Definition
Hawaiite is volcanic rock that resembles basalt. It is an olivine basalt with intermediate composition between alkali olivine and mugearite
Basalt is a common extrusive igneous rock formed by the rapid cooling of basaltic lava exposed at or very near the surface of Earth
Origin
Hawaii Islands
Egypt
Discoverer
Joseph Iddings
Georgius Agricola
Etymology
From Hawaii Islands
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, Medium Hardness Rock
Durable Rock, Medium Hardness Rock
Other Categories
Opaque Rock
Fine Grained Rock, Opaque Rock
Texture
Glassy, Massive, Porphyritic, Scoriaceous, Vesicular
Glassy, Massive, Porphyritic, Scoriaceous, Vesicular
Color
Black, Brown, Light to Dark Grey
Black, Brown, Light to Dark Grey
Durability
Durable
Durable
Scratch Resistant
Yes
Yes
Appearance
Dull and Soft
Dull and Soft
Interior Uses
Decorative Aggregates, Floor Tiles, Flooring, Homes, Hotels, Interior Decoration, Kitchens
Floor Tiles, Homes, Hotels, Kitchens
Exterior Uses
As Building Stone, As Facing Stone, Paving Stone, Garden Decoration, Office Buildings
As Building Stone, Paving Stone, Garden Decoration, Office Buildings
Other Architectural Uses
Curbing
Curbing, Whetstones
Construction Industry
As Dimension Stone, Cobblestones, Rail Track Ballast, Roadstone
Arrowheads, As Dimension Stone, Cobblestones, Cutting Tool, Rail Track Ballast, Roadstone
Medical Industry
Not Yet Used
Not Yet Used
Antiquity Uses
Artifacts
Artifacts, Monuments
Commercial Uses
Creating Artwork, Sea Defence
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
Has High structural resistance against erosion and climate, Very fine grained rock
Has High structural resistance against erosion and climate, Very fine grained rock
Archaeological Significance
Famous Monuments
Easter Island in the Polynesian Triangle, Pacific Ocean
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
Hawaiite is a fine-grained, hard rock that forms when bits of lava shoot out of volcanoes and reach the 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.
Mineral Content
Olivine, Plagioclase, Pyroxene
Olivine, Plagioclase, Pyroxene
Compound Content
Aluminium Oxide, CaO, Iron(III) Oxide, FeO, Potassium Oxide, MgO, MnO, Sodium Oxide, 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
Types of Metamorphism
Impact Metamorphism
Contact Metamorphism
Types of Weathering
Biological Weathering
Biological Weathering
Types of Erosion
Not Applicable
Not Available
Grain Size
Not Applicable
Fine Grained
Fracture
Conchoidal
Conchoidal
Streak
Not Available
White to Grey
Porosity
Less Porous
Less Porous
Luster
Not Available
Not Available
Cleavage
Not Applicable
Not Available
Toughness
Not Available
2.3
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
Heat 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
Others
Hawaii Islands
Not Yet Found
Deposits in Western Continents
North America
Canada, USA
Canada, USA
South America
Brazil
Brazil
Deposits in Oceania Continent
Australia
Not Yet Found
Not Yet Found
Hawaiite 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. Hawaiite vs Basalt characteristics assist us to distinguish and recognize rocks. Also you can check about Properties of Hawaiite and Properties of Basalt. Learn more about Hawaiite vs Basalt in the next section. The interior uses of Hawaiite include Decorative aggregates, Floor tiles, Flooring, Homes, Hotels, Interior decoration and Kitchens whereas the interior uses of Basalt include Floor tiles, Homes, Hotels and Kitchens. Due to some exceptional properties of Hawaiite and Basalt, they have various applications in construction industry. The uses of Hawaiite in construction industry include As dimension stone, Cobblestones, Rail track ballast, Roadstone and that of Basalt include Arrowheads, As dimension stone, Cobblestones, Cutting tool, Rail track ballast, Roadstone.
More about Hawaiite and Basalt
Here you can know more about Hawaiite and Basalt. The life cycle of a rock consists of formation of rock, composition of rock and transformation of rock. The composition of Hawaiite and Basalt consists of mineral content and compound content. The mineral content of Hawaiite includes 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 Hawaiite vs Basalt, the texture, color and appearance plays an important role in determining the type of rock. Hawaiite is available in black, brown, light to dark grey colors whereas, Basalt is available in black, brown, light to dark grey colors. Appearance of Hawaiite is Dull and Soft and that of Basalt is Dull and Soft. Properties of rock is another aspect for Hawaiite vs Basalt. Hardness of Hawaiite and Basalt is 6. The types of Hawaiite 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 Hawaiite is not available while that of Basalt is white to grey. The specific heat capacity of Hawaiite 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.Hawaiite is heat resistant, pressure resistant, wear resistant whereas Basalt is heat resistant, pressure resistant, wear resistant.