Definition
Basanite is a black basaltic rock which mainly contains plagioclase, augite, olivine and nepheline and is formerly used as a touchstone
Comendite is a hard, peralkaline igneous rock, a type of light blue grey rhyolite
History
Origin
-
Italy
Discoverer
Unknown
Unknown
Etymology
From Latin basanites + -ite
Comendite derives its name from the area of Le Commende on San Pietro Island in Italy
Class
Igneous Rocks
Igneous Rocks
Sub-Class
Durable Rock, Hard Rock
Durable Rock, Hard Rock
Family
Group
-
Volcanic
Other Categories
Fine Grained Rock, Opaque Rock
Medium Grained Rock, Opaque Rock
Texture
Aphanitic to Porphyritic
Porphyritic
Color
Black, Brown, Green, Grey, Red, White
Blue, Bluish - Grey
Maintenance
Less
Less
Durability
Durable
Durable
Water Resistant
✔
✘
✔
✘
Scratch Resistant
✔
✘
✔
✘
Stain Resistant
✔
✘
✔
✘
Wind Resistant
✔
✘
✔
✘
Acid Resistant
✔
✘
✔
✘
Appearance
Glassy or Pearly
Foliated
Architecture
Interior Uses
Decorative Aggregates, Homes
Countertops, Decorative Aggregates, Interior Decoration
Exterior Uses
As Building Stone, Garden Decoration, Office Buildings
As Building Stone, As Facing Stone, Garden Decoration
Other Architectural Uses
Whetstones
Curbing
Industry
Construction Industry
Arrowheads, Construction Aggregate, Cutting Tool, Spear Points
Building houses or walls, Cement Manufacture, Construction Aggregate, for Road Aggregate, Landscaping, Making natural cement, Raw material for the manufacture of mortar
Medical Industry
-
-
Antiquity Uses
Artifacts, Monuments
Artifacts
Other Uses
Commercial Uses
As a touchstone, Creating Artwork, Gemstone, In fire-starting tools, Manufacture of tools, Metallurgical Flux, Jewelry, To ignite fire, Used in flintlock firearms
Cemetery Markers
Types
Nepheline-Basanite, Analcite-Basanite and Leucite-Basanite
Rhyolite
Features
Clasts are smooth to touch, Easily splits into thin plates, Has High structural resistance against erosion and climate, Used as a touchstone
Very fine grained rock, It is One of the Oldest, Strongest and Hardest Rock
Archaeological Significance
Monuments
-
-
Famous Monuments
-
-
Sculpture
-
-
Famous Sculptures
-
-
Pictographs
-
-
Petroglyphs
-
-
Figurines
-
-
Fossils
Absent
Absent
Formation
Basanite is a fine-grained, hard rock that forms when bits of lava shoot out of volcanoes.
Comendite is a type of Igneous rock which is formed due to cooling and solidification of lava or magma. It may form with or without crystallization, either below the surface as intrusive rocks or on the surface as extrusive rocks.
Composition
Mineral Content
Augite, Feldspar, Ilmenite, Olivine, Plagioclase
Albite, Amphibole, Quartz
Compound Content
Potassium Oxide, Sodium Oxide, Silicon Dioxide
Al, Fe, Potassium Oxide
Transformation
Metamorphism
✔
✘
✔
✘
Types of Metamorphism
Burial Metamorphism, Cataclastic Metamorphism, Contact Metamorphism, Regional Metamorphism
Cataclastic Metamorphism, Regional Metamorphism
Weathering
✔
✘
✔
✘
Types of Weathering
Chemical Weathering, Mechanical Weathering
Biological Weathering, Chemical Weathering, Mechanical Weathering
Erosion
✔
✘
✔
✘
Types of Erosion
Chemical Erosion, Coastal Erosion, Glacier Erosion, Sea Erosion, Water Erosion, Wind Erosion
Coastal Erosion, Water Erosion
Physical Properties
Hardness
76-7
1
7
👆🏻
Grain Size
Fine Grained
Medium Grained
Fracture
Uneven, Splintery or Conchoidal
Pervasive
Streak
White
Bluish Black
Porosity
Highly Porous
Highly Porous
Luster
Waxy and Dull
Dull
Compressive Strength
100.00 N/mm292.40 N/mm2
0.15
450
👆🏻
Cleavage
-
-
Toughness
1.5
2
Specific Gravity
2.5-2.82.38
0
8.4
👆🏻
Transparency
Translucent to Opaque
Opaque
Density
2.7 g/cm3-9999 g/cm3
0
1400
👆🏻
Thermal Properties
Specific Heat Capacity
0.74 kJ/Kg K0.79 kJ/Kg K
0.14
3.2
👆🏻
Resistance
Heat Resistant, Impact Resistant, Pressure Resistant, Wear Resistant
Heat Resistant, Impact Resistant
Deposits in Eastern Continents
Asia
-
China
Africa
Uganda
East Africa
Europe
Germany, Hungary, Italy, Spain
Italy
Others
Greenland, Mid-Atlantic Ridge
-
Deposits in Western Continents
North America
USA
-
South America
Bolivia, Brazil
-
Deposits in Oceania Continent
Australia
New South Wales, New Zealand, Queensland, South Australia, Western Australia
Queensland