Basanite

Pseudotachylite

Basanite and Pseudotachylite

Basanite

Add ⊕

Definition

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

Very fine grained fault rock which is composed of glassy matrix that often contains inclusions of wall-rock fragments.

History

Origin

USA

Discoverer

Unknown

Etymology

From Latin basanites + -ite

From pseudo- +‎ tachylite, a glassy rock generated by frictional heat within faults.

Class

Igneous Rocks

Metamorphic Rocks

Sub-Class

Durable Rock, Hard Rock

Family

Group

Other Categories

Fine Grained Rock, Opaque Rock

Texture

Aphanitic to Porphyritic

Quench

Color

Black, Brown, Green, Grey, Red, White

Black, Brown, Green, Grey, Pink, White

Maintenance

Less

Durability

Durable

Water Resistant

✔ ✘

Scratch Resistant

✔ ✘

Stain Resistant

✔ ✘

Wind Resistant

✔ ✘

Acid Resistant

✔ ✘

Appearance

Glassy or Pearly

Dull and Soft

Uses

Architecture

Interior Uses

Decorative Aggregates, Homes

Decorative Aggregates, Entryways, 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

As Dimension Stone, Cement Manufacture, for Road Aggregate, Making natural cement

Medical Industry

Antiquity Uses

Artifacts, Monuments

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, Gemstone

Types

Nepheline-Basanite, Analcite-Basanite and Leucite-Basanite

Cataclastic rock

Features

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

Host Rock for Lead

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.

Due to change in environmental conditions, rocks are heated and pressurized deep inside the Earth's surface. Pseudotachylite is formed from the extreme heat caused by magma or by the intense collisions and friction of tectonic plates.

Composition

Mineral Content

Augite, Feldspar, Ilmenite, Olivine, Plagioclase

Iron Oxides, Pyroxene, Quartz, Stishovite, Sulfides

Compound Content

Potassium Oxide, Sodium Oxide, Silicon Dioxide

Carbon Dioxide, Silicon Dioxide, Sulfur Dioxide, Sulphur

Transformation

Metamorphism

✔ ✘

Types of Metamorphism

Burial Metamorphism, Cataclastic Metamorphism, Contact Metamorphism, Regional Metamorphism

Burial Metamorphism, Cataclastic Metamorphism, Contact Metamorphism

Weathering

✔ ✘

Types of Weathering

Chemical Weathering, Mechanical Weathering

Erosion

✔ ✘

Types of Erosion

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

Properties

Physical Properties

Hardness

1 7

👆🏻

Grain Size

Fine Grained

Very fine-grained

Fracture

Uneven, Splintery or Conchoidal

Uneven

Streak

White

Light to dark brown

Porosity

Highly Porous

Less Porous

Luster

Waxy and Dull

Vitreous

Compressive Strength

100.00 N/mm²60.00 N/mm²

0.15 450

👆🏻

Cleavage

Toughness

1.5

Specific Gravity

2.5-2.82.46-2.86

0 8.4

👆🏻

Transparency

Translucent to Opaque

Transparent to Translucent

Density

2.7 g/cm³2.7-2.9 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

Reserves

Deposits in Eastern Continents

Asia

South Korea

Africa

Uganda

Western Africa

Europe

Germany, Hungary, Italy, Spain

Great Britain, Switzerland

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

Central Australia, Western Australia

All about Basanite and Pseudotachylite Properties

Know all about Basanite and Pseudotachylite properties here. All properties of rocks are important as they define the type of rock and its application. Basanite belongs to Igneous Rocks while Pseudotachylite belongs to Metamorphic Rocks.Texture of Basanite is Aphanitic to Porphyritic whereas that of Pseudotachylite is Quench. Basanite appears Glassy or Pearly and Pseudotachylite appears Dull and Soft. The luster of Basanite is waxy and dull while that of Pseudotachylite is vitreous. Basanite is available in black, brown, green, grey, red, white colors whereas Pseudotachylite is available in black, brown, green, grey, pink, white colors. The commercial uses of Basanite and Pseudotachylite are as a touchstone, creating artwork, gemstone, in fire-starting tools, manufacture of tools, metallurgical flux, jewelry, to ignite fire, used in flintlock firearms.