Definition
A water-soluble mineral sediment resulting from concentration and crystallization by evaporation from an aqueous solution
Basalt is a common extrusive igneous rock formed by the rapid cooling of basaltic lava exposed at or very near the surface of Earth
Discoverer
Usiglio
Georgius Agricola
Etymology
From a sediment left after the evaporation
From Late Latin Basaltes (variant of basanites ), very hard stone, which was imported from Ancient Greek Basanites
Class
Sedimentary Rocks
Igneous Rocks
Sub-Class
Durable Rock, Soft Rock
Durable Rock, Medium Hardness Rock
Group
Not Applicable
Volcanic
Other Categories
Coarse Grained Rock, Fine Grained Rock, Medium Grained Rock, Opaque Rock
Fine Grained Rock, Opaque Rock
Texture
Earthy
Glassy, Massive, Porphyritic, Scoriaceous, Vesicular
Color
Colourless, Green, Grey, Silver, White
Black, Brown, Light to Dark Grey
Durability
Durable
Durable
Appearance
Glassy, Vesicular and Foilated
Dull and Soft
Interior Uses
Decorative Aggregates, Entryways, Flooring, Homes, Interior Decoration
Floor Tiles, Homes, Hotels, Kitchens
Exterior Uses
As Building Stone, As Facing Stone, Garden Decoration, Paving Stone
As Building Stone, Paving Stone, Garden Decoration, Office Buildings
Other Architectural Uses
Curbing
Curbing, Whetstones
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
Arrowheads, As Dimension Stone, Cobblestones, Cutting Tool, Rail Track Ballast, Roadstone
Medical Industry
Taken as a Supplement for Calcium or Magnesium
Not Yet Used
Antiquity Uses
Artifacts
Artifacts, Monuments
Commercial Uses
Used in the manufacture of Ceramic Powder, Used in the preparation of Sulfuric Acid and Silicon Diborite
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
Generally rough to touch, Splintery, Veined
Has High structural resistance against erosion and climate, Very fine grained rock
Archaeological Significance
Monuments
Not Yet Used
Used
Famous Monuments
Not Applicable
Easter Island in the Polynesian Triangle, Pacific Ocean, Gateway of India in Mumbai, India, Gol Gumbaz in Karnataka, India
Sculpture
Not Yet Used
Used
Famous Sculptures
Not Applicable
Data Not Available
Figurines
Not Yet Used
Used
Formation
Evaporite is water-soluble mineral sediment which forms from concentration and crystallization by evaporation from an aqueous solution.
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.
Mineral Content
Calcite, Cancrinite, Gypsum, Kyanite, Magnetite
Olivine, Plagioclase, Pyroxene
Compound Content
CaMg(CO3)2, CaO, Calcium Sulfate, KCl, MgO, NaCl
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, Impact Metamorphism, Regional Metamorphism
Contact Metamorphism
Types of Weathering
Not Applicable
Biological Weathering
Types of Erosion
Not Applicable
Not Available
Grain Size
Medium to Fine Coarse Grained
Fine Grained
Fracture
Conchoidal
Conchoidal
Streak
White
White to Grey
Porosity
Less Porous
Less Porous
Luster
Subvitreous to Dull
Not Available
Cleavage
Perfect
Not Available
Toughness
Not Available
2.3
Specific Gravity
2.86-2.99
2.8-3
Transparency
Translucent
Opaque
Density
2.8-2.9 g/cm3
2.9-3.1 g/cm3
Resistance
Heat Resistant, Pressure Resistant
Heat Resistant, Pressure Resistant, Wear Resistant
Deposits in Eastern Continents
Asia
Not Available
India, Russia
Africa
Not Available
South Africa
Europe
United Kingdom
Iceland
Others
Not Yet Found
Not Yet Found
Deposits in Western Continents
North America
USA
Canada, USA
South America
Colombia, Paraguay
Brazil
Deposits in Oceania Continent
Australia
Central Australia, Western Australia
Not Yet Found
All about Evaporite and Basalt Properties
Know all about Evaporite and Basalt properties here. All properties of rocks are important as they define the type of rock and its application. Evaporite belongs to Sedimentary Rocks while Basalt belongs to Igneous Rocks.Texture of Evaporite is Earthy whereas that of Basalt is Glassy, Massive, Porphyritic, Scoriaceous, Vesicular. Evaporite appears Glassy, Vesicular and Foilated and Basalt appears Dull and Soft. The luster of Evaporite is subvitreous to dull while that of Basalt is not available. Evaporite is available in colourless, green, grey, silver, white colors whereas Basalt is available in black, brown, light to dark grey colors. The commercial uses of Evaporite are used in the manufacture of ceramic powder, used in the preparation of sulfuric acid and silicon diborite and that of Basalt are an oil and gas reservoir, commemorative tablets, creating artwork, used in aquariums.