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
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
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
Durability
Durable
Durable
Scratch Resistant
Yes
Yes
Appearance
Dull and Soft
Dull and Soft
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
Construction Industry
Arrowheads, As Dimension Stone, Cobblestones, Cutting Tool, Rail Track Ballast, Roadstone
As Dimension Stone, Cobblestones, Rail Track Ballast, Roadstone
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
Creating Artwork, Sea Defence
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
Has High structural resistance against erosion and climate, Very fine grained rock
Archaeological Significance
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
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.
Hawaiite is a fine-grained, hard rock that forms when bits of lava shoot out of volcanoes and reach the Earth's surface.
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
Types of Metamorphism
Contact Metamorphism
Impact Metamorphism
Types of Weathering
Biological Weathering
Biological Weathering
Types of Erosion
Not Available
Not Applicable
Grain Size
Fine Grained
Not Applicable
Fracture
Conchoidal
Conchoidal
Streak
White to Grey
Not Available
Porosity
Less Porous
Less Porous
Luster
Not Available
Not Available
Cleavage
Not Available
Not Applicable
Toughness
2.3
Not Available
Specific Gravity
2.8-3
Not Available
Transparency
Opaque
Opaque
Density
2.9-3.1 g/cm3
Not Available
Specific Heat Capacity
Not Available
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
Others
Not Yet Found
Hawaii Islands
Deposits in Western Continents
North America
Canada, USA
Canada, USA
South America
Brazil
Brazil
Deposits in Oceania Continent
Australia
Not Yet Found
Not Yet Found
Basalt vs Hawaiite 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 Hawaiite characteristics assist us to distinguish and recognize rocks. Also you can check about Properties of Basalt and Properties of Hawaiite. Learn more about Basalt vs Hawaiite in the next section. The interior uses of Basalt include Floor tiles, Homes, Hotels and Kitchens whereas the interior uses of Hawaiite include Decorative aggregates, Floor tiles, Flooring, Homes, Hotels, Interior decoration and Kitchens. Due to some exceptional properties of Basalt and Hawaiite, 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 Hawaiite include As dimension stone, Cobblestones, Rail track ballast, Roadstone.
More about Basalt and Hawaiite
Here you can know more about Basalt and Hawaiite. The life cycle of a rock consists of formation of rock, composition of rock and transformation of rock. The composition of Basalt and Hawaiite consists of mineral content and compound content. The mineral content of Basalt includes Olivine, Plagioclase, Pyroxene and mineral content of Hawaiite includes Olivine, Plagioclase, Pyroxene. You can also check out the list of all Igneous Rocks. When we have to compare Basalt vs Hawaiite, 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, Hawaiite is available in black, brown, light to dark grey colors. Appearance of Basalt is Dull and Soft and that of Hawaiite is Dull and Soft. Properties of rock is another aspect for Basalt vs Hawaiite. Hardness of Basalt and Hawaiite 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 Hawaiite 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 Hawaiite is not available. The specific heat capacity of Basalt is 0.84 kJ/Kg K and that of Hawaiite 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 Hawaiite is heat resistant, pressure resistant, wear resistant.