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
Cataclasite is a type of cataclastic rock that is formed by fracturing and comminution during faulting. It is normally cohesive and non-foliated, consisting of angular clasts in a finer-grained matrix
Origin
Egypt
Swiss Alps, Europe
Discoverer
Georgius Agricola
Michael Tellinger
Etymology
From Late Latin Basaltes (variant of basanites ), very hard stone, which was imported from Ancient Greek Basanites
From the Italian word cataclasi
Class
Igneous Rocks
Metamorphic Rocks
Sub-Class
Durable Rock, Medium Hardness Rock
Durable Rock, Medium Hardness Rock
Group
Volcanic
Not Applicable
Other Categories
Fine Grained Rock, Opaque Rock
Fine Grained Rock, Opaque Rock
Texture
Glassy, Massive, Porphyritic, Scoriaceous, Vesicular
Clastic
Color
Black, Brown, Light to Dark Grey
Brown, Green, White, Yellow
Durability
Durable
Durable
Appearance
Dull and Soft
Dull and Banded
Interior Uses
Floor Tiles, Homes, Hotels, Kitchens
Decorative Aggregates, Homes
Exterior Uses
As Building Stone, Paving Stone, Garden Decoration, Office Buildings
As Building Stone, As Facing Stone, Paving Stone
Other Architectural Uses
Curbing, Whetstones
Curbing
Construction Industry
Arrowheads, As Dimension Stone, Cobblestones, Cutting Tool, Rail Track Ballast, Roadstone
As Dimension Stone, Building houses or walls, Cement Manufacture, Construction Aggregate, for Road Aggregate
Medical Industry
Not Yet Used
Not Yet Used
Antiquity Uses
Artifacts, Monuments
Artifacts
Commercial Uses
An Oil and Gas Reservoir, Commemorative Tablets, Creating Artwork, Used in aquariums
Commemorative Tablets, Creating Artwork
Types
Alkaline Basalt, Boninite, High Alumina Basalt, Mid Ocean Ridge Basalt (MORB), Tholeiitic Basalt, Basaltic trachyandesite, Mugearite and Shoshonite
Protocataclasite, Mesocataclasite, Ultracataclasite and Foliated cataclasite
Features
Has High structural resistance against erosion and climate, Very fine grained rock
Easily splits into thin plates, Is one of the oldest rock
Archaeological Significance
Monuments
Used
Not Yet Used
Famous Monuments
Easter Island in the Polynesian Triangle, Pacific Ocean, Gateway of India in Mumbai, India, Gol Gumbaz in Karnataka, India
Not Applicable
Sculpture
Used
Not Yet Used
Famous Sculptures
Data Not Available
Not Applicable
Figurines
Used
Not Yet Used
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.
Cataclasiste rocks mainly form by pressure deep under the Earth's surface, from the extreme heat caused by magma or by the intense collisions and friction of tectonic plates.
Mineral Content
Olivine, Plagioclase, Pyroxene
Albite, Apatite, Augite, Biotite, Calcite, Enstatite, Epidote, Feldspar, Micas, Muscovite or Illite, Pyroxene, Quartz
Compound Content
Aluminium Oxide, CaO, Iron(III) Oxide, FeO, Potassium Oxide, MgO, MnO, Sodium Oxide, Phosphorus Pentoxide, Silicon Dioxide, Titanium Dioxide
Silicon Dioxide
Types of Metamorphism
Contact Metamorphism
Not Applicable
Types of Weathering
Biological Weathering
Mechanical Weathering
Types of Erosion
Not Available
Coastal Erosion, Wind Erosion
Grain Size
Fine Grained
Fine Grained
Streak
White to Grey
Black
Porosity
Less Porous
Less Porous
Luster
Not Available
Vitreous
Compressive Strength
Not Available
Cleavage
Not Available
Not Available
Toughness
2.3
Not Available
Specific Gravity
2.8-3
2.1
Transparency
Opaque
Translucent to Opaque
Density
2.9-3.1 g/cm3
2.9-3.1 g/cm3
Specific Heat Capacity
Not Available
Resistance
Heat Resistant, Pressure Resistant, Wear Resistant
Heat Resistant, Impact Resistant, Pressure Resistant
Deposits in Eastern Continents
Asia
India, Russia
China, India, Russia, Saudi Arabia, South Korea
Africa
South Africa
Egypt, Ethiopia, Kenya, Madagascar, Morocco, South Africa
Europe
Iceland
England, Finland, France, Spain, United Kingdom
Others
Not Yet Found
Not Yet Found
Deposits in Western Continents
North America
Canada, USA
Canada, USA
South America
Brazil
Argentina, Colombia
Deposits in Oceania Continent
Australia
Not Yet Found
Central Australia, Western Australia
Basalt vs Cataclasite 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 Cataclasite characteristics assist us to distinguish and recognize rocks. Also you can check about Properties of Basalt and Properties of Cataclasite. Learn more about Basalt vs Cataclasite in the next section. The interior uses of Basalt include Floor tiles, Homes, Hotels and Kitchens whereas the interior uses of Cataclasite include Decorative aggregates and Homes. Due to some exceptional properties of Basalt and Cataclasite, 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 Cataclasite include As dimension stone, Building houses or walls, Cement manufacture, Construction aggregate, For road aggregate.
More about Basalt and Cataclasite
Here you can know more about Basalt and Cataclasite. The life cycle of a rock consists of formation of rock, composition of rock and transformation of rock. The composition of Basalt and Cataclasite consists of mineral content and compound content. The mineral content of Basalt includes Olivine, Plagioclase, Pyroxene and mineral content of Cataclasite includes Albite, Apatite, Augite, Biotite, Calcite, Enstatite, Epidote, Feldspar, Micas, Muscovite or Illite, Pyroxene, Quartz. You can also check out the list of all Igneous Rocks. When we have to compare Basalt vs Cataclasite, 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, Cataclasite is available in brown, green, white, yellow colors. Appearance of Basalt is Dull and Soft and that of Cataclasite is Dull and Banded. Properties of rock is another aspect for Basalt vs Cataclasite. The hardness of Basalt is 6 and that of Cataclasite 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 Cataclasite are Protocataclasite, Mesocataclasite, Ultracataclasite and Foliated cataclasite. 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 Cataclasite is black. The specific heat capacity of Basalt is 0.84 kJ/Kg K and that of Cataclasite 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 Cataclasite is heat resistant, impact resistant, pressure resistant.