Diorite and Basalt

Diorite

Basalt

Definition

Diorite is a grey to dark-grey intermediate intrusive igneous rock composed principally of plagioclase feldspar,biotite, hornblende, and pyroxene

Basalt is a common extrusive igneous rock formed by the rapid cooling of basaltic lava exposed at or very near the surface of Earth

History

Origin

Unknown

Egypt

Discoverer

Unknown

Georgius Agricola

Etymology

From early 19th century coined in French, formed irregularly from Greek diorizein distinguish

From Late Latin Basaltes (variant of basanites ), very hard stone, which was imported from Ancient Greek Basanites

Class

Igneous Rocks

Sub-Class

Durable Rock, Hard Rock

Durable Rock, Medium Hardness Rock

Family

Group

Plutonic

Volcanic

Other Categories

Coarse Grained Rock, Medium Grained Rock, Opaque Rock

Fine Grained Rock, Opaque Rock

Texture

Phaneritic

Glassy, Massive, Porphyritic, Scoriaceous, Vesicular

Color

Black, Brown, Light to Dark Grey, White

Black, Brown, Light to Dark Grey

Maintenance

Less

Durability

Durable

Water Resistant

Scratch Resistant

Yes

Stain Resistant

Yes

Wind Resistant

Yes

Acid Resistant

Yes

Appearance

Shiny

Dull and Soft

Uses

Architecture

Interior Uses

Decorative Aggregates, Interior Decoration

Floor Tiles, Homes, Hotels, Kitchens

Exterior Uses

As Building Stone, As Facing Stone, Garden Decoration

As Building Stone, Paving Stone, Garden Decoration, Office Buildings

Other Architectural Uses

Curbing

Curbing, Whetstones

Industry

Construction Industry

As Dimension Stone, Cement Manufacture, Cobblestones, Construction Aggregate, for Road Aggregate

Arrowheads, As Dimension Stone, Cobblestones, Cutting Tool, Rail Track Ballast, Roadstone

Medical Industry

Not Yet Used

Antiquity Uses

Artifacts, Monuments, Sculpture, Small Figurines

Artifacts, Monuments

Other Uses

Commercial Uses

Creating Artwork, Curling

An Oil and Gas Reservoir, Commemorative Tablets, Creating Artwork, Used in aquariums

Types

Not Available

Alkaline Basalt, Boninite, High Alumina Basalt, Mid Ocean Ridge Basalt (MORB), Tholeiitic Basalt, Basaltic trachyandesite, Mugearite and Shoshonite

Features

Typically speckled black and white.

Has High structural resistance against erosion and climate, Very fine grained rock

Archaeological Significance

Monuments

Used

Famous Monuments

Data Not Available

Easter Island in the Polynesian Triangle, Pacific Ocean, Gateway of India in Mumbai, India, Gol Gumbaz in Karnataka, India

Sculpture

Used

Famous Sculptures

Data Not Available

Pictographs

Not Used

Used

Petroglyphs

Not Used

Used

Figurines

Used

Fossils

Absent

Formation

Diorite is a coarse-grained intrusive igneous rock which contains large interlocking and randomly oriented crystals and forms when molten lava does not reach the Earth’s surface and cools down in the Earth’s crust.

Basalt forms when lava reaches the Earth's surface near an active volcano. The temperature of lava is between 1100 to 1250° C when it gets to the surface.

Composition

Mineral Content

Albite, Amphibole, Apatite, Biotite, Feldspar, Hornblade, Ilmenite, Magnetite, Muscovite or Illite, Olivine, Plagioclase, Pyroxene, Quartz, Sulfides, Titanite, Zircon

Olivine, Plagioclase, Pyroxene

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

Yes

Types of Metamorphism

Cataclastic Metamorphism, Contact Metamorphism, Regional Metamorphism

Contact Metamorphism

Weathering

Yes

Types of Weathering

Biological Weathering, Chemical Weathering, Mechanical Weathering

Biological Weathering

Erosion

Yes

Types of Erosion

Chemical Erosion, Coastal Erosion, Water Erosion

Not Available

Properties

Physical Properties

Hardness

6-7

Grain Size

Medium to Coarse Grained

Fine Grained

Fracture

Not Available

Conchoidal

Streak

Bluish Black

White to Grey

Porosity

Very Less Porous

Less Porous

Luster

Shiny

Not Available

Compressive Strength

225.00 N/mm²

37.40 N/mm²

Cleavage

Not Available

Toughness

2.1

2.3

Specific Gravity

2.8-3

Transparency

Opaque

Density

2.8-3 g/cm³

2.9-3.1 g/cm³

Thermal Properties

Specific Heat Capacity

Not Available

0.84 kJ/Kg K

Resistance

Heat Resistant, Pressure Resistant, Wear Resistant

Reserves

Deposits in Eastern Continents

Asia

Not Yet Found

India, Russia

Africa

Egypt

South Africa

Europe

Finland, Germany, Italy, Romania, Sweden, Turkey, United Kingdom

Iceland

Others

Not Yet Found

Deposits in Western Continents

North America

USA

Canada, USA

South America

Argentina, Bolivia, Chile, Colombia, Ecuador, Peru

Brazil

Deposits in Oceania Continent

Australia

New Zealand, Western Australia

Not Yet Found

Summary >>

<< Reserves

All about Diorite and Basalt Properties

Know all about Diorite and Basalt properties here. All properties of rocks are important as they define the type of rock and its application. Diorite and Basalt belong to Igneous Rocks.Texture of Diorite is Phaneritic whereas that of Basalt is Glassy, Massive, Porphyritic, Scoriaceous, Vesicular. Diorite appears Shiny and Basalt appears Dull and Soft. The luster of Diorite is shiny while that of Basalt is not available. Diorite and Basalt are available in black, brown, light to dark grey, white colors. The commercial uses of Diorite are creating artwork, curling and that of Basalt are an oil and gas reservoir, commemorative tablets, creating artwork, used in aquariums.