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
  
Nephelinite is a fine-grained or aphanitic igneous rock made up almost entirely of nepheline and clinopyroxene (variety augite).
  
History
  
  
Origin
Egypt
  
Brazil
  
Discoverer
Georgius Agricola
  
Unknown
  
Etymology
From Late Latin Basaltes (variant of basanites ), very hard stone, which was imported from Ancient Greek Basanites
  
from French néphéline, from Greek nephelē
  
Class
Igneous Rocks
  
Igneous Rocks
  
Sub-Class
Durable Rock, Medium Hardness Rock
  
Durable Rock, Hard Rock
  
Family
  
  
Group
Volcanic
  
Plutonic
  
Other Categories
Fine Grained Rock, Opaque Rock
  
Fine Grained Rock, Opaque Rock
  
Texture
Glassy, Massive, Porphyritic, Scoriaceous, Vesicular
  
Aphanitic
  
Color
Black, Brown, Light to Dark Grey
  
Black, Brown, Colourless, Green, Grey, White
  
Maintenance
More
  
Less
  
Durability
Durable
  
Durable
  
Water Resistant
No
  
Yes
  
Scratch Resistant
Yes
  
Yes
  
Stain Resistant
Yes
  
Yes
  
Wind Resistant
No
  
Yes
  
Acid Resistant
Yes
  
Yes
  
Appearance
Dull and Soft
  
Skeletal
  
Architecture
  
  
Interior Uses
Floor Tiles, Homes, Hotels, Kitchens
  
Decorative Aggregates, Homes, Interior Decoration
  
Exterior Uses
As Building Stone, Paving Stone, Garden Decoration, Office Buildings
  
As Building Stone, As Facing Stone, Garden Decoration, Office Buildings, Paving Stone
  
Other Architectural Uses
Curbing, Whetstones
  
Curbing
  
Industry
  
  
Construction Industry
Arrowheads, As Dimension Stone, Cobblestones, Cutting Tool, Rail Track Ballast, Roadstone
  
As Dimension Stone, Cement Manufacture, Construction Aggregate, for Road Aggregate
  
Medical Industry
Not Yet Used
  
Not Yet Used
  
Antiquity Uses
Artifacts, Monuments
  
Artifacts, Monuments, Sculpture, Small Figurines
  
Other Uses
  
  
Commercial Uses
An Oil and Gas Reservoir, Commemorative Tablets, Creating Artwork, Used in aquariums
  
Creating Artwork, Soil Conditioner, Source of Magnesia (MgO)
  
Types
Alkaline Basalt, Boninite, High Alumina Basalt, Mid Ocean Ridge Basalt (MORB), Tholeiitic Basalt, Basaltic trachyandesite, Mugearite and Shoshonite
  
Peralkaline Nephelinite
  
Features
Has High structural resistance against erosion and climate, Very fine grained rock
  
Host Rock for Lead
  
Archaeological Significance
  
  
Monuments
Used
  
Used
  
Famous Monuments
Easter Island in the Polynesian Triangle, Pacific Ocean, Gateway of India in Mumbai, India, Gol Gumbaz in Karnataka, India
  
Data Not Available
  
Sculpture
Used
  
Used
  
Famous Sculptures
Data Not Available
  
Data Not Available
  
Pictographs
Used
  
Not Used
  
Petroglyphs
Used
  
Not Used
  
Figurines
Used
  
Used
  
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.
  
Nephelinite is a fine-grained, hard rock which is a type of metasomatite, essentially altered basalt. It forms with or without crystallization, either below the surface as intrusive rocks or on the surface as extrusive rocks.
  
Composition
  
  
Mineral Content
Olivine, Plagioclase, Pyroxene
  
Clinopyroxene, Nepheline, Plagioclase
  
Compound Content
Aluminium Oxide, CaO, Iron(III) Oxide, FeO, Potassium Oxide, MgO, MnO, Sodium Oxide, Phosphorus Pentoxide, Silicon Dioxide, Titanium Dioxide
  
Ca, CaO, Carbon, Cl, MgO
  
Transformation
  
  
Metamorphism
Yes
  
Yes
  
Types of Metamorphism
Contact Metamorphism
  
Contact Metamorphism
  
Weathering
Yes
  
Yes
  
Types of Weathering
Biological Weathering
  
Biological Weathering, Chemical Weathering, Mechanical Weathering
  
Erosion
No
  
Yes
  
Types of Erosion
Not Available
  
Chemical Erosion, Water Erosion, Wind Erosion
  
Physical Properties
  
  
Hardness
6
  
6.5
  
Grain Size
Fine Grained
  
Fine Grained
  
Fracture
Conchoidal
  
Flat
  
Streak
White to Grey
  
White
  
Porosity
Less Porous
  
Less Porous
  
Luster
Not Available
  
Vitreous to Metallic
  
Compressive Strength
37.40 N/mm2
  
28
35.00 N/mm2
  
29
Cleavage
Not Available
  
Imperfect
  
Toughness
2.3
  
2.7
  
Specific Gravity
2.8-3
  
2.4-2.9
  
Transparency
Opaque
  
Opaque
  
Density
2.9-3.1 g/cm3
  
2.5-3 g/cm3
  
Thermal Properties
  
  
Specific Heat Capacity
0.84 kJ/Kg K
  
15
0.88 kJ/Kg K
  
13
Resistance
Heat Resistant, Pressure Resistant, Wear Resistant
  
Heat Resistant
  
Deposits in Eastern Continents
  
  
Asia
India, Russia
  
Japan
  
Africa
South Africa
  
Rwanda, Tanzania
  
Europe
Iceland
  
Not Yet Found
  
Others
Not Yet Found
  
Hawaii Islands
  
Deposits in Western Continents
  
  
North America
Canada, USA
  
Canada, USA
  
South America
Brazil
  
Colombia
  
Deposits in Oceania Continent
  
  
Australia
Not Yet Found
  
Not Yet Found
  
Basalt vs Nephelinite 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 Nephelinite characteristics assist us to distinguish and recognize rocks. Also you can check about Properties of Basalt and Properties of Nephelinite. Learn more about Basalt vs Nephelinite in the next section. The interior uses of Basalt include Floor tiles, Homes, Hotels and Kitchens whereas the interior uses of Nephelinite include Decorative aggregates, Homes and Interior decoration. Due to some exceptional properties of Basalt and Nephelinite, 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 Nephelinite include As dimension stone, Cement manufacture, Construction aggregate, For road aggregate.
More about Basalt and Nephelinite
Here you can know more about Basalt and Nephelinite. The life cycle of a rock consists of formation of rock, composition of rock and transformation of rock. The composition of Basalt and Nephelinite consists of mineral content and compound content. The mineral content of Basalt includes Olivine, Plagioclase, Pyroxene and mineral content of Nephelinite includes Clinopyroxene, Nepheline, Plagioclase. You can also check out the list of all Igneous Rocks. When we have to compare Basalt vs Nephelinite, 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, Nephelinite is available in black, brown, colourless, green, grey, white colors. Appearance of Basalt is Dull and Soft and that of Nephelinite is Skeletal. Properties of rock is another aspect for Basalt vs Nephelinite. The hardness of Basalt is 6 and that of Nephelinite is 6.5. 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 Nephelinite are Peralkaline Nephelinite. 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 Nephelinite is white. The specific heat capacity of Basalt is 0.84 kJ/Kg K and that of Nephelinite is 0.88 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 Nephelinite is heat resistant.