Gabbro

Basalt

Gabbro vs Basalt

Gabbro

Basalt

Add ⊕

1 Definition

1.1 Definition

Gabbro is an intrusive igneous rock which is chemically equivalent to plutonic Basalt

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

1.2 History

1.2.1 Origin

Germany

Egypt

1.2.2 Discoverer

Christian Leopold von Buch

Georgius Agricola

1.3 Etymology

From Latin glaber bare, smooth, bald

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

1.4 Class

Igneous Rocks

1.4.1 Sub-Class

Durable Rock, Hard Rock

Durable Rock, Medium Hardness Rock

1.5 Family

1.5.1 Group

Plutonic

Volcanic

1.6 Other Categories

Coarse Grained Rock, Opaque Rock

Fine Grained Rock, Opaque Rock

2 Texture

2.1 Texture

Phaneritic

Glassy, Massive, Porphyritic, Scoriaceous, Vesicular

2.2 Color

Dark Grey to Black

Black, Brown, Light to Dark Grey

2.3 Maintenance

Less

2.4 Durability

Durable

2.4.1 Water Resistant

✔ ✘

2.4.2 Scratch Resistant

✔ ✘

2.4.3 Stain Resistant

✔ ✘

2.4.4 Wind Resistant

✔ ✘

2.4.5 Acid Resistant

✔ ✘

2.5 Appearance

Veined and Shiny

Dull and Soft

3 Uses

3.1 Architecture

3.1.1 Interior Uses

Countertops, Decorative Aggregates, Homes, Interior Decoration

Floor Tiles, Homes, Hotels, Kitchens

3.1.2 Exterior Uses

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

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

3.1.3 Other Architectural Uses

Curbing

Curbing, Whetstones

3.2 Industry

3.2.1 Construction Industry

As Dimension Stone, Building houses or walls, Cement Manufacture, Construction Aggregate, for Road Aggregate

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

3.2.2 Medical Industry

Not Yet Used

3.3 Antiquity Uses

Artifacts, Monuments, Sculpture

Artifacts, Monuments

3.4 Other Uses

3.4.1 Commercial Uses

Cemetery Markers, Commemorative Tablets, Laboratory bench tops, Jewelry, Sea Defence, Tombstones

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

4 Types

4.1 Types

Not Available

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

4.2 Features

Smooth to touch

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

4.3 Archaeological Significance

4.3.1 Monuments

Used

4.3.2 Famous Monuments

Data Not Available

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

4.3.3 Sculpture

Used

4.3.4 Famous Sculptures

Data Not Available

4.3.5 Pictographs

Not Used

Used

4.3.6 Petroglyphs

Not Used

Used

4.3.7 Figurines

Used

4.4 Fossils

Absent

5 Formation

5.1 Formation

Gabbro, a mafic rock, forms due to cooling and crystallization of magma underneath Earth's surface.

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.

5.2 Composition

5.2.1 Mineral Content

Augite, Olivine, Plagioclase, Pyroxene

Olivine, Plagioclase, Pyroxene

5.2.2 Compound Content

Aluminium Oxide, CaO, Chromium(III) Oxide, Iron(III) Oxide, Potassium Oxide, MgO, Sodium Oxide, Silicon Dioxide, Sulfur Trioxide

Aluminium Oxide, CaO, Iron(III) Oxide, FeO, Potassium Oxide, MgO, MnO, Sodium Oxide, Phosphorus Pentoxide, Silicon Dioxide, Titanium Dioxide

5.3 Transformation

5.3.1 Metamorphism

✔ ✘

5.3.2 Types of Metamorphism

Impact Metamorphism

Contact Metamorphism

5.3.3 Weathering

✔ ✘

5.3.4 Types of Weathering

Chemical Weathering

Biological Weathering

5.3.5 Erosion

✔ ✘

5.3.6 Types of Erosion

Coastal Erosion

Not Available

6 Properties

6.1 Physical Properties

6.1.1 Hardness

1 7

6.1.2 Grain Size

Coarse Grained

Fine Grained

6.1.3 Fracture

Conchoidal

6.1.4 Streak

Black

White to Grey

6.1.5 Porosity

Highly Porous

Less Porous

6.1.6 Luster

Not Available

6.1.7 Compressive Strength

225.00 N/mm²37.40 N/mm²

0.15 450

6.1.8 Cleavage

Not Available

6.1.9 Toughness

1.6

2.3

6.1.10 Specific Gravity

2.86-2.872.8-3

0 8.4

6.1.11 Transparency

Opaque

6.1.12 Density

2.7-3.3 g/cm³2.9-3.1 g/cm³

0 1400

6.2 Thermal Properties

6.2.1 Specific Heat Capacity

NA0.84 kJ/Kg K

0.14 3.2

6.2.2 Resistance

Impact Resistant, Pressure Resistant, Wear Resistant

Heat Resistant, Pressure Resistant, Wear Resistant

7 Reserves

7.1 Deposits in Eastern Continents

7.1.1 Asia

India, Russia

7.1.2 Africa

South Africa

7.1.3 Europe

Germany, Greece, Italy, Scotland, Turkey

Iceland

7.1.4 Others

Greenland

Not Yet Found

7.2 Deposits in Western Continents

7.2.1 North America

Canada, USA

7.2.2 South America

Brazil, Colombia, Venezuela

Brazil

7.3 Deposits in Oceania Continent

7.3.1 Australia

New Zealand, Queensland

Not Yet Found

Gabbro vs Basalt Information

Earth’s outer layer is covered by rocks and these rocks have different physical and chemical properties. As two rocks are not same, it’s fun to compare them. You can also know more about Gabbro and Basalt Reserves. Gabbro is an intrusive igneous rock which is chemically equivalent to plutonic Basalt. Basalt is a common extrusive igneous rock formed by the rapid cooling of basaltic lava exposed at or very near the surface of Earth. These rocks are composed of many distinct minerals. The process of formation of rocks is different for various rocks. Rocks are quarried from many years for various purposes. You can check out Gabbro vs Basalt information and Gabbro vs Basalt characteristics in the upcoming sections.

Compare Igneous Rocks » More

Gabbro vs Pegmatite

Gabbro vs Kimberlite

Gabbro vs Porphyry

» More

More Compare Igneous Rocks

Gabbro vs Basalt 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. Gabbro vs Basalt characteristics assist us to distinguish and recognize rocks. Also you can check about Properties of Gabbro and Properties of Basalt. Learn more about Gabbro vs Basalt in the next section. The interior uses of Gabbro include Countertops, Decorative aggregates, Homes and Interior decoration whereas the interior uses of Basalt include Floor tiles, Homes, Hotels and Kitchens. Due to some exceptional properties of Gabbro and Basalt, they have various applications in construction industry. The uses of Gabbro in construction industry include As dimension stone, Building houses or walls, Cement manufacture, Construction aggregate, For road aggregate and that of Basalt include Arrowheads, As dimension stone, Cobblestones, Cutting tool, Rail track ballast, Roadstone.

More about Gabbro and Basalt

Here you can know more about Gabbro and Basalt. The life cycle of a rock consists of formation of rock, composition of rock and transformation of rock. The composition of Gabbro and Basalt consists of mineral content and compound content. The mineral content of Gabbro includes Augite, Olivine, Plagioclase, Pyroxene and mineral content of Basalt includes Olivine, Plagioclase, Pyroxene. You can also check out the list of all Igneous Rocks. When we have to compare Gabbro vs Basalt, the texture, color and appearance plays an important role in determining the type of rock. Gabbro is available in dark grey to black colors whereas, Basalt is available in black, brown, light to dark grey colors. Appearance of Gabbro is Veined and Shiny and that of Basalt is Dull and Soft. Properties of rock is another aspect for Gabbro vs Basalt. The hardness of Gabbro is 7 and that of Basalt is 6. The types of Gabbro are Not Available whereas types of Basalt are Alkaline Basalt, Boninite, High Alumina Basalt, Mid Ocean Ridge Basalt (MORB), Tholeiitic Basalt, Basaltic trachyandesite, Mugearite and Shoshonite. Streak of rock is the color of powder produced when it is dragged across an unweathered surface. The streak of Gabbro is black while that of Basalt is white to grey. The specific heat capacity of Gabbro is Not Available and that of Basalt 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.Gabbro is impact resistant, pressure resistant, wear resistant whereas Basalt is heat resistant, pressure resistant, wear resistant.