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Basanite  vs Obsidian


Obsidian vs Basanite 


Definition

Definition
Basanite is a black basaltic rock which mainly contains plagioclase, augite, olivine and nepheline and is formerly used as a touchstone   
Obsidian is a naturally occurring volcanic glass formed as an extrusive igneous rock. It is produced when felsic lava extruded from a volcano cools rapidly with minimum crystal growth   

History
  
  

Origin
Unknown   
Ethiopia   

Discoverer
Unknown   
Obsius   

Etymology
From Latin basanites + -ite   
From Latin obsidianus, misprint of Obsianus (lapis) (stone) of Obsius   

Class
Igneous Rocks   
Igneous Rocks   

Sub-Class
Durable Rock, Hard Rock   
Durable Rock, Medium Hardness Rock   

Family
  
  

Group
Not Applicable   
Volcanic   

Other Categories
Fine Grained Rock, Opaque Rock   
Opaque Rock   

Texture

Texture
Aphanitic to Porphyritic   
Glassy   

Color
Black, Brown, Green, Grey, Red, White   
Black, Blue, Brown, Green, Orange, Red, Tan, Yellow   

Maintenance
Less   
Less   

Durability
Durable   
Durable   

Water Resistant
Yes   
Yes   

Scratch Resistant
Yes   
Yes   

Stain Resistant
Yes   
No   

Wind Resistant
Yes   
No   

Acid Resistant
Yes   
No   

Appearance
Glassy or Pearly   
Shiny   

Uses

Architecture
  
  

Interior Uses
Decorative Aggregates, Homes   
Decorative Aggregates, Interior Decoration   

Exterior Uses
As Building Stone, Garden Decoration, Office Buildings   
Garden Decoration   

Other Architectural Uses
Whetstones   
Not Yet Used   

Industry
  
  

Construction Industry
Arrowheads, Construction Aggregate, Cutting Tool, Spear Points   
Arrowheads, Cutting Tool, Knives, Scrapers, Spear Points   

Medical Industry
Not Yet Used   
Surgery   

Antiquity Uses
Artifacts, Monuments   
Artifacts, Jewellery   

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   
Creating Artwork, Mirror, Used in aquariums   

Types

Types
Nepheline-Basanite, Analcite-Basanite and Leucite-Basanite   
Fireworks Obsidian, Mahogany, Sheen Obsidian, Snowflake obsidian and Velvet Peacock Obsidian   

Features
Clasts are smooth to touch, Easily splits into thin plates, Has High structural resistance against erosion and climate, Used as a touchstone   
Blocks negativity, Helps to protect against depression   

Archaeological Significance
  
  

Monuments
Used   
Not Yet Used   

Famous Monuments
Data Not Available   
Not Applicable   

Sculpture
Not Yet Used   
Not Yet Used   

Famous Sculptures
Not Applicable   
Not Applicable   

Pictographs
Not Used   
Used   

Petroglyphs
Not Used   
Used   

Figurines
Not Yet Used   
Not Yet Used   

Fossils
Absent   
Absent   

Formation

Formation
Basanite is a fine-grained, hard rock that forms when bits of lava shoot out of volcanoes.   
When the lava is released from volcano, it undergoes a very rapid cooling which freezes the mechanisms of crystallization. The result is a volcanic glass with a uniform smooth texture.   

Composition
  
  

Mineral Content
Augite, Feldspar, Ilmenite, Olivine, Plagioclase   
Not Available   

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

Transformation
  
  

Metamorphism
Yes   
Yes   

Types of Metamorphism
Burial Metamorphism, Cataclastic Metamorphism, Contact Metamorphism, Regional Metamorphism   
Burial Metamorphism, Cataclastic Metamorphism, Contact Metamorphism   

Weathering
Yes   
Yes   

Types of Weathering
Chemical Weathering, Mechanical Weathering   
Biological Weathering, Chemical Weathering, Mechanical Weathering   

Erosion
Yes   
Yes   

Types of Erosion
Chemical Erosion, Coastal Erosion, Glacier Erosion, Sea Erosion, Water Erosion, Wind Erosion   
Chemical Erosion, Coastal Erosion, Glacier Erosion   

Properties

Physical Properties
  
  

Hardness
7   
5-5.5   

Grain Size
Fine Grained   
Not Applicable   

Fracture
Uneven, Splintery or Conchoidal   
Conchoidal   

Streak
White   
White   

Porosity
Highly Porous   
Very Less Porous   

Luster
Waxy and Dull   
Vitreous   

Compressive Strength
Not Available   
0.15 N/mm2   
33

Cleavage
Non-Existent   
Non-Existent   

Toughness
1.5   
Not Available   

Specific Gravity
2.5-2.8   
2.6-2.7   

Transparency
Translucent to Opaque   
Translucent   

Density
2.7 g/cm3   
2.6 g/cm3   

Thermal Properties
  
  

Specific Heat Capacity
0.74 kJ/Kg K   
19
0.92 kJ/Kg K   
10

Resistance
Heat Resistant, Impact Resistant, Pressure Resistant, Wear Resistant   
Heat Resistant, Impact Resistant   

Reserves

Deposits in Eastern Continents
  
  

Asia
Not Yet Found   
Afghanistan, Indonesia, Japan, Russia   

Africa
Uganda   
Kenya   

Europe
Germany, Hungary, Italy, Spain   
Greece, Hungary, Iceland, Italy, Turkey   

Others
Greenland, Mid-Atlantic Ridge   
Not Yet Found   

Deposits in Western Continents
  
  

North America
USA   
Canada, Mexico, USA   

South America
Bolivia, Brazil   
Argentina, Chile, Ecuador, Peru   

Deposits in Oceania Continent
  
  

Australia
New South Wales, New Zealand, Queensland, South Australia, Western Australia   
New Zealand   

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Basanite  vs Obsidian 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 Basanite  and Obsidian Reserves. Basanite is a black basaltic rock which mainly contains plagioclase, augite, olivine and nepheline and is formerly used as a touchstone. Obsidian is a naturally occurring volcanic glass formed as an extrusive igneous rock. It is produced when felsic lava extruded from a volcano cools rapidly with minimum crystal growth. 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 Basanite  vs Obsidian information and Basanite  vs Obsidian characteristics in the upcoming sections.

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Basanite  vs Obsidian 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. Basanite  vs Obsidian characteristics assist us to distinguish and recognize rocks. Also you can check about Properties of Basanite  and Properties of Obsidian. Learn more about Basanite  vs Obsidian in the next section. The interior uses of Basanite  include Decorative aggregates and Homes whereas the interior uses of Obsidian include Decorative aggregates and Interior decoration. Due to some exceptional properties of Basanite  and Obsidian, they have various applications in construction industry. The uses of Basanite  in construction industry include Arrowheads, Construction aggregate, Cutting tool, Spear points and that of Obsidian include Arrowheads, Cutting tool, Knives, Scrapers, Spear points.

More about Basanite  and Obsidian

Here you can know more about Basanite  and Obsidian. The life cycle of a rock consists of formation of rock, composition of rock and transformation of rock. The composition of Basanite  and Obsidian consists of mineral content and compound content. The mineral content of Basanite  includes Augite, Feldspar, Ilmenite, Olivine, Plagioclase and mineral content of Obsidian is not available. You can also check out the list of all Igneous Rocks. When we have to compare Basanite  vs Obsidian, the texture, color and appearance plays an important role in determining the type of rock. Basanite  is available in black, brown, green, grey, red, white colors whereas, Obsidian is available in black, blue, brown, green, orange, red, tan, yellow colors. Appearance of Basanite  is Glassy or Pearly and that of Obsidian is Shiny. Properties of rock is another aspect for Basanite  vs Obsidian. The hardness of Basanite  is 7 and that of Obsidian is 5-5.5. The types of Basanite  are Nepheline-Basanite, Analcite-Basanite and Leucite-Basanite whereas types of Obsidian are Fireworks Obsidian, Mahogany, Sheen Obsidian, Snowflake obsidian and Velvet Peacock Obsidian. Streak of rock is the color of powder produced when it is dragged across an unweathered surface. The streak of Basanite  and Obsidian is white. The specific heat capacity of Basanite  is 0.74 kJ/Kg K and that of Obsidian is 0.92 kJ/Kg K. Depending on the properties like hardness, toughness, specific heat capacity, porosity etc., rocks are resistant to heat, wear, impact, etc.Basanite  is heat resistant, impact resistant, pressure resistant, wear resistant whereas Obsidian is heat resistant, impact resistant.

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