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
Shoshonite is a basaltic rock, properly a potassic trachyandesite, composed of olivine, augite and plagioclase phenocrysts in a groundmass with calcic plagioclase and sanidine and some dark-colored volcanic glass
Discoverer
Unknown
Iddings
Etymology
From its occurrence in the Izu-Bonin arc south of Japan
From the place of origin called Shoshone riverin Wyoming
Class
Igneous Rocks
Igneous Rocks
Sub-Class
Durable Rock, Hard Rock
Durable Rock, Medium Hardness Rock
Other Categories
Fine Grained Rock, Opaque Rock
Coarse Grained Rock, Fine Grained Rock, Medium Grained Rock, Opaque Rock
Texture
Aphanitic to Porphyritic
Porphyritic
Color
Bluish - Grey, Brown, Colourless, Green, Grey
Brown- Black, Dark Brown
Durability
Durable
Durable
Scratch Resistant
Yes
Yes
Appearance
Dull and Soft
Dull
Interior Uses
Decorative Aggregates, Homes, Kitchens
Decorative Aggregates, Homes, Interior Decoration
Exterior Uses
Garden Decoration, Office Buildings
As Building Stone, As Facing Stone
Other Architectural Uses
Not Yet Used
Curbing
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
Not Yet Used
Not Yet Used
Antiquity Uses
Artifacts
Sculpture
Commercial Uses
An Oil and Gas Reservoir, Cemetery Markers, Creating Artwork, Soil Conditioner, Source of Magnesia (MgO)
Cemetery Markers, Creating Artwork
Types
Not Available
Not Available
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
Not Yet Used
Not Yet Used
Famous Monuments
Not Applicable
Not Applicable
Sculpture
Not Yet Used
Used
Famous Sculptures
Not Applicable
Data Not Available
Pictographs
Not Used
Used
Petroglyphs
Not Used
Used
Figurines
Not Yet Used
Used
Formation
Boninite is a type of Igneous rock which is formed through the cooling and solidification of lava or existing rocks.
Shoshonite 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.
Mineral Content
Amphibole, Apatite, Biotite, Feldspar, Garnet, Hornblade, Ilmenite
Pyroxene
Compound Content
Silicon Dioxide
Aluminium Oxide, Iron(III) Oxide, Potassium Oxide, Sodium Oxide, Titanium Dioxide
Types of Metamorphism
Burial Metamorphism, Cataclastic Metamorphism, Contact Metamorphism, Regional Metamorphism
Burial Metamorphism, Cataclastic Metamorphism, Contact Metamorphism
Types of Weathering
Biological Weathering
Biological Weathering, Chemical Weathering, Mechanical Weathering
Types of Erosion
Chemical Erosion, Coastal Erosion, Wind Erosion
Chemical Erosion, Coastal Erosion, Glacier Erosion
Grain Size
Fine Grained
Medium to Fine Coarse Grained
Streak
White
White to Grey
Porosity
Less Porous
Less Porous
Cleavage
Not Available
Poor
Specific Gravity
2.5-2.8
2.98
Transparency
Opaque
Opaque
Density
Not Available
2.9-3 g/cm3
Resistance
Heat Resistant, Impact Resistant, Pressure Resistant, Wear Resistant
Heat Resistant, Pressure Resistant
Deposits in Eastern Continents
Asia
Not Available
India, Russia
Africa
South Africa
South Africa
Europe
England, Finland, United Kingdom
Iceland
Others
Antarctica, Greenland
Not Yet Found
Deposits in Western Continents
North America
USA
Canada, USA
South America
Colombia, Uruguay
Brazil
Deposits in Oceania Continent
Australia
New Zealand, Western Australia
Not Yet Found
All about Boninite and Shoshonite Properties
Know all about Boninite and Shoshonite properties here. All properties of rocks are important as they define the type of rock and its application. Boninite and Shoshonite belong to Igneous Rocks.Texture of Boninite is Aphanitic to Porphyritic whereas that of Shoshonite is Porphyritic. Boninite appears Dull and Soft and Shoshonite appears Dull. The luster of Boninite is vitreous while that of Shoshonite is dull. Boninite is available in bluish - grey, brown, colourless, green, grey colors whereas Shoshonite is available in brown- black, dark brown colors. The commercial uses of Boninite and Shoshonite are an oil and gas reservoir, cemetery markers, creating artwork, soil conditioner, source of magnesia (mgo).