Basanite

Diabase

Basanite and Diabase

Basanite

Diabase

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Definition

Basanite is a black basaltic rock which mainly contains plagioclase, augite, olivine and nepheline and is formerly used as a touchstone

Diabase is a fine-grained igneous rock which is composed mostly of pyroxene and feldspar

History

Origin

Germany

Discoverer

Unknown

Christian Leopold von Buch

Etymology

From Latin basanites + -ite

From Greek di + base

Class

Igneous Rocks

Sub-Class

Durable Rock, Hard Rock

Family

Group

Volcanic

Other Categories

Fine Grained Rock, Opaque Rock

Fine Grained Rock, Medium Grained Rock, Opaque Rock

Texture

Aphanitic to Porphyritic

Aphanitic, Granular

Color

Black, Brown, Green, Grey, Red, White

Dark Grey to Black

Maintenance

Less

Durability

Durable

Water Resistant

✔ ✘

Scratch Resistant

✔ ✘

Stain Resistant

✔ ✘

Wind Resistant

✔ ✘

Acid Resistant

✔ ✘

Appearance

Glassy or Pearly

Vesicular

Uses

Architecture

Interior Uses

Decorative Aggregates, Homes

Countertops, Decorative Aggregates, Homes, Interior Decoration, Kitchens

Exterior Uses

As Building Stone, Garden Decoration, Office Buildings

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

Other Architectural Uses

Whetstones

Curbing

Industry

Construction Industry

Arrowheads, Construction Aggregate, Cutting Tool, Spear Points

As Dimension Stone, Building houses or walls, Cement Manufacture, Construction Aggregate, for Road Aggregate

Medical Industry

Antiquity Uses

Artifacts, Monuments

Artifacts, Monuments, Sculpture, Small Figurines

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

An Oil and Gas Reservoir, Cemetery Markers, Commemorative Tablets, Laboratory bench tops, Jewelry, Sea Defence, Tombstones

Types

Nepheline-Basanite, Analcite-Basanite and Leucite-Basanite

Dolerite

Features

Clasts are smooth to touch, Easily splits into thin plates, Has High structural resistance against erosion and climate, Used as a touchstone

Smooth to touch

Archaeological Significance

Monuments

Famous Monuments

Stonehenge in English county of Wiltshire

Sculpture

Famous Sculptures

Pictographs

Petroglyphs

Figurines

Fossils

Absent

Formation

Basanite is a fine-grained, hard rock that forms when bits of lava shoot out of volcanoes.

Diabase forms when molten igneous rock is squeezed up into a vertical crack in other rocks, the crack is usually forced apart and the molten rock cools in the space to form a tabular igneous intrusion cutting across the surrounding rocks and is known as a dike.

Composition

Mineral Content

Augite, Feldspar, Ilmenite, Olivine, Plagioclase

Augite, Chlorite, Olivine, Plagioclase, Pyroxene, Pyrrhotite, Serpentine

Compound Content

Potassium Oxide, Sodium Oxide, Silicon Dioxide

Aluminium Oxide, CaO, Chromium(III) Oxide, Iron(III) Oxide, Potassium Oxide, MgO, Sodium Oxide, Silicon Dioxide, Sulfur Trioxide

Transformation

Metamorphism

✔ ✘

Types of Metamorphism

Burial Metamorphism, Cataclastic Metamorphism, Contact Metamorphism, Regional Metamorphism

Weathering

✔ ✘

Types of Weathering

Chemical Weathering, Mechanical Weathering

Biological Weathering, Chemical Weathering

Erosion

✔ ✘

Types of Erosion

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

Chemical Erosion, Coastal Erosion, Water Erosion

Properties

Physical Properties

Hardness

1 7

👆🏻

Grain Size

Fine Grained

Fine to Medium Grained

Fracture

Uneven, Splintery or Conchoidal

Conchoidal

Streak

White

Black

Porosity

Highly Porous

Luster

Waxy and Dull

Compressive Strength

100.00 N/mm²225.00 N/mm²

0.15 450

👆🏻

Cleavage

Toughness

1.5

1.6

Specific Gravity

2.5-2.82.86-2.87

0 8.4

👆🏻

Transparency

Translucent to Opaque

Opaque

Density

2.7 g/cm³2.7-3.3 g/cm³

0 1400

👆🏻

Thermal Properties

Specific Heat Capacity

0.74 kJ/Kg K0.84 kJ/Kg K

0.14 3.2

👆🏻

Resistance

Heat Resistant, Impact Resistant, Pressure Resistant, Wear Resistant

Reserves

Deposits in Eastern Continents

Asia

India

Africa

Uganda

South Africa, Tanzania

Europe

Germany, Hungary, Italy, Spain

Germany, Greece, Italy, Scotland, Turkey

Others

Greenland, Mid-Atlantic Ridge

Antarctica, Greenland

Deposits in Western Continents

North America

USA

Canada, USA

South America

Bolivia, Brazil

Argentina, Brazil, Colombia, Venezuela

Deposits in Oceania Continent

Australia

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

Central Australia, New Zealand, Queensland, Western Australia

All about Basanite and Diabase Properties

Know all about Basanite and Diabase properties here. All properties of rocks are important as they define the type of rock and its application. Basanite and Diabase belong to Igneous Rocks.Texture of Basanite is Aphanitic to Porphyritic whereas that of Diabase is Aphanitic, Granular. Basanite appears Glassy or Pearly and Diabase appears Vesicular. The luster of Basanite is waxy and dull while that of Diabase is . Basanite is available in black, brown, green, grey, red, white colors whereas Diabase is available in dark grey to black colors. The commercial uses of Basanite are as a touchstone, creating artwork, gemstone, in fire-starting tools, manufacture of tools, metallurgical flux, jewelry, to ignite fire, used in flintlock firearms and that of Diabase are an oil and gas reservoir, cemetery markers, commemorative tablets, laboratory bench tops, jewelry, sea defence, tombstones.