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Basalt vs Boninite


Boninite 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  
Boninite is a mafic extrusive rock which is high in magnesium and silica content, formed in fore-arc environments, typically during the early stages of subduction  

History
  
  

Origin
Egypt  
Japan  

Discoverer
Georgius Agricola  
Unknown  

Etymology
From Late Latin Basaltes (variant of basanites ), very hard stone, which was imported from Ancient Greek Basanites  
From its occurrence in the Izu-Bonin arc south of Japan  

Class
Igneous Rocks  
Igneous Rocks  

Sub-Class
Durable Rock, Medium Hardness Rock  
Durable Rock, Hard Rock  

Family
  
  

Group
Volcanic  
Volcanic  

Other Categories
Fine Grained Rock, Opaque Rock  
Fine Grained Rock, Opaque Rock  

Texture

Texture
Glassy, Massive, Porphyritic, Scoriaceous, Vesicular  
Aphanitic to Porphyritic  

Color
Black, Brown, Light to Dark Grey  
Bluish - Grey, Brown, Green, Grey  

Maintenance
More  
Less  

Durability
Durable  
Durable  

Water Resistant
No  
No  

Scratch Resistant
Yes  
Yes  

Stain Resistant
Yes  
Yes  

Wind Resistant
No  
Yes  

Acid Resistant
Yes  
No  

Appearance
Dull and Soft  
Dull and Soft  

Uses

Architecture
  
  

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

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

Other Architectural Uses
Curbing, Whetstones  
-  

Industry
  
  

Construction Industry
Arrowheads, As Dimension Stone, Cobblestones, Cutting Tool, Rail Track Ballast, Roadstone  
As a Flux in the Production of Steel and Pig Iron, As a Sintering Agent in Steel Industry to process Iron Ore, As Dimension Stone, Cement Manufacture, for Road Aggregate, Making natural cement, Manufacture of Magnesium and Dolomite Refractories  

Medical Industry
-  
-  

Antiquity Uses
Artifacts, Monuments  
Artifacts  

Other Uses
  
  

Commercial Uses
An Oil and Gas Reservoir, Commemorative Tablets, Creating Artwork, Used in aquariums  
An Oil and Gas Reservoir, Cemetery Markers, Creating Artwork, Soil Conditioner, Source of Magnesia (MgO)  

Types

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

Features
Has High structural resistance against erosion and climate, Very fine grained rock  
Available in Lots of Colors and Patterns, High Mg content, Is one of the oldest rock  

Archaeological Significance
  
  

Monuments
-  
-  

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

Sculpture
-  
-  

Famous Sculptures
-  
-  

Pictographs
-  
-  

Petroglyphs
-  
-  

Figurines
-  
-  

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.  
Boninite is a type of Igneous rock which is formed through the cooling and solidification of lava or existing rocks.  

Composition
  
  

Mineral Content
Olivine, Plagioclase, Pyroxene  
Amphibole, Apatite, Biotite, Feldspar, Garnet, Hornblade, Ilmenite  

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

Transformation
  
  

Metamorphism
Yes  
Yes  

Types of Metamorphism
Contact Metamorphism  
Burial Metamorphism, Cataclastic Metamorphism, Contact Metamorphism, Regional Metamorphism  

Weathering
Yes  
Yes  

Types of Weathering
Biological Weathering  
Biological Weathering  

Erosion
No  
Yes  

Types of Erosion
-  
Chemical Erosion, Coastal Erosion, Wind Erosion  

Properties

Physical Properties
  
  

Hardness
6  
7  

Grain Size
Fine Grained  
Fine Grained  

Fracture
Conchoidal  
Uneven  

Streak
White to Grey  
White  

Porosity
Less Porous  
Less Porous  

Luster
-  
Vitreous  

Compressive Strength
37.40 N/mm2  
99+
150.00 N/mm2  
22

Cleavage
-  
-  

Toughness
2.3  
1.1  

Specific Gravity
2.8-3  
2.5-2.8  

Transparency
Opaque  
Opaque  

Density
2.9-3.1 g/cm3  
-9999 g/cm3  

Thermal Properties
  
  

Specific Heat Capacity
0.84 kJ/Kg K  
15
0.84 kJ/Kg K  
15

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

Reserves

Deposits in Eastern Continents
  
  

Asia
India, Russia  
-  

Africa
South Africa  
South Africa  

Europe
Iceland  
England, Finland, United Kingdom  

Others
-  
Antarctica, Greenland  

Deposits in Western Continents
  
  

North America
Canada, USA  
USA  

South America
Brazil  
Colombia, Uruguay  

Deposits in Oceania Continent
  
  

Australia
-  
New Zealand, Western Australia  

Definition >>
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Basalt vs Boninite 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 Boninite 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. Boninite is a mafic extrusive rock which is high in magnesium and silica content, formed in fore-arc environments, typically during the early stages of subduction. 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 Boninite information and Basalt vs Boninite characteristics in the upcoming sections.

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Basalt vs Boninite 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 Boninite characteristics assist us to distinguish and recognize rocks. Also you can check about Properties of Basalt and Properties of Boninite. Learn more about Basalt vs Boninite in the next section. The interior uses of Basalt include Floor tiles, Homes, Hotels and Kitchens whereas the interior uses of Boninite include Decorative aggregates, Homes and Kitchens. Due to some exceptional properties of Basalt and Boninite, 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 Boninite include As a flux in the production of steel and pig iron, As a sintering agent in steel industry to process iron ore, As dimension stone, Cement manufacture, For road aggregate, Making natural cement, Manufacture of magnesium and dolomite refractories.

More about Basalt and Boninite

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

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