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Basanite 
Basanite 

Obsidian
Obsidian



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Basanite 
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Obsidian

Basanite  vs Obsidian

Definition

Definition

Basanite is a black basaltic rock which mainly contains plagioclase, augite, olivine and nepheline and is formerly used as a touchstone
Obsidian is a naturally occurring volcanic glass formed as an extrusive igneous rock. It is produced when felsic lava extruded from a volcano cools rapidly with minimum crystal growth

History

Origin

-
Ethiopia

Discoverer

Unknown
Obsius

Etymology

From Latin basanites + -ite
From Latin obsidianus, misprint of Obsianus (lapis) (stone) of Obsius

Class

Igneous Rocks
Igneous Rocks

Sub-Class

Durable Rock, Hard Rock
Durable Rock, Medium Hardness Rock

Family

Group

-
Volcanic

Other Categories

Fine Grained Rock, Opaque Rock
Opaque Rock

Texture

Texture

Aphanitic to Porphyritic
Glassy

Color

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

Maintenance

Less
Less

Durability

Durable
Durable

Water Resistant

Scratch Resistant

Stain Resistant

Wind Resistant

Acid Resistant

Appearance

Glassy or Pearly
Shiny

Uses

Architecture

Interior Uses

Decorative Aggregates, Homes
Decorative Aggregates, Interior Decoration

Exterior Uses

As Building Stone, Garden Decoration, Office Buildings
Garden Decoration

Other Architectural Uses

Whetstones
-

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, Jewellery

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, Mirror, Used in aquariums

Types

Types

Nepheline-Basanite, Analcite-Basanite and Leucite-Basanite
Fireworks Obsidian, Mahogany, Sheen Obsidian, Snowflake obsidian and Velvet Peacock Obsidian

Features

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

Archaeological Significance

Monuments

-
-

Famous Monuments

-
-

Sculpture

-
-

Famous Sculptures

-
-

Pictographs

-
-

Petroglyphs

-
-

Figurines

-
-

Fossils

Absent
Absent

Formation

Formation

Basanite is a fine-grained, hard rock that forms when bits of lava shoot out of volcanoes.
When the lava is released from volcano, it undergoes a very rapid cooling which freezes the mechanisms of crystallization. The result is a volcanic glass with a uniform smooth texture.

Composition

Mineral Content

Augite, Feldspar, Ilmenite, Olivine, Plagioclase
-

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, 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
Chemical Erosion, Coastal Erosion, Glacier Erosion

Properties

Physical Properties

Hardness

75-5.5
1 7
👆🏻

Grain Size

Fine Grained
-

Fracture

Uneven, Splintery or Conchoidal
Conchoidal

Streak

White
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

Basanite  vs Obsidian Information

Earth’s outer layer is covered by rocks and these rocks have different physical and chemical properties. As two rocks are not same, it’s fun to compare them. You can also know more about Basanite  and Obsidian Reserves. Basanite is a black basaltic rock which mainly contains plagioclase, augite, olivine and nepheline and is formerly used as a touchstone. Obsidian is a naturally occurring volcanic glass formed as an extrusive igneous rock. It is produced when felsic lava extruded from a volcano cools rapidly with minimum crystal growth. These rocks are composed of many distinct minerals. The process of formation of rocks is different for various rocks. Rocks are quarried from many years for various purposes. You can check out Basanite  vs Obsidian information and Basanite  vs Obsidian characteristics in the upcoming sections.

Basanite  vs Obsidian 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 Obsidian characteristics assist us to distinguish and recognize rocks. Also you can check about Properties of Basanite  and Properties of Obsidian. Learn more about Basanite  vs Obsidian in the next section. The interior uses of Basanite  include Decorative aggregates and Homes whereas the interior uses of Obsidian include Decorative aggregates and Interior decoration. Due to some exceptional properties of Basanite  and Obsidian, 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 Obsidian include Arrowheads, Cutting tool, Knives, Scrapers, Spear points.

More about Basanite  and Obsidian

Here you can know more about Basanite  and Obsidian. The life cycle of a rock consists of formation of rock, composition of rock and transformation of rock. The composition of Basanite  and Obsidian consists of mineral content and compound content. The mineral content of Basanite  includes Augite, Feldspar, Ilmenite, Olivine, Plagioclase and mineral content of Obsidian includes . You can also check out the list of all Igneous Rocks. When we have to compare Basanite  vs Obsidian, 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, Obsidian is available in black, blue, brown, green, orange, red, tan, yellow colors. Appearance of Basanite  is Glassy or Pearly and that of Obsidian is Shiny. Properties of rock is another aspect for Basanite  vs Obsidian. The hardness of Basanite  is 7 and that of Obsidian is 5-5.5. The types of Basanite  are Nepheline-Basanite, Analcite-Basanite and Leucite-Basanite whereas types of Obsidian are Fireworks Obsidian, Mahogany, Sheen Obsidian, Snowflake obsidian and Velvet Peacock Obsidian. Streak of rock is the color of powder produced when it is dragged across an unweathered surface. The streak of Basanite  and Obsidian is white. The specific heat capacity of Basanite  is 0.74 kJ/Kg K and that of Obsidian is 0.92 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 Obsidian is heat resistant, impact resistant.