Definition
Basanite is a black basaltic rock which mainly contains plagioclase, augite, olivine and nepheline and is formerly used as a touchstone
Wehrlite is an ultramafic and ultrabasic rock that is a mixture of olivine and clinopyroxene. It is a subdivision of the peridotites
Discoverer
Unknown
Alois Wehrle
Etymology
From Latin basanites + -ite
From the name of a professor, Alois Wehrle
Class
Igneous Rocks
Igneous Rocks
Sub-Class
Durable Rock, Hard Rock
Durable Rock, Medium Hardness Rock
Group
Not Applicable
Plutonic
Other Categories
Fine Grained Rock, Opaque Rock
Coarse Grained Rock, Opaque Rock
Texture
Aphanitic to Porphyritic
Banded
Color
Black, Brown, Green, Grey, Red, White
Dark Greenish - Grey, Green
Durability
Durable
Durable
Scratch Resistant
Yes
Yes
Appearance
Glassy or Pearly
Rough and Banded
Interior Uses
Decorative Aggregates, Homes
Decorative Aggregates, Interior Decoration
Exterior Uses
As Building Stone, Garden Decoration, Office Buildings
As Building Stone, As Facing Stone, Garden Decoration, Paving Stone
Other Architectural Uses
Whetstones
Curbing
Construction Industry
Arrowheads, Construction Aggregate, Cutting Tool, Spear Points
As Dimension Stone, Cobblestones
Medical Industry
Not Yet Used
NA
Antiquity Uses
Artifacts, Monuments
Artifacts, Monuments, Sculpture, Small Figurines
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, Creating Artwork, Gemstone, Jewelry
Types
Nepheline-Basanite, Analcite-Basanite and Leucite-Basanite
Not Available
Features
Clasts are smooth to touch, Easily splits into thin plates, Has High structural resistance against erosion and climate, Used as a touchstone
Constitutes upper part of the Earth's mantle, Generally rough to touch, Is one of the oldest rock
Archaeological Significance
Famous Monuments
Data Not Available
Data Not Available
Sculpture
Not Yet Used
Used
Famous Sculptures
Not Applicable
Data Not Available
Pictographs
Not Used
Used
Petroglyphs
Not Used
Used
Figurines
Not Yet Used
Used
Formation
Basanite is a fine-grained, hard rock that forms when bits of lava shoot out of volcanoes.
Wehrlite 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
Augite, Feldspar, Ilmenite, Olivine, Plagioclase
Pyroxene
Compound Content
Potassium Oxide, Sodium Oxide, Silicon Dioxide
Aluminium Oxide, CaO, Carbon Dioxide, Iron(III) Oxide, FeO, Potassium Oxide, MgO, Sodium Oxide, Phosphorus Pentoxide, Silicon Dioxide, Titanium Dioxide
Types of Metamorphism
Burial Metamorphism, Cataclastic Metamorphism, Contact Metamorphism, Regional Metamorphism
Burial Metamorphism, Cataclastic Metamorphism, Contact Metamorphism, Impact Metamorphism, Regional Metamorphism
Types of Weathering
Chemical Weathering, Mechanical Weathering
Biological Weathering, Chemical Weathering, Mechanical Weathering
Types of Erosion
Chemical Erosion, Coastal Erosion, Glacier Erosion, Sea Erosion, Water Erosion, Wind Erosion
Chemical Erosion, Coastal Erosion, Water Erosion
Grain Size
Fine Grained
Coarse Grained
Fracture
Uneven, Splintery or Conchoidal
Irregular
Porosity
Highly Porous
Less Porous
Luster
Waxy and Dull
Metallic
Cleavage
Non-Existent
Perfect
Specific Gravity
2.5-2.8
8.4
Transparency
Translucent to Opaque
Opaque
Density
2.7 g/cm3
2.6-3.7 g/cm3
Resistance
Heat Resistant, Impact Resistant, Pressure Resistant, Wear Resistant
Heat Resistant, Impact Resistant, Pressure Resistant
Deposits in Eastern Continents
Asia
Not Yet Found
China, India, Indonesia, Kazakhstan, Russia, South Korea, Thailand, Turkey
Africa
Uganda
Morocco, South Africa
Europe
Germany, Hungary, Italy, Spain
Finland, France, Georgia, Germany, Great Britain, Italy, Kazakhstan, Netherlands, Norway, Spain, Switzerland, Venezuela
Others
Greenland, Mid-Atlantic Ridge
Not Yet Found
Deposits in Western Continents
North America
USA
Canada, USA
South America
Bolivia, Brazil
Brazil
Deposits in Oceania Continent
Australia
New South Wales, New Zealand, Queensland, South Australia, Western Australia
New Zealand, Western Australia
Basanite vs Wehrlite 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 Wehrlite characteristics assist us to distinguish and recognize rocks. Also you can check about Properties of Basanite and Properties of Wehrlite. Learn more about Basanite vs Wehrlite in the next section. The interior uses of Basanite include Decorative aggregates and Homes whereas the interior uses of Wehrlite include Decorative aggregates and Interior decoration. Due to some exceptional properties of Basanite and Wehrlite, 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 Wehrlite include As dimension stone, Cobblestones.
More about Basanite and Wehrlite
Here you can know more about Basanite and Wehrlite. The life cycle of a rock consists of formation of rock, composition of rock and transformation of rock. The composition of Basanite and Wehrlite consists of mineral content and compound content. The mineral content of Basanite includes Augite, Feldspar, Ilmenite, Olivine, Plagioclase and mineral content of Wehrlite includes Pyroxene. You can also check out the list of all Igneous Rocks. When we have to compare Basanite vs Wehrlite, 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, Wehrlite is available in dark greenish - grey, green colors. Appearance of Basanite is Glassy or Pearly and that of Wehrlite is Rough and Banded. Properties of rock is another aspect for Basanite vs Wehrlite. The hardness of Basanite is 7 and that of Wehrlite is 5.5-6. The types of Basanite are Nepheline-Basanite, Analcite-Basanite and Leucite-Basanite whereas types of Wehrlite are Not Available. Streak of rock is the color of powder produced when it is dragged across an unweathered surface. The streak of Basanite and Wehrlite is white. The specific heat capacity of Basanite is 0.74 kJ/Kg K and that of Wehrlite is 0.63 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 Wehrlite is heat resistant, impact resistant, pressure resistant.