Definition
Basanite is a black basaltic rock which mainly contains plagioclase, augite, olivine and nepheline and is formerly used as a touchstone
Dunite is a green to brownish coarse-grained igneous rock mainly consisting of olivine
History
Origin
-
New Zealand
Discoverer
Unknown
Ferdinand von Hochstetter
Etymology
From Latin basanites + -ite
From the name of Dun Mountain, New Zealand, + -ite1
Class
Igneous Rocks
Igneous Rocks
Sub-Class
Durable Rock, Hard Rock
Durable Rock, Medium Hardness Rock
Family
Group
-
Plutonic
Other Categories
Fine Grained Rock, Opaque Rock
Coarse Grained Rock, Opaque Rock
Texture
Aphanitic to Porphyritic
Phaneritic
Color
Black, Brown, Green, Grey, Red, White
Dark Greenish - Grey
Maintenance
Less
Less
Durability
Durable
Durable
Water Resistant
✔
✘
✔
✘
Scratch Resistant
✔
✘
✔
✘
Stain Resistant
✔
✘
✔
✘
Wind Resistant
✔
✘
✔
✘
Acid Resistant
✔
✘
✔
✘
Appearance
Glassy or Pearly
Rough and Shiny
Architecture
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
Industry
Construction Industry
Arrowheads, Construction Aggregate, Cutting Tool, Spear Points
As Dimension Stone, Cement Manufacture, Construction Aggregate, for Road Aggregate, Making natural cement, Raw material for the manufacture of mortar
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
Creating Artwork, Gemstone, Jewelry, Source of Chromite, Platinum, Nickel and Garnet, Source of Diamonds
Types
Nepheline-Basanite, Analcite-Basanite and Leucite-Basanite
Dunite
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, Host rock for Diamond, Is one of the oldest rock
Archaeological Significance
Monuments
-
-
Famous Monuments
-
-
Sculpture
-
-
Famous Sculptures
-
-
Pictographs
-
-
Petroglyphs
-
-
Figurines
-
-
Fossils
Absent
Absent
Formation
Basanite is a fine-grained, hard rock that forms when bits of lava shoot out of volcanoes.
Dunite is a plutonic ultramafic igneous rock consisting almost m olivine. It can be formed in two ways.
Composition
Mineral Content
Augite, Feldspar, Ilmenite, Olivine, Plagioclase
Amphibole, Chromite, Garnet, Magnesium, Olivine, Phlogopite, Plagioclase, Pyroxene
Compound Content
Potassium Oxide, Sodium Oxide, Silicon Dioxide
Ca, CaO, Fe, Potassium, Silicon Dioxide, Sodium, Titanium Dioxide
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
Biological Weathering, Chemical Weathering, Mechanical Weathering
Erosion
✔
✘
✔
✘
Types of Erosion
Chemical Erosion, Coastal Erosion, Glacier Erosion, Sea Erosion, Water Erosion, Wind Erosion
Coastal Erosion, Glacier Erosion, Water Erosion
Physical Properties
Hardness
73.5-4
1
7
👆🏻
Grain Size
Fine Grained
Coarse Grained
Fracture
Uneven, Splintery or Conchoidal
Irregular
Streak
White
White
Porosity
Highly Porous
Less Porous
Luster
Waxy and Dull
Shiny
Compressive Strength
100.00 N/mm2107.55 N/mm2
0.15
450
👆🏻
Cleavage
-
-
Toughness
1.5
2.1
Specific Gravity
2.5-2.83-3.01
0
8.4
👆🏻
Transparency
Translucent to Opaque
Translucent to Opaque
Density
2.7 g/cm32.84-2.85 g/cm3
0
1400
👆🏻
Thermal Properties
Specific Heat Capacity
0.74 kJ/Kg K1.25 kJ/Kg K
0.14
3.2
👆🏻
Resistance
Heat Resistant, Impact Resistant, Pressure Resistant, Wear Resistant
Heat Resistant, Pressure Resistant, Wear Resistant
Deposits in Eastern Continents
Asia
-
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
Others
Greenland, Mid-Atlantic Ridge
-
Deposits in Western Continents
North America
USA
Canada, USA
South America
Bolivia, Brazil
Argentina, Brazil, Colombia, Ecuador, Venezuela
Deposits in Oceania Continent
Australia
New South Wales, New Zealand, Queensland, South Australia, Western Australia
New Zealand, Western Australia