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
Eclogite is an extreme metamorphic rock, formed by regional metamorphism of basalt rock under very high pressure and temperature
Discoverer
Georgius Agricola
René Just Haüy
Etymology
From Late Latin Basaltes (variant of basanites ), very hard stone, which was imported from Ancient Greek Basanites
From French, Greek eklogē selection with reference to the selective content of the rock + -ite1
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
Earthy
Color
Black, Brown, Light to Dark Grey
Black, Brown, Colourless, Green, Grey, Pink, White
Durability
Durable
Durable
Scratch Resistant
Yes
Yes
Appearance
Dull and Soft
Dull, Banded and Foilated
Interior Uses
Floor Tiles, Homes, Hotels, Kitchens
Decorative Aggregates, Interior Decoration
Exterior Uses
As Building Stone, Paving Stone, Garden Decoration, Office Buildings
Paving Stone, Garden Decoration
Other Architectural Uses
Curbing, Whetstones
Curbing
Construction Industry
Arrowheads, As Dimension Stone, Cobblestones, Cutting Tool, Rail Track Ballast, Roadstone
Not Yet Used
Medical Industry
Not Yet Used
In Chemical and Pharmaceutical Industry, Medicines and Cosmetics
Antiquity Uses
Artifacts, Monuments
Artifacts
Commercial Uses
An Oil and Gas Reservoir, Commemorative Tablets, Creating Artwork, Used in aquariums
Creating Artwork, Gemstone
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
Available in Lots of Colors and Patterns, Generally rough to touch, 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.
Eclogite forms from high-pressure metamorphism of mafic igneous rocks mainly, basalt or gabbro as it plunges into the mantle in a subduction zone.
Mineral Content
Olivine, Plagioclase, Pyroxene
Amphibole, Coesite, Corundum, Dolomite, Garnet, Kyanite, Lawsonite, Paragonite, Phengite, Pyroxene, Quartz, Rutile, Zoisite
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, Carbon Dioxide, Iron(III) Oxide, Magnesium Carbonate, MgO, Sodium Oxide, Potassium, Sodium
Types of Metamorphism
Contact Metamorphism
Not Applicable
Types of Weathering
Biological Weathering
Mechanical Weathering
Types of Erosion
Not Available
Chemical Erosion, Sea Erosion
Grain Size
Fine Grained
Fine Grained
Fracture
Conchoidal
Not Available
Streak
White to Grey
White
Porosity
Less Porous
Less Porous
Luster
Not Available
Subvitreous to Dull
Compressive Strength
Not Available
Cleavage
Not Available
Perfect
Toughness
2.3
Not Available
Specific Gravity
2.8-3
2.86-2.87
Transparency
Opaque
Opaque
Density
2.9-3.1 g/cm3
3.2-3.6 g/cm3
Specific Heat Capacity
Not Available
Resistance
Heat Resistant, Pressure Resistant, Wear Resistant
Heat Resistant
Deposits in Eastern Continents
Asia
India, Russia
India, Kazakhstan, Kuwait, Russia, South Korea, Thailand, Turkey
Africa
South Africa
Ethiopia, Morocco, South Africa
Europe
Iceland
France, Germany, Italy, Norway, Scotland
Others
Not Yet Found
Greenland
Deposits in Western Continents
North America
Canada, USA
Canada, Costa Rica, Panama, USA
South America
Brazil
Argentina, Brazil, Colombia, Ecuador
Deposits in Oceania Continent
Australia
Not Yet Found
Central Australia, New Zealand, Queensland
Basalt vs Eclogite 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 Eclogite characteristics assist us to distinguish and recognize rocks. Also you can check about Properties of Basalt and Properties of Eclogite. Learn more about Basalt vs Eclogite in the next section. The interior uses of Basalt include Floor tiles, Homes, Hotels and Kitchens whereas the interior uses of Eclogite include Decorative aggregates and Interior decoration. Due to some exceptional properties of Basalt and Eclogite, 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 Eclogite include Not yet used.
More about Basalt and Eclogite
Here you can know more about Basalt and Eclogite. The life cycle of a rock consists of formation of rock, composition of rock and transformation of rock. The composition of Basalt and Eclogite consists of mineral content and compound content. The mineral content of Basalt includes Olivine, Plagioclase, Pyroxene and mineral content of Eclogite includes Amphibole, Coesite, Corundum, Dolomite, Garnet, Kyanite, Lawsonite, Paragonite, Phengite, Pyroxene, Quartz, Rutile, Zoisite. You can also check out the list of all Igneous Rocks. When we have to compare Basalt vs Eclogite, 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, Eclogite is available in black, brown, colourless, green, grey, pink, white colors. Appearance of Basalt is Dull and Soft and that of Eclogite is Dull, Banded and Foilated. Properties of rock is another aspect for Basalt vs Eclogite. The hardness of Basalt is 6 and that of Eclogite is 3.5-4. 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 Eclogite 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 Eclogite is white. The specific heat capacity of Basalt is 0.84 kJ/Kg K and that of Eclogite 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 Eclogite is heat resistant.