Basanite

Felsite

Basanite and Felsite

Basanite

Felsite

Add ⊕

Definition

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

Felsite is a very fine grained volcanic rock that may or may not contain larger crystals and light colored rock that typically requires petrographic examination or chemical analysis for more precise definition

History

Origin

Discoverer

Unknown

Etymology

From Latin basanites + -ite

From English feldspar and -ite

Class

Igneous Rocks

Sub-Class

Durable Rock, Hard Rock

Durable Rock, Medium Hardness Rock

Family

Group

Volcanic

Other Categories

Fine Grained Rock, Opaque Rock

Texture

Aphanitic to Porphyritic

Arborescent Patterned, Vitreous

Color

Black, Brown, Green, Grey, Red, White

Black, Blue, Brown, Green, Orange, Red, Tan, Yellow

Maintenance

Less

Durability

Durable

Water Resistant

✔ ✘

Scratch Resistant

✔ ✘

Stain Resistant

✔ ✘

Wind Resistant

✔ ✘

Acid Resistant

✔ ✘

Appearance

Glassy or Pearly

Layered, Banded, Veined and Shiny

Uses

Architecture

Interior Uses

Decorative Aggregates, Homes

Decorative Aggregates, Flooring, Interior Decoration

Exterior Uses

As Building Stone, Garden Decoration, Office Buildings

Paving Stone, Garden Decoration

Other Architectural Uses

Whetstones

Curbing

Industry

Construction Industry

Arrowheads, Construction Aggregate, Cutting Tool, Spear Points

Arrowheads, Cutting Tool, Knives, Scrapers, Spear Points

Medical Industry

Surgery

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

Mirror, Jewelry

Types

Nepheline-Basanite, Analcite-Basanite and Leucite-Basanite

Igneous rock

Features

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

Available in Lots of Colors and Patterns, Clasts are smooth to touch, Splintery, Very fine grained rock

Archaeological Significance

Monuments

Famous Monuments

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.

Felsite 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.

Composition

Mineral Content

Augite, Feldspar, Ilmenite, Olivine, Plagioclase

Feldspar, Iron Oxides

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

✔ ✘

Types of Metamorphism

Burial Metamorphism, Cataclastic Metamorphism, Contact Metamorphism, Regional Metamorphism

Burial Metamorphism, Contact Metamorphism, Impact 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

Chemical Erosion, Glacier Erosion, Water Erosion

Properties

Physical Properties

Hardness

75-5.5

1 7

👆🏻

Grain Size

Fine Grained

Fracture

Uneven, Splintery or Conchoidal

Conchoidal

Streak

White

Porosity

Highly Porous

Very Less Porous

Luster

Waxy and Dull

Vitreous

Compressive Strength

100.00 N/mm²0.15 N/mm²

0.15 450

👆🏻

Cleavage

Toughness

1.5

Specific Gravity

2.5-2.82.6-2.7

0 8.4

👆🏻

Transparency

Translucent to Opaque

Translucent

Density

2.7 g/cm³2.6 g/cm³

0 1400

👆🏻

Thermal Properties

Specific Heat Capacity

0.74 kJ/Kg K0.92 kJ/Kg K

0.14 3.2

👆🏻

Resistance

Heat Resistant, Impact Resistant, Pressure Resistant, Wear Resistant

Heat Resistant, Impact Resistant

Reserves

Deposits in Eastern Continents

Asia

Afghanistan, Indonesia, Japan, Russia

Africa

Uganda

Kenya

Europe

Germany, Hungary, Italy, Spain

Greece, Hungary, Iceland, Italy, Turkey

Others

Greenland, Mid-Atlantic Ridge

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

All about Basanite and Felsite Properties

Know all about Basanite and Felsite properties here. All properties of rocks are important as they define the type of rock and its application. Basanite and Felsite belong to Igneous Rocks.Texture of Basanite is Aphanitic to Porphyritic whereas that of Felsite is Arborescent Patterned, Vitreous. Basanite appears Glassy or Pearly and Felsite appears Layered, Banded, Veined and Shiny. The luster of Basanite is waxy and dull while that of Felsite is vitreous. Basanite is available in black, brown, green, grey, red, white colors whereas Felsite is available in black, blue, brown, green, orange, red, tan, yellow 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 Felsite are mirror, jewelry.