Definition
Boninite is a mafic extrusive rock which is high in magnesium and silica content, formed in fore-arc environments, typically during the early stages of subduction
An iron rich extrusive rock found as a member of the alkali basalt magma series
History
Origin
Japan
Isle of Mull, Scotland
Discoverer
Unknown
Ben More
Etymology
From its occurrence in the Izu-Bonin arc south of Japan
From the name of discoverer, Ben More
Class
Igneous Rocks
Igneous Rocks
Sub-Class
Durable Rock, Hard Rock
Durable Rock, Medium Hardness Rock
Family
Group
Volcanic
Volcanic
Other Categories
Fine Grained Rock, Opaque Rock
Fine Grained Rock, Opaque Rock
Texture
Aphanitic to Porphyritic
Glassy, Massive, Porphyritic, Scoriaceous, Trachytic, Vesicular
Color
Bluish - Grey, Brown, Green, Grey
Black, Brown, Light to Dark Grey
Maintenance
Less
Less
Durability
Durable
Durable
Water Resistant
✔
✘
✔
✘
Scratch Resistant
✔
✘
✔
✘
Stain Resistant
✔
✘
✔
✘
Wind Resistant
✔
✘
✔
✘
Acid Resistant
✔
✘
✔
✘
Appearance
Dull and Soft
Rough and Dull
Architecture
Interior Uses
Decorative Aggregates, Homes, Kitchens
Floor Tiles, Homes, Hotels, Kitchens
Exterior Uses
Garden Decoration, Office Buildings
As Building Stone, Paving Stone, Garden Decoration, Office Buildings
Other Architectural Uses
-
Curbing
Industry
Construction Industry
As a Flux in the Production of Steel and Pig Iron, As a Sintering Agent in Steel Industry to process Iron Ore, As Dimension Stone, Cement Manufacture, for Road Aggregate, Making natural cement, Manufacture of Magnesium and Dolomite Refractories
As Dimension Stone, Cobblestones, Rail Track Ballast, Roadstone
Medical Industry
-
-
Antiquity Uses
Artifacts
Artifacts, Monuments, Sculpture
Other Uses
Commercial Uses
An Oil and Gas Reservoir, Cemetery Markers, Creating Artwork, Soil Conditioner, Source of Magnesia (MgO)
Commemorative Tablets, Creating Artwork, Curling
Types
Basalt
Alkaline Basalt, Boninite, High Alumina Basalt, Mid Ocean Ridge Basalt (MORB) and Tholeiitic Basalt
Features
Available in Lots of Colors and Patterns, High Mg content, Is one of the oldest rock
Has High structural resistance against erosion and climate, Very fine grained rock
Archaeological Significance
Monuments
-
-
Famous Monuments
-
-
Sculpture
-
-
Famous Sculptures
-
-
Pictographs
-
-
Petroglyphs
-
-
Figurines
-
-
Fossils
Absent
Absent
Formation
Boninite is a type of Igneous rock which is formed through the cooling and solidification of lava or existing rocks.
Benmoreite is a type of Igneous rock which is formed through the cooling and solidification of lava or magma. It forms with or without crystallization, either below the surface as intrusive rocks or on the surface as extrusive rocks.
Composition
Mineral Content
Amphibole, Apatite, Biotite, Feldspar, Garnet, Hornblade, Ilmenite
Alkali feldspar, Biotite, Olivine, Plagioclase, Pyroxene, Sodic plagioclase
Compound Content
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, Hydrothermal Metamorphism, Impact Metamorphism, Regional Metamorphism
Weathering
✔
✘
✔
✘
Types of Weathering
Biological Weathering
Biological Weathering, Chemical Weathering, Mechanical Weathering
Erosion
✔
✘
✔
✘
Types of Erosion
Chemical Erosion, Coastal Erosion, Wind Erosion
Chemical Erosion, Coastal Erosion, Glacier Erosion, Sea Erosion, Water Erosion, Wind Erosion
Physical Properties
Hardness
76
1
7
👆🏻
Grain Size
Fine Grained
Fine Grained
Fracture
Uneven
Conchoidal
Streak
White
Black
Porosity
Less Porous
Less Porous
Luster
Vitreous
Earthy
Compressive Strength
150.00 N/mm237.40 N/mm2
0.15
450
👆🏻
Cleavage
-
Perfect
Toughness
1.1
2.3
Specific Gravity
2.5-2.82.8-3
0
8.4
👆🏻
Transparency
Opaque
Opaque
Density
-9999 g/cm32.9-3.1 g/cm3
0
1400
👆🏻
Thermal Properties
Specific Heat Capacity
0.84 kJ/Kg K0.84 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
-
India, Russia
Africa
South Africa
South Africa
Europe
England, Finland, United Kingdom
Iceland
Others
Antarctica, Greenland
-
Deposits in Western Continents
North America
USA
Canada, USA
South America
Colombia, Uruguay
Brazil
Deposits in Oceania Continent
Australia
New Zealand, Western Australia
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