Definition
Essexite which is also known as nepheline monzogabbro, is a dark gray or black holocrystalline plutonic Iigneous Rock
An iron rich extrusive rock found as a member of the alkali basalt magma series
Origin
USA
Isle of Mull, Scotland
Discoverer
Unknown
Ben More
Etymology
From the locality in Essex County, Massachusetts,US
From the name of discoverer, Ben More
Class
Igneous Rocks
Igneous Rocks
Sub-Class
Durable Rock, Hard Rock
Durable Rock, Medium Hardness Rock
Other Categories
Fine Grained Rock, Opaque Rock
Fine Grained Rock, Opaque Rock
Texture
Granular
Glassy, Massive, Porphyritic, Scoriaceous, Trachytic, Vesicular
Color
Dark Grey to Black
Black, Brown, Light to Dark Grey
Durability
Durable
Durable
Scratch Resistant
Yes
Yes
Appearance
Banded
Rough and Dull
Interior Uses
Decorative Aggregates, Homes, Interior Decoration
Floor Tiles, Homes, Hotels, Kitchens
Exterior Uses
As Building Stone, As Facing Stone, Garden Decoration, Office Buildings, Paving Stone
As Building Stone, Paving Stone, Garden Decoration, Office Buildings
Other Architectural Uses
Curbing
Curbing
Construction Industry
As Dimension Stone, Building houses or walls, Cement Manufacture, Construction Aggregate, for Road Aggregate
As Dimension Stone, Cobblestones, Rail Track Ballast, Roadstone
Medical Industry
Not Yet Used
Not Yet Used
Antiquity Uses
Artifacts, Monuments, Sculpture, Small Figurines
Artifacts, Monuments, Sculpture
Commercial Uses
Cemetery Markers, Commemorative Tablets, Jewelry, Sea Defence, Tombstones
Commemorative Tablets, Creating Artwork, Curling
Types
Not Available
Alkaline Basalt, Boninite, High Alumina Basalt, Mid Ocean Ridge Basalt (MORB) and Tholeiitic Basalt
Features
Is one of the oldest rock, Smooth to touch
Has High structural resistance against erosion and climate, Very fine grained rock
Archaeological Significance
Famous Monuments
Data Not Available
Data Not Available
Famous Sculptures
Data Not Available
Data Not Available
Pictographs
Not Used
Used
Petroglyphs
Not Used
Used
Formation
Essexite is a type of igneous rock, which is usually dark grey to black plutonic rock. For the formation of essexite, suitable magma with exact composition of K, Ba, Rb, Cs, Sr should be produced.
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.
Mineral Content
Augite, Feldspar, Hornblende, Nepheline, Olivine, Plagioclase, Pyroxene
Alkali feldspar, Biotite, Olivine, Plagioclase, Pyroxene, Sodic plagioclase
Compound Content
Aluminium Oxide, Ba, Ca, Cs, Potassium, Rb, Sodium, Sr
Aluminium Oxide, CaO, Iron(III) Oxide, FeO, Potassium Oxide, MgO, MnO, Sodium Oxide, Phosphorus Pentoxide, Silicon Dioxide, Titanium Dioxide
Types of Metamorphism
Burial Metamorphism, Cataclastic Metamorphism, Contact Metamorphism, Hydrothermal Metamorphism, Impact Metamorphism
Burial Metamorphism, Cataclastic Metamorphism, Contact Metamorphism, Hydrothermal Metamorphism, Impact Metamorphism, Regional Metamorphism
Types of Weathering
Biological Weathering, Chemical Weathering
Biological Weathering, Chemical Weathering, Mechanical Weathering
Types of Erosion
Coastal Erosion, Glacier Erosion, Water Erosion
Chemical Erosion, Coastal Erosion, Glacier Erosion, Sea Erosion, Water Erosion, Wind Erosion
Grain Size
Fine Grained
Fine Grained
Fracture
Conchoidal
Conchoidal
Porosity
Highly Porous
Less Porous
Luster
Not Available
Earthy
Compressive Strength
Not Available
Cleavage
Not Available
Perfect
Specific Gravity
Not Available
2.8-3
Transparency
Opaque
Opaque
Density
Not Available
2.9-3.1 g/cm3
Specific Heat Capacity
Not Available
Resistance
Impact Resistant, Pressure Resistant, Wear Resistant
Heat Resistant, Pressure Resistant, Wear Resistant
Deposits in Eastern Continents
Asia
India, Russia
India, Russia
Africa
South Africa
South Africa
Europe
Germany, Greece, Italy, Scotland, Turkey
Iceland
Others
Greenland
Not Yet Found
Deposits in Western Continents
North America
Canada, USA
Canada, USA
South America
Brazil, Colombia, Venezuela
Brazil
Deposits in Oceania Continent
Australia
New Zealand, Queensland
Not Yet Found
Essexite vs Benmoreite 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. Essexite vs Benmoreite characteristics assist us to distinguish and recognize rocks. Also you can check about Properties of Essexite and Properties of Benmoreite. Learn more about Essexite vs Benmoreite in the next section. The interior uses of Essexite include Decorative aggregates, Homes and Interior decoration whereas the interior uses of Benmoreite include Floor tiles, Homes, Hotels and Kitchens. Due to some exceptional properties of Essexite and Benmoreite, they have various applications in construction industry. The uses of Essexite in construction industry include As dimension stone, Building houses or walls, Cement manufacture, Construction aggregate, For road aggregate and that of Benmoreite include As dimension stone, Cobblestones, Rail track ballast, Roadstone.
More about Essexite and Benmoreite
Here you can know more about Essexite and Benmoreite. The life cycle of a rock consists of formation of rock, composition of rock and transformation of rock. The composition of Essexite and Benmoreite consists of mineral content and compound content. The mineral content of Essexite includes Augite, Feldspar, Hornblende, Nepheline, Olivine, Plagioclase, Pyroxene and mineral content of Benmoreite includes Alkali feldspar, Biotite, Olivine, Plagioclase, Pyroxene, Sodic plagioclase. You can also check out the list of all Igneous Rocks. When we have to compare Essexite vs Benmoreite, the texture, color and appearance plays an important role in determining the type of rock. Essexite is available in dark grey to black colors whereas, Benmoreite is available in black, brown, light to dark grey colors. Appearance of Essexite is Banded and that of Benmoreite is Rough and Dull. Properties of rock is another aspect for Essexite vs Benmoreite. The hardness of Essexite is 7 and that of Benmoreite is 6. The types of Essexite are Not Available whereas types of Benmoreite are Alkaline Basalt, Boninite, High Alumina Basalt, Mid Ocean Ridge Basalt (MORB) and Tholeiitic Basalt. Streak of rock is the color of powder produced when it is dragged across an unweathered surface. The streak of Essexite and Benmoreite is black. The specific heat capacity of Essexite is Not Available and that of Benmoreite is 0.84 kJ/Kg K. Depending on the properties like hardness, toughness, specific heat capacity, porosity etc., rocks are resistant to heat, wear, impact, etc.Essexite is impact resistant, pressure resistant, wear resistant whereas Benmoreite is heat resistant, pressure resistant, wear resistant.