Basalt

Oolite

Basalt vs Oolite

Basalt

Oolite

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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

Oolite is a sedimentary rock formed from ooids, spherical grains which are composed of concentric layers of calcite

History

Origin

Egypt

Discoverer

Georgius Agricola

William Smith

Etymology

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

From oo- + -lite, after German Oolit. A rock consisting of fine grains of carbonate of lime

Class

Igneous Rocks

Sedimentary Rocks

Sub-Class

Durable Rock, Medium Hardness Rock

Family

Group

Volcanic

Other Categories

Fine Grained Rock, Opaque Rock

Texture

Glassy, Massive, Porphyritic, Scoriaceous, Vesicular

Clastic or Non-Clastic

Color

Black, Brown, Light to Dark Grey

Black, Blue, Brown, Cream, Green, Grey, Pink, Red, Silver, White, Yellow

Maintenance

Less

Durability

Durable

Water Resistant

✔ ✘

Scratch Resistant

✔ ✘

Stain Resistant

✔ ✘

Wind Resistant

✔ ✘

Acid Resistant

✔ ✘

Appearance

Dull and Soft

Rounded and Rough

Uses

Architecture

Interior Uses

Floor Tiles, Homes, Hotels, Kitchens

Decorative Aggregates, Flooring, Interior Decoration

Exterior Uses

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

As Building Stone, As Facing Stone, Garden Decoration, Paving Stone

Other Architectural Uses

Curbing, Whetstones

Industry

Construction Industry

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

Cement Manufacture, Cobblestones, Landscaping

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, Jewelry, Used in aquariums

Types

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

Pisolitic Oolite and Oncolitic Oolite

Features

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

Available in lots of colors, Generally rough to touch, 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

Sculpture

Famous Sculptures

Pictographs

Petroglyphs

Figurines

Fossils

Absent

Present

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.

Oolites form when layers of calcite are deposited around a sand grain or fossil piece and are rolled around in calm water, which makes them round.

Composition

Mineral Content

Olivine, Plagioclase, Pyroxene

Calcite, Chert, Clay, Dolomite, Quartz, Sand, Silt

Compound Content

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

Aluminium Oxide, Ca, NaCl, CaO, Iron(III) Oxide, FeO, MgO

Transformation

Metamorphism

✔ ✘

Types of Metamorphism

Contact Metamorphism

Weathering

✔ ✘

Types of Weathering

Biological Weathering

Biological Weathering, Chemical Weathering, Mechanical Weathering

Erosion

✔ ✘

Types of Erosion

Chemical Erosion, Coastal Erosion

Properties

Physical Properties

Hardness

63-4

1 7

👆🏻

Grain Size

Fine Grained

Fracture

Conchoidal

Streak

White to Grey

White

Porosity

Less Porous

Luster

Pearly to Shiny

Compressive Strength

37.40 N/mm²40.00 N/mm²

0.15 450

👆🏻

Cleavage

Toughness

2.3

Specific Gravity

2.8-3-9999

0 8.4

👆🏻

Transparency

Opaque

Density

2.9-3.1 g/cm³-9999 g/cm³

0 1400

👆🏻

Thermal Properties

Specific Heat Capacity

0.84 kJ/Kg K0.65 kJ/Kg K

0.14 3.2

👆🏻

Resistance

Heat Resistant, Pressure Resistant, Wear Resistant

Heat Resistant, Wear Resistant

Reserves

Deposits in Eastern Continents

Asia

India, Russia

Brunei, India, Indonesia, Malaysia, Singapore, Thailand, Vietnam

Africa

South Africa

Cameroon, Chad, Ghana, Kenya, Malawi, Sudan, Tanzania, Togo, Zambia, Zimbabwe

Europe

Iceland

United Kingdom

Others

Deposits in Western Continents

North America

Canada, USA

USA

South America

Brazil

Colombia

Deposits in Oceania Continent

Australia

Adelaide, New Zealand, Queensland, Victoria, Yorke Peninsula

Basalt vs Oolite 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 Oolite 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. Oolite is a sedimentary rock formed from ooids, spherical grains which are composed of concentric layers of calcite. 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 Oolite information and Basalt vs Oolite characteristics in the upcoming sections.

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Basalt vs Oolite 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 Oolite characteristics assist us to distinguish and recognize rocks. Also you can check about Properties of Basalt and Properties of Oolite. Learn more about Basalt vs Oolite in the next section. The interior uses of Basalt include Floor tiles, Homes, Hotels and Kitchens whereas the interior uses of Oolite include Decorative aggregates, Flooring and Interior decoration. Due to some exceptional properties of Basalt and Oolite, 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 Oolite include Cement manufacture, Cobblestones, Landscaping.

More about Basalt and Oolite

Here you can know more about Basalt and Oolite. The life cycle of a rock consists of formation of rock, composition of rock and transformation of rock. The composition of Basalt and Oolite consists of mineral content and compound content. The mineral content of Basalt includes Olivine, Plagioclase, Pyroxene and mineral content of Oolite includes Calcite, Chert, Clay, Dolomite, Quartz, Sand, Silt. You can also check out the list of all Igneous Rocks. When we have to compare Basalt vs Oolite, 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, Oolite is available in black, blue, brown, cream, green, grey, pink, red, silver, white, yellow colors. Appearance of Basalt is Dull and Soft and that of Oolite is Rounded and Rough. Properties of rock is another aspect for Basalt vs Oolite. The hardness of Basalt is 6 and that of Oolite is 3-4. 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 Oolite are Pisolitic Oolite and Oncolitic Oolite. 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 Oolite is white. The specific heat capacity of Basalt is 0.84 kJ/Kg K and that of Oolite is 0.65 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 Oolite is heat resistant, wear resistant.