Ignimbrite and Basalt

Ignimbrite

Basalt

Definition

Ignimbrite is a volcanic rock consisting mainly of pumice fragments, formed by the consolidation of material deposited by pyroclastic flows

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

New Zealand

Egypt

Discoverer

Patrick Marshall

Georgius Agricola

Etymology

From Latin ignis fire + imber, imbr- shower of rain, storm cloud + -ite

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

Class

Igneous Rocks

Sub-Class

Durable Rock, Medium Hardness Rock

Family

Group

Volcanic

Other Categories

Fine Grained Rock, Opaque Rock

Texture

Aphanitic

Glassy, Massive, Porphyritic, Scoriaceous, Vesicular

Color

Beige, Black, Brown, Grey, Pink, White

Black, Brown, Light to Dark Grey

Maintenance

Durability

Durable

Water Resistant

Yes

Scratch Resistant

Yes

Stain Resistant

Yes

Wind Resistant

Yes

Acid Resistant

Yes

Appearance

Dull, Vesicular and Foilated

Dull and Soft

Uses

Architecture

Interior Uses

Decorative Aggregates, Floor Tiles, Homes, Interior Decoration

Floor Tiles, Homes, Hotels, Kitchens

Exterior Uses

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

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

Other Architectural Uses

Curbing

Curbing, Whetstones

Industry

Construction Industry

Building houses or walls, Construction Aggregate

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

Medical Industry

Not Yet Used

Antiquity Uses

Artifacts, Monuments, Sculpture, Small Figurines

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

Not Available

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

Features

Always found as volcanic pipes over deep continental crust

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

Archaeological Significance

Monuments

Used

Famous Monuments

Data Not Available

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

Sculpture

Used

Famous Sculptures

Data Not Available

Pictographs

Used

Petroglyphs

Used

Figurines

Used

Fossils

Absent

Formation

Ignimbrites are formed from very poorly sorted mixture of volcanic ash or tuff and pumice lapilli, commonly with scattered lithic fragments.

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

Apatite, Biotite, Calcite, Chlorite, Feldspar, Hematite, Hornblade, Ilmenite, Magnetite, Olivine, Pyroxene, Quartz

Olivine, Plagioclase, Pyroxene

Compound Content

Ca, NaCl

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

Transformation

Metamorphism

Yes

Types of Metamorphism

Burial Metamorphism, Contact Metamorphism, Hydrothermal Metamorphism, Impact Metamorphism, Regional Metamorphism

Contact Metamorphism

Weathering

Yes

Types of Weathering

Biological Weathering, Chemical Weathering

Biological Weathering

Erosion

Yes

Types of Erosion

Chemical Erosion, Coastal Erosion

Not Available

Properties

Physical Properties

Hardness

4-6

Grain Size

Fine Grained

Fracture

Uneven

Conchoidal

Streak

White

White to Grey

Porosity

Highly Porous

Less Porous

Luster

Vitreous to Dull

Not Available

Compressive Strength

243.80 N/mm²

37.40 N/mm²

Cleavage

Not Available

Toughness

Not Available

2.3

Specific Gravity

2.73

2.8-3

Transparency

Opaque

Density

1-1.8 g/cm³

2.9-3.1 g/cm³

Thermal Properties

Specific Heat Capacity

0.20 kJ/Kg K

0.84 kJ/Kg K

Resistance

Heat Resistant, Impact Resistant, Pressure Resistant, Wear Resistant

Heat Resistant, Pressure Resistant, Wear Resistant

Reserves

Deposits in Eastern Continents

Asia

Afghanistan, Armenia, Azerbaijan, Burma, Cambodia, China, India, Indonesia, Iran, Japan, Malaysia, Mongolia, Nepal, North Korea, Pakistan, Saudi Arabia, Syria, Taiwan, Thailand, Turkey, Vietnam, Yemen

India, Russia

Africa

Cameroon, Cape Verde, Chad, Djibouti, Eritrea, Ethiopia, Kenya, Libya, Madagascar, Nigeria, Rwanda, South Africa, Sudan, Tanzania, Uganda

South Africa

Europe

France, Georgia, Germany, Greece, Iceland, Italy, Netherlands, Poland, Portugal, Spain, United Kingdom

Iceland

Others

Antarctica, Hawaii Islands

Not Yet Found

Deposits in Western Continents

North America

Canada, Costa Rica, Panama, USA

Canada, USA

South America

Argentina, Bolivia, Brazil, Chile, Colombia, Ecuador

Brazil

Deposits in Oceania Continent

Australia

Central Australia, Western Australia

Not Yet Found

Summary >>

<< Reserves

All about Ignimbrite and Basalt Properties

Know all about Ignimbrite and Basalt properties here. All properties of rocks are important as they define the type of rock and its application. Ignimbrite and Basalt belong to Igneous Rocks.Texture of Ignimbrite is Aphanitic whereas that of Basalt is Glassy, Massive, Porphyritic, Scoriaceous, Vesicular. Ignimbrite appears Dull, Vesicular and Foilated and Basalt appears Dull and Soft. The luster of Ignimbrite is vitreous to dull while that of Basalt is not available. Ignimbrite is available in beige, black, brown, grey, pink, white colors whereas Basalt is available in black, brown, light to dark grey colors. The commercial uses of Ignimbrite are cemetery markers, commemorative tablets, creating artwork and that of Basalt are an oil and gas reservoir, commemorative tablets, creating artwork, used in aquariums.