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
Granodiorite is a coarse-grained intrusive igneous rock containing quartz and plagioclase, and which has composition in between granite and diorite
Discoverer
Georgius Agricola
Unknown
Etymology
From Late Latin Basaltes (variant of basanites ), very hard stone, which was imported from Ancient Greek Basanites
From granite + diorite
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, Medium Grained Rock, Opaque Rock
Texture
Glassy, Massive, Porphyritic, Scoriaceous, Vesicular
Granular, Phaneritic
Color
Black, Brown, Light to Dark Grey
Black, Grey, Orange, Pink, White
Durability
Durable
Durable
Scratch Resistant
Yes
Yes
Appearance
Dull and Soft
Veined or Pebbled
Interior Uses
Floor Tiles, Homes, Hotels, Kitchens
Bathrooms, Countertops, Decorative Aggregates, Entryways, Floor Tiles, Flooring, Homes, Hotels, Interior Decoration, Stair Treads
Exterior Uses
As Building Stone, Paving Stone, Garden Decoration, Office Buildings
As Building Stone, Bridges, Paving Stone, Garden Decoration, Office Buildings, Resorts
Other Architectural Uses
Curbing, Whetstones
-
Construction Industry
Arrowheads, As Dimension Stone, Cobblestones, Cutting Tool, Rail Track Ballast, Roadstone
As Dimension Stone
Antiquity Uses
Artifacts, Monuments
Artifacts, Monuments, Sculpture
Commercial Uses
An Oil and Gas Reservoir, Commemorative Tablets, Creating Artwork, Used in aquariums
Curling, Gemstone, Laboratory bench tops, Tombstones
Types
Alkaline Basalt, Boninite, High Alumina Basalt, Mid Ocean Ridge Basalt (MORB), Tholeiitic Basalt, Basaltic trachyandesite, Mugearite and Shoshonite
Granodiorite
Features
Has High structural resistance against erosion and climate, Very fine grained rock
Available in Lots of Colors and Patterns
Archaeological Significance
Famous Monuments
Easter Island in the Polynesian Triangle, Pacific Ocean, Gateway of India in Mumbai, India, Gol Gumbaz in Karnataka, India
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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.
Granodiorite is an intrusive igneous rock which is very hard, crystalline and is visibly homogeneous in texture and forms by melting of continental rocks.
Mineral Content
Olivine, Plagioclase, Pyroxene
Amphibole, Biotite, Feldspar, Hornblade, Micas, Muscovite or Illite, Plagioclase, Pyroxene, Quartz
Compound Content
Aluminium Oxide, CaO, Iron(III) Oxide, FeO, Potassium Oxide, MgO, MnO, Sodium Oxide, Phosphorus Pentoxide, Silicon Dioxide, Titanium Dioxide
Aluminium Oxide, CaO, Iron(III) Oxide, FeO, Potassium Oxide, MgO, MnO, Sodium Oxide, Phosphorus Pentoxide, Silicon Dioxide, Titanium Dioxide
Types of Metamorphism
Contact Metamorphism
Burial Metamorphism, Cataclastic Metamorphism, Contact Metamorphism, Hydrothermal Metamorphism, Impact Metamorphism, Regional Metamorphism
Types of Weathering
Biological Weathering
Chemical Weathering
Types of Erosion
-
Chemical Erosion, Glacier Erosion, Wind Erosion
Grain Size
Fine Grained
Medium to Coarse Grained
Streak
White to Grey
White
Porosity
Less Porous
Less Porous
Luster
-
Grainy, Pearly and Vitreous
Specific Gravity
2.8-3
2.6-2.7
Transparency
Opaque
Opaque
Density
2.9-3.1 g/cm3
2.6-2.8 g/cm3
Resistance
Heat Resistant, Pressure Resistant, Wear Resistant
Heat Resistant, Wear Resistant
Deposits in Eastern Continents
Asia
India, Russia
China, India, Iran, Saudi Arabia, Sri Lanka, Taiwan, Thailand, Turkey, Vietnam
Africa
South Africa
Angola, Egypt, Madagascar, Namibia, Nigeria, South Africa
Europe
Iceland
Austria, Belgium, Finland, France, Germany, Italy, Norway, Sardinia, Spain, Switzerland, The Czech Republic
Deposits in Western Continents
North America
Canada, USA
Canada, USA
Deposits in Oceania Continent
Basalt vs Granodiorite 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 Granodiorite characteristics assist us to distinguish and recognize rocks. Also you can check about Properties of Basalt and Properties of Granodiorite. Learn more about Basalt vs Granodiorite in the next section. The interior uses of Basalt include Floor tiles, Homes, Hotels and Kitchens whereas the interior uses of Granodiorite include Bathrooms, Countertops, Decorative aggregates, Entryways, Floor tiles, Flooring, Homes, Hotels, Interior decoration and Stair treads. Due to some exceptional properties of Basalt and Granodiorite, 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 Granodiorite include As dimension stone.
More about Basalt and Granodiorite
Here you can know more about Basalt and Granodiorite. The life cycle of a rock consists of formation of rock, composition of rock and transformation of rock. The composition of Basalt and Granodiorite consists of mineral content and compound content. The mineral content of Basalt includes Olivine, Plagioclase, Pyroxene and mineral content of Granodiorite includes Amphibole, Biotite, Feldspar, Hornblade, Micas, Muscovite or Illite, Plagioclase, Pyroxene, Quartz. You can also check out the list of all Igneous Rocks. When we have to compare Basalt vs Granodiorite, 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, Granodiorite is available in black, grey, orange, pink, white colors. Appearance of Basalt is Dull and Soft and that of Granodiorite is Veined or Pebbled. Properties of rock is another aspect for Basalt vs Granodiorite. Hardness of Basalt and Granodiorite is 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 Granodiorite are Granodiorite. 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 Granodiorite is white. The specific heat capacity of Basalt is 0.84 kJ/Kg K and that of Granodiorite is 0.79 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 Granodiorite is heat resistant, wear resistant.