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Gneiss vs Basalt


Basalt vs Gneiss


Definition

Definition
Gneiss is a common and widely distributed type of rock formed by high-grade regional metamorphic processes from pre-existing formations that were originally either igneous or sedimentary rocks   
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 the Middle High German verb gneist (to spark; so called because the rock glitters)   
From Late Latin Basaltes (variant of basanites ), very hard stone, which was imported from Ancient Greek Basanites   

Class
Metamorphic Rocks   
Igneous Rocks   

Sub-Class
Durable Rock, Hard Rock   
Durable Rock, Medium Hardness Rock   

Family
  
  

Group
Not Applicable   
Volcanic   

Other Categories
Coarse Grained Rock, Medium Grained Rock, Opaque Rock   
Fine Grained Rock, Opaque Rock   

Texture

Texture
Banded, Foliated, Platy   
Glassy, Massive, Porphyritic, Scoriaceous, Vesicular   

Color
Black, Brown, Pink, Red, White   
Black, Brown, Light to Dark Grey   

Maintenance
More   
More   

Durability
Durable   
Durable   

Water Resistant
Yes   
No   

Scratch Resistant
Yes   
Yes   

Stain Resistant
Yes   
Yes   

Wind Resistant
Yes   
No   

Acid Resistant
No   
Yes   

Appearance
Foliated   
Dull and Soft   

Uses

Architecture
  
  

Interior Uses
Countertops, Decorative Aggregates, Flooring, 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   
Arrowheads, As Dimension Stone, Cobblestones, Cutting Tool, Rail Track Ballast, Roadstone   

Medical Industry
Not Yet Used   
Not Yet Used   

Antiquity Uses
Artifacts   
Artifacts, Monuments   

Other Uses
  
  

Commercial Uses
Cemetery Markers, Jewelry, Tombstones, Used in aquariums   
An Oil and Gas Reservoir, Commemorative Tablets, Creating Artwork, Used in aquariums   

Types

Types
Augen Gneiss, Henderson Gneiss, Lewisian Gneiss, Archean and Proterozoic Gneiss.   
Alkaline Basalt, Boninite, High Alumina Basalt, Mid Ocean Ridge Basalt (MORB), Tholeiitic Basalt, Basaltic trachyandesite, Mugearite and Shoshonite   

Features
Generally rough to touch, Is one of the oldest rock   
Has High structural resistance against erosion and climate, Very fine grained rock   

Archaeological Significance
  
  

Monuments
Used   
Used   

Famous Monuments
Konark Sun Temple in India, Washington Monument, US   
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   

Pictographs
Not Used   
Used   

Petroglyphs
Not Used   
Used   

Figurines
Not Yet Used   
Used   

Fossils
Absent   
Absent   

Formation

Formation
Gneiss is a high grade metamorphic rock i.e. it has been subjected to higher temperatures and pressures than schist. It is formed by the metamorphosis of Gneiss forms from volcanic rock, shale or granitie.   
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
Biotite, Chlorite, Feldspar, Garnet, Graphite, Hornblade, Micas, Muscovite or Illite, Quartz, Quartzite, Silica, Zircon   
Olivine, Plagioclase, Pyroxene   

Compound Content
Aluminium Oxide, NaCl, CaO, Iron(III) Oxide, FeO, Potassium Oxide, Magnesium Carbonate, MgO, MnO, Phosphorus Pentoxide, Silicon Dioxide, Titanium Dioxide   
Aluminium Oxide, CaO, Iron(III) Oxide, FeO, Potassium Oxide, MgO, MnO, Sodium Oxide, Phosphorus Pentoxide, Silicon Dioxide, Titanium Dioxide   

Transformation
  
  

Metamorphism
Yes   
Yes   

Types of Metamorphism
Impact Metamorphism   
Contact Metamorphism   

Weathering
Yes   
Yes   

Types of Weathering
Biological Weathering, Mechanical Weathering   
Biological Weathering   

Erosion
Yes   
No   

Types of Erosion
Chemical Erosion, Coastal Erosion, Sea Erosion   
Not Available   

Properties

Physical Properties
  
  

Hardness
7   
6   

Grain Size
Medium to Coarse Grained   
Fine Grained   

Fracture
Irregular   
Conchoidal   

Streak
White   
White to Grey   

Porosity
Very Less Porous   
Less Porous   

Luster
Dull   
Not Available   

Compressive Strength
125.00 N/mm2   
17
37.40 N/mm2   
28

Cleavage
Poor   
Not Available   

Toughness
1.2   
2.3   

Specific Gravity
2.5-2.7   
2.8-3   

Transparency
Translucent to Opaque   
Opaque   

Density
2.6-2.9 g/cm3   
2.9-3.1 g/cm3   

Thermal Properties
  
  

Specific Heat Capacity
Not Available   
0.84 kJ/Kg K   
15

Resistance
Heat Resistant, Pressure Resistant, Scratch Resistant, Wear Resistant   
Heat Resistant, Pressure Resistant, Wear Resistant   

Reserves

Deposits in Eastern Continents
  
  

Asia
China, India, Iran, Iraq, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Mongolia, Russia   
India, Russia   

Africa
Cameroon, Ethiopia, Ghana, Kenya, Madagascar, Morocco, Mozambique, Namibia, Nigeria, Tanzania, Togo   
South Africa   

Europe
Albania, Austria, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Finland, France, Georgia, Germany, Hungary, Italy, Kosovo, Monaco, Norway, Poland, Romania, Serbia, Slovakia, Slovenia, Switzerland, Ukraine, United Kingdom   
Iceland   

Others
Not Yet Found   
Not Yet Found   

Deposits in Western Continents
  
  

North America
Canada, Costa Rica, Cuba, Mexico, Panama, USA   
Canada, USA   

South America
Argentina, Bolivia, Brazil, Chile, Colombia, Ecuador, Peru, Venezuela   
Brazil   

Deposits in Oceania Continent
  
  

Australia
New South Wales, New Zealand, Queensland, Victoria   
Not Yet Found   

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Gneiss 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 Gneiss and Basalt Reserves. Gneiss is a common and widely distributed type of rock formed by high-grade regional metamorphic processes from pre-existing formations that were originally either igneous or sedimentary rocks. 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 Gneiss vs Basalt information and Gneiss vs Basalt characteristics in the upcoming sections.

Compare Metamorphic Rocks

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

More about Gneiss and Basalt

Here you can know more about Gneiss and Basalt. The life cycle of a rock consists of formation of rock, composition of rock and transformation of rock. The composition of Gneiss and Basalt consists of mineral content and compound content. The mineral content of Gneiss includes Biotite, Chlorite, Feldspar, Garnet, Graphite, Hornblade, Micas, Muscovite or Illite, Quartz, Quartzite, Silica, Zircon and mineral content of Basalt includes Olivine, Plagioclase, Pyroxene. You can also check out the list of all Metamorphic Rocks. When we have to compare Gneiss vs Basalt, the texture, color and appearance plays an important role in determining the type of rock. Gneiss is available in black, brown, pink, red, white colors whereas, Basalt is available in black, brown, light to dark grey colors. Appearance of Gneiss is Foliated and that of Basalt is Dull and Soft. Properties of rock is another aspect for Gneiss vs Basalt. The hardness of Gneiss is 7 and that of Basalt is 6. The types of Gneiss are Augen Gneiss, Henderson Gneiss, Lewisian Gneiss, Archean and Proterozoic Gneiss. 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 Gneiss is white while that of Basalt is white to grey. The specific heat capacity of Gneiss 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.Gneiss is heat resistant, pressure resistant, scratch resistant, wear resistant whereas Basalt is heat resistant, pressure resistant, wear resistant.

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