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
Pantellerite is a peralkaline rhyolite. It has a higher iron and lower aluminium composition than comendite
Origin
Egypt
Strait of sicily
Discoverer
Georgius Agricola
Unknown
Etymology
From Late Latin Basaltes (variant of basanites ), very hard stone, which was imported from Ancient Greek Basanites
From Pantelleria, a volcanic island in the Strait of Sicily
Class
Igneous Rocks
Igneous Rocks
Sub-Class
Durable Rock, Medium Hardness Rock
Durable Rock, Hard Rock
Other Categories
Fine Grained Rock, Opaque Rock
Fine Grained Rock, Opaque Rock
Texture
Glassy, Massive, Porphyritic, Scoriaceous, Vesicular
Eutaxitic
Color
Black, Brown, Light to Dark Grey
Dark Greenish - Grey
Durability
Durable
Durable
Scratch Resistant
Yes
Yes
Appearance
Dull and Soft
Layered and Foliated
Interior Uses
Floor Tiles, Homes, Hotels, Kitchens
Not Yet Used
Exterior Uses
As Building Stone, Paving Stone, Garden Decoration, Office Buildings
Not Yet Used
Other Architectural Uses
Curbing, Whetstones
Not Yet Used
Construction Industry
Arrowheads, As Dimension Stone, Cobblestones, Cutting Tool, Rail Track Ballast, Roadstone
NA
Medical Industry
Not Yet Used
Not Yet Used
Antiquity Uses
Artifacts, Monuments
Artifacts, Sculpture
Commercial Uses
An Oil and Gas Reservoir, Commemorative Tablets, Creating Artwork, Used in aquariums
Creating Artwork
Types
Alkaline Basalt, Boninite, High Alumina Basalt, Mid Ocean Ridge Basalt (MORB), Tholeiitic Basalt, Basaltic trachyandesite, Mugearite and Shoshonite
Pantelleritic Ignimbrite
Features
Has High structural resistance against erosion and climate, Very fine grained rock
High Fe content
Archaeological Significance
Monuments
Used
Not Yet Used
Famous Monuments
Easter Island in the Polynesian Triangle, Pacific Ocean, Gateway of India in Mumbai, India, Gol Gumbaz in Karnataka, India
Not Applicable
Sculpture
Used
Not Yet Used
Famous Sculptures
Data Not Available
Not Applicable
Pictographs
Used
Not Used
Petroglyphs
Used
Not Used
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.
Pantellerite 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.
Mineral Content
Olivine, Plagioclase, Pyroxene
Amphibole, Feldspar, Ilmenite
Compound Content
Aluminium Oxide, CaO, Iron(III) Oxide, FeO, Potassium Oxide, MgO, MnO, Sodium Oxide, Phosphorus Pentoxide, Silicon Dioxide, Titanium Dioxide
Al, Fe
Types of Metamorphism
Contact Metamorphism
Burial Metamorphism, Cataclastic Metamorphism
Types of Weathering
Biological Weathering
Biological Weathering, Chemical Weathering
Types of Erosion
Not Available
Chemical Erosion, Coastal Erosion, Glacier Erosion, Sea Erosion, Water Erosion, Wind Erosion
Grain Size
Fine Grained
Fine Grained
Fracture
Conchoidal
Sub-conchoidal
Streak
White to Grey
Unknown
Porosity
Less Porous
Less Porous
Luster
Not Available
Earthy
Compressive Strength
Not Available
Cleavage
Not Available
Conchoidal
Specific Gravity
2.8-3
Not Available
Transparency
Opaque
Translucent to Opaque
Density
2.9-3.1 g/cm3
Not Available
Specific Heat Capacity
Not Available
Resistance
Heat Resistant, Pressure Resistant, Wear Resistant
Heat Resistant
Deposits in Eastern Continents
Asia
India, Russia
China, India
Africa
South Africa
Angola, Egypt, Madagascar, Namibia, Nigeria
Europe
Iceland
Germany, Iceland, Ireland, Italy, Spain, United Kingdom
Others
Not Yet Found
Not Yet Found
Deposits in Western Continents
North America
Canada, USA
Canada, USA
South America
Brazil
Argentina, Bolivia, Brazil, Colombia, Ecuador
Deposits in Oceania Continent
Australia
Not Yet Found
Central Australia, Queensland, Western Australia
Basalt vs Pantellerite 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 Pantellerite characteristics assist us to distinguish and recognize rocks. Also you can check about Properties of Basalt and Properties of Pantellerite. Learn more about Basalt vs Pantellerite in the next section. The interior uses of Basalt include Floor tiles, Homes, Hotels and Kitchens whereas the interior uses of Pantellerite include Not yet used. Due to some exceptional properties of Basalt and Pantellerite, 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 Pantellerite include Na.
More about Basalt and Pantellerite
Here you can know more about Basalt and Pantellerite. The life cycle of a rock consists of formation of rock, composition of rock and transformation of rock. The composition of Basalt and Pantellerite consists of mineral content and compound content. The mineral content of Basalt includes Olivine, Plagioclase, Pyroxene and mineral content of Pantellerite includes Amphibole, Feldspar, Ilmenite. You can also check out the list of all Igneous Rocks. When we have to compare Basalt vs Pantellerite, 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, Pantellerite is available in dark greenish - grey colors. Appearance of Basalt is Dull and Soft and that of Pantellerite is Layered and Foliated. Properties of rock is another aspect for Basalt vs Pantellerite. The hardness of Basalt is 6 and that of Pantellerite is 6-7. 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 Pantellerite are Pantelleritic Ignimbrite. 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 Pantellerite is unknown. The specific heat capacity of Basalt is 0.84 kJ/Kg K and that of Pantellerite 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 Pantellerite is heat resistant.