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
Hawaiite is volcanic rock that resembles basalt. It is an olivine basalt with intermediate composition between alkali olivine and mugearite
History
Origin
Egypt
Hawaii Islands
Discoverer
Georgius Agricola
Joseph Iddings
Etymology
From Late Latin Basaltes (variant of basanites ), very hard stone, which was imported from Ancient Greek Basanites
From Hawaii Islands
Class
Igneous Rocks
Igneous Rocks
Sub-Class
Durable Rock, Medium Hardness Rock
Durable Rock, Medium Hardness Rock
Family
Group
Volcanic
Volcanic
Other Categories
Fine Grained Rock, Opaque Rock
Opaque Rock
Texture
Glassy, Massive, Porphyritic, Scoriaceous, Vesicular
Glassy, Massive, Porphyritic, Scoriaceous, Vesicular
Color
Black, Brown, Light to Dark Grey
Black, Brown, Light to Dark Grey
Maintenance
More
Less
Durability
Durable
Durable
Water Resistant
✔
✘
✔
✘
Scratch Resistant
✔
✘
✔
✘
Stain Resistant
✔
✘
✔
✘
Wind Resistant
✔
✘
✔
✘
Acid Resistant
✔
✘
✔
✘
Appearance
Dull and Soft
Dull and Soft
Architecture
Interior Uses
Floor Tiles, Homes, Hotels, Kitchens
Decorative Aggregates, Floor Tiles, Flooring, Homes, Hotels, Interior Decoration, Kitchens
Exterior Uses
As Building Stone, Paving Stone, Garden Decoration, Office Buildings
As Building Stone, As Facing Stone, Paving Stone, Garden Decoration, Office Buildings
Other Architectural Uses
Curbing, Whetstones
Curbing
Industry
Construction Industry
Arrowheads, As Dimension Stone, Cobblestones, Cutting Tool, Rail Track Ballast, Roadstone
As Dimension Stone, Cobblestones, Rail Track Ballast, Roadstone
Medical Industry
-
-
Antiquity Uses
Artifacts, Monuments
Artifacts
Other Uses
Commercial Uses
An Oil and Gas Reservoir, Commemorative Tablets, Creating Artwork, Used in aquariums
Creating Artwork, Sea Defence
Types
Alkaline Basalt, Boninite, High Alumina Basalt, Mid Ocean Ridge Basalt (MORB), Tholeiitic Basalt, Basaltic trachyandesite, Mugearite and Shoshonite
Volcanic rock
Features
Has High structural resistance against erosion and climate, Very fine grained rock
Has High structural resistance against erosion and climate, Very fine grained 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
Easter Island in the Polynesian Triangle, Pacific Ocean
Sculpture
-
-
Famous Sculptures
-
-
Pictographs
-
-
Petroglyphs
-
-
Figurines
-
-
Fossils
Absent
Absent
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.
Hawaiite is a fine-grained, hard rock that forms when bits of lava shoot out of volcanoes and reach the Earth's surface.
Composition
Mineral Content
Olivine, Plagioclase, Pyroxene
Olivine, Plagioclase, Pyroxene
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
Transformation
Metamorphism
✔
✘
✔
✘
Types of Metamorphism
Contact Metamorphism
Impact Metamorphism
Weathering
✔
✘
✔
✘
Types of Weathering
Biological Weathering
Biological Weathering
Erosion
✔
✘
✔
✘
Types of Erosion
-
-
Physical Properties
Hardness
66
1
7
👆🏻
Grain Size
Fine Grained
-
Fracture
Conchoidal
Conchoidal
Streak
White to Grey
-
Porosity
Less Porous
Less Porous
Luster
-
-
Compressive Strength
37.40 N/mm237.40 N/mm2
0.15
450
👆🏻
Cleavage
-
-
Toughness
2.3
-
Specific Gravity
2.8-3-9999
0
8.4
👆🏻
Transparency
Opaque
Opaque
Density
2.9-3.1 g/cm3-9999 g/cm3
0
1400
👆🏻
Thermal Properties
Specific Heat Capacity
0.84 kJ/Kg K0.84 kJ/Kg K
0.14
3.2
👆🏻
Resistance
Heat Resistant, Pressure Resistant, Wear Resistant
Heat Resistant, Pressure Resistant, Wear Resistant
Deposits in Eastern Continents
Asia
India, Russia
India, Russia
Africa
South Africa
South Africa
Europe
Iceland
Iceland
Others
-
Hawaii Islands
Deposits in Western Continents
North America
Canada, USA
Canada, USA
South America
Brazil
Brazil
Deposits in Oceania Continent
Australia
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-