dull, Banded and Foilated. Properties of rock is another aspect for Basalt vs Appinite. The hardness of Basalt is 6 and that of Appinite is 5-6. 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 Appinite are Igneous rock. 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 Appinite is white. The specific heat capacity of Basalt is 0.84 kJ/Kg K and that of Appinite is 0.84 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 Appinite is heat resistant, impact resistant.