Basalt

Ignimbrite

Basalt vs Ignimbrite

Basalt

Ignimbrite

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1 Definition

1.1 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

Ignimbrite is a volcanic rock consisting mainly of pumice fragments, formed by the consolidation of material deposited by pyroclastic flows

1.2 History

1.2.1 Origin

Egypt

New Zealand

1.2.2 Discoverer

Georgius Agricola

Patrick Marshall

1.3 Etymology

From Late Latin Basaltes (variant of basanites ), very hard stone, which was imported from Ancient Greek Basanites

From Latin ignis fire + imber, imbr- shower of rain, storm cloud + -ite

1.4 Class

Igneous Rocks

1.4.1 Sub-Class

Durable Rock, Medium Hardness Rock

1.5 Family

1.5.1 Group

Volcanic

1.6 Other Categories

Fine Grained Rock, Opaque Rock

2 Texture

2.1 Texture

Glassy, Massive, Porphyritic, Scoriaceous, Vesicular

Aphanitic

2.2 Color

Black, Brown, Light to Dark Grey

Beige, Black, Brown, Grey, Pink, White

2.3 Maintenance

2.4 Durability

Durable

2.4.1 Water Resistant

✔ ✘

2.4.2 Scratch Resistant

✔ ✘

2.4.3 Stain Resistant

✔ ✘

2.4.4 Wind Resistant

✔ ✘

2.4.5 Acid Resistant

✔ ✘

2.5 Appearance

Dull and Soft

Dull, Vesicular and Foilated

3 Uses

3.1 Architecture

3.1.1 Interior Uses

Floor Tiles, Homes, Hotels, Kitchens

Decorative Aggregates, Floor Tiles, Homes, Interior Decoration

3.1.2 Exterior Uses

As Building Stone, Paving Stone, Garden Decoration, Office Buildings

As Building Stone, Garden Decoration, Office Buildings, Paving Stone

3.1.3 Other Architectural Uses

Curbing, Whetstones

Curbing

3.2 Industry

3.2.1 Construction Industry

Arrowheads, As Dimension Stone, Cobblestones, Cutting Tool, Rail Track Ballast, Roadstone

Building houses or walls, Construction Aggregate

3.2.2 Medical Industry

Not Yet Used

3.3 Antiquity Uses

Artifacts, Monuments

Artifacts, Monuments, Sculpture, Small Figurines

3.4 Other Uses

3.4.1 Commercial Uses

An Oil and Gas Reservoir, Commemorative Tablets, Creating Artwork, Used in aquariums

Cemetery Markers, Commemorative Tablets, Creating Artwork

4 Types

4.1 Types

Alkaline Basalt, Boninite, High Alumina Basalt, Mid Ocean Ridge Basalt (MORB), Tholeiitic Basalt, Basaltic trachyandesite, Mugearite and Shoshonite

Not Available

4.2 Features

Has High structural resistance against erosion and climate, Very fine grained rock

Always found as volcanic pipes over deep continental crust

4.3 Archaeological Significance

4.3.1 Monuments

Used

4.3.2 Famous Monuments

Easter Island in the Polynesian Triangle, Pacific Ocean, Gateway of India in Mumbai, India, Gol Gumbaz in Karnataka, India

Data Not Available

4.3.3 Sculpture

Used

4.3.4 Famous Sculptures

Data Not Available

4.3.5 Pictographs

Used

4.3.6 Petroglyphs

Used

4.3.7 Figurines

Used

4.4 Fossils

Absent

5 Formation

5.1 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.

Ignimbrites are formed from very poorly sorted mixture of volcanic ash or tuff and pumice lapilli, commonly with scattered lithic fragments.

5.2 Composition

5.2.1 Mineral Content

Olivine, Plagioclase, Pyroxene

Apatite, Biotite, Calcite, Chlorite, Feldspar, Hematite, Hornblade, Ilmenite, Magnetite, Olivine, Pyroxene, Quartz

5.2.2 Compound Content

Aluminium Oxide, CaO, Iron(III) Oxide, FeO, Potassium Oxide, MgO, MnO, Sodium Oxide, Phosphorus Pentoxide, Silicon Dioxide, Titanium Dioxide

Ca, NaCl

5.3 Transformation

5.3.1 Metamorphism

✔ ✘

5.3.2 Types of Metamorphism

Contact Metamorphism

Burial Metamorphism, Contact Metamorphism, Hydrothermal Metamorphism, Impact Metamorphism, Regional Metamorphism

5.3.3 Weathering

✔ ✘

5.3.4 Types of Weathering

Biological Weathering

Biological Weathering, Chemical Weathering

5.3.5 Erosion

✔ ✘

5.3.6 Types of Erosion

Not Available

Chemical Erosion, Coastal Erosion

6 Properties

6.1 Physical Properties

6.1.1 Hardness

64-6

1 7

6.1.2 Grain Size

Fine Grained

6.1.3 Fracture

Conchoidal

Uneven

6.1.4 Streak

White to Grey

White

6.1.5 Porosity

Less Porous

Highly Porous

6.1.6 Luster

Not Available

Vitreous to Dull

6.1.7 Compressive Strength

37.40 N/mm²243.80 N/mm²

0.15 450

6.1.8 Cleavage

Not Available

6.1.9 Toughness

2.3

Not Available

6.1.10 Specific Gravity

2.8-32.73

0 8.4

6.1.11 Transparency

Opaque

6.1.12 Density

2.9-3.1 g/cm³1-1.8 g/cm³

0 1400

6.2 Thermal Properties

6.2.1 Specific Heat Capacity

0.84 kJ/Kg K0.20 kJ/Kg K

0.14 3.2

6.2.2 Resistance

Heat Resistant, Pressure Resistant, Wear Resistant

Heat Resistant, Impact Resistant, Pressure Resistant, Wear Resistant

7 Reserves

7.1 Deposits in Eastern Continents

7.1.1 Asia

India, Russia

Afghanistan, Armenia, Azerbaijan, Burma, Cambodia, China, India, Indonesia, Iran, Japan, Malaysia, Mongolia, Nepal, North Korea, Pakistan, Saudi Arabia, Syria, Taiwan, Thailand, Turkey, Vietnam, Yemen

7.1.2 Africa

South Africa

Cameroon, Cape Verde, Chad, Djibouti, Eritrea, Ethiopia, Kenya, Libya, Madagascar, Nigeria, Rwanda, South Africa, Sudan, Tanzania, Uganda

7.1.3 Europe

Iceland

France, Georgia, Germany, Greece, Iceland, Italy, Netherlands, Poland, Portugal, Spain, United Kingdom

7.1.4 Others

Not Yet Found

Antarctica, Hawaii Islands

7.2 Deposits in Western Continents

7.2.1 North America

Canada, USA

Canada, Costa Rica, Panama, USA

7.2.2 South America

Brazil

Argentina, Bolivia, Brazil, Chile, Colombia, Ecuador

7.3 Deposits in Oceania Continent

7.3.1 Australia

Not Yet Found

Central Australia, Western Australia

Basalt vs Ignimbrite Information

Earth’s outer layer is covered by rocks and these rocks have different physical and chemical properties. As two rocks are not same, it’s fun to compare them. You can also know more about Basalt and Ignimbrite Reserves. Basalt is a common extrusive igneous rock formed by the rapid cooling of basaltic lava exposed at or very near the surface of Earth. Ignimbrite is a volcanic rock consisting mainly of pumice fragments, formed by the consolidation of material deposited by pyroclastic flows. These rocks are composed of many distinct minerals. The process of formation of rocks is different for various rocks. Rocks are quarried from many years for various purposes. You can check out Basalt vs Ignimbrite information and Basalt vs Ignimbrite characteristics in the upcoming sections.

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Basalt vs Ignimbrite 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 Ignimbrite characteristics assist us to distinguish and recognize rocks. Also you can check about Properties of Basalt and Properties of Ignimbrite. Learn more about Basalt vs Ignimbrite in the next section. The interior uses of Basalt include Floor tiles, Homes, Hotels and Kitchens whereas the interior uses of Ignimbrite include Decorative aggregates, Floor tiles, Homes and Interior decoration. Due to some exceptional properties of Basalt and Ignimbrite, 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 Ignimbrite include Building houses or walls, Construction aggregate.

More about Basalt and Ignimbrite

Here you can know more about Basalt and Ignimbrite. The life cycle of a rock consists of formation of rock, composition of rock and transformation of rock. The composition of Basalt and Ignimbrite consists of mineral content and compound content. The mineral content of Basalt includes Olivine, Plagioclase, Pyroxene and mineral content of Ignimbrite includes Apatite, Biotite, Calcite, Chlorite, Feldspar, Hematite, Hornblade, Ilmenite, Magnetite, Olivine, Pyroxene, Quartz. You can also check out the list of all Igneous Rocks. When we have to compare Basalt vs Ignimbrite, 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, Ignimbrite is available in beige, black, brown, grey, pink, white colors. Appearance of Basalt is Dull and Soft and that of Ignimbrite is Dull, Vesicular and Foilated. Properties of rock is another aspect for Basalt vs Ignimbrite. The hardness of Basalt is 6 and that of Ignimbrite is 4-6. 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 Ignimbrite 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 Ignimbrite is white. The specific heat capacity of Basalt is 0.84 kJ/Kg K and that of Ignimbrite is 0.20 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 Ignimbrite is heat resistant, impact resistant, pressure resistant, wear resistant.