Definition
Foidolite is a rare type of coarse-grained intrusive igneous rock with a feldspathoid mineral content greater than 60%
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
-
Egypt
Discoverer
Unknown
Georgius Agricola
Etymology
From the mineral feldspathoid which is the main content of rock
From Late Latin Basaltes (variant of basanites ), very hard stone, which was imported from Ancient Greek Basanites
Class
Igneous Rocks
Igneous Rocks
Sub-Class
Durable Rock, Soft Rock
Durable Rock, Medium Hardness Rock
Family
Group
Plutonic
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
Black, Brown, Green, Grey, Pink, White
Black, Brown, Light to Dark Grey
Maintenance
Less
More
Durability
Durable
Durable
Water Resistant
✔
✘
✔
✘
Scratch Resistant
✔
✘
✔
✘
Stain Resistant
✔
✘
✔
✘
Wind Resistant
✔
✘
✔
✘
Acid Resistant
✔
✘
✔
✘
Appearance
Dull
Dull and Soft
Architecture
Interior Uses
Decorative Aggregates, 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
Industry
Construction Industry
As Dimension Stone, Cement Manufacture, for Road Aggregate
Arrowheads, As Dimension Stone, Cobblestones, Cutting Tool, Rail Track Ballast, Roadstone
Medical Industry
Taken as a Supplement for Calcium or Magnesium
-
Antiquity Uses
Artifacts, Monuments, Sculpture
Artifacts, Monuments
Other Uses
Commercial Uses
Cemetery Markers, Commemorative Tablets, Creating Artwork
An Oil and Gas Reservoir, Commemorative Tablets, Creating Artwork, Used in aquariums
Types
Igneous rock
Alkaline Basalt, Boninite, High Alumina Basalt, Mid Ocean Ridge Basalt (MORB), Tholeiitic Basalt, Basaltic trachyandesite, Mugearite and Shoshonite
Features
Host Rock for Lead
Has High structural resistance against erosion and climate, Very fine grained rock
Archaeological Significance
Monuments
-
-
Famous Monuments
-
Easter Island in the Polynesian Triangle, Pacific Ocean, Gateway of India in Mumbai, India, Gol Gumbaz in Karnataka, India
Sculpture
-
-
Famous Sculptures
-
-
Pictographs
-
-
Petroglyphs
-
-
Figurines
-
-
Fossils
Absent
Absent
Formation
Foidolites 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.
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
Amphibole, Biotite, Feldspar, Olivine, Plagioclase, Pyroxene
Olivine, Plagioclase, Pyroxene
Compound Content
Aluminium Oxide, CaO, Iron(III) Oxide, FeO
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, Hydrothermal Metamorphism, Impact Metamorphism
Contact Metamorphism
Weathering
✔
✘
✔
✘
Types of Weathering
-
Biological Weathering
Erosion
✔
✘
✔
✘
Types of Erosion
-
-
Physical Properties
Hardness
1.56
1
7
👆🏻
Grain Size
Medium to Fine Coarse Grained
Fine Grained
Fracture
Conchoidal
Conchoidal
Streak
White
White to Grey
Porosity
Very Less Porous
Less Porous
Luster
Subvitreous to Dull
-
Compressive Strength
80.00 N/mm237.40 N/mm2
0.15
450
👆🏻
Cleavage
Perfect
-
Toughness
-
2.3
Specific Gravity
2.862.8-3
0
8.4
👆🏻
Transparency
Translucent
Opaque
Density
-9999 g/cm32.9-3.1 g/cm3
0
1400
👆🏻
Thermal Properties
Specific Heat Capacity
0.79 kJ/Kg K0.84 kJ/Kg K
0.14
3.2
👆🏻
Resistance
Heat Resistant, Wear Resistant
Heat Resistant, Pressure Resistant, Wear Resistant
Deposits in Eastern Continents
Asia
Russia
India, Russia
Africa
South Africa, Western Africa
South Africa
Europe
-
Iceland
Others
-
-
Deposits in Western Continents
North America
Canada, USA
Canada, USA
South America
-
Brazil
Deposits in Oceania Continent
Australia
Central Australia, Western Australia
-