Definition
Litchfieldite is a rare igneous rock which is coarse-grained, foliated and a variety of nepheline syenite, sometimes also called as nepheline syenite gneiss or gneissic nepeheline syenite
  
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
USA
  
Egypt
  
Discoverer
Bayley
  
Georgius Agricola
  
Etymology
From its occurrence at Litchfield, Maine, USA
  
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
  
Family
  
  
Group
Plutonic
  
Volcanic
  
Other Categories
Coarse Grained Rock, Opaque Rock
  
Fine Grained Rock, Opaque Rock
  
Texture
Granular
  
Glassy, Massive, Porphyritic, Scoriaceous, Vesicular
  
Color
Brown, Buff, Cream, Green, Grey, Pink, White
  
Black, Brown, Light to Dark Grey
  
Maintenance
Less
  
More
  
Durability
Durable
  
Durable
  
Water Resistant
Yes
  
No
  
Scratch Resistant
Yes
  
Yes
  
Stain Resistant
Yes
  
Yes
  
Wind Resistant
No
  
No
  
Acid Resistant
No
  
Yes
  
Appearance
Banded and Foilated
  
Dull and Soft
  
Architecture
  
  
Interior Uses
Countertops, Decorative Aggregates, Flooring, Interior Decoration
  
Floor Tiles, Homes, Hotels, Kitchens
  
Exterior Uses
As Building Stone, As Facing Stone, Garden Decoration
  
As Building Stone, Paving Stone, Garden Decoration, Office Buildings
  
Other Architectural Uses
Curbing
  
Curbing, Whetstones
  
Industry
  
  
Construction Industry
As Dimension Stone, Cement Manufacture, Construction Aggregate, for Road Aggregate, Landscaping, Making natural cement, Manufacture of Magnesium and Dolomite Refractories, Production of Glass and Ceramics
  
Arrowheads, As Dimension Stone, Cobblestones, Cutting Tool, Rail Track Ballast, Roadstone
  
Medical Industry
Not Yet Used
  
Not Yet Used
  
Antiquity Uses
Artifacts, Monuments, Sculpture
  
Artifacts, Monuments
  
Other Uses
  
  
Commercial Uses
Creating Artwork
  
An Oil and Gas Reservoir, Commemorative Tablets, Creating Artwork, Used in aquariums
  
Types
Borolanite and Litchfieldite
  
Alkaline Basalt, Boninite, High Alumina Basalt, Mid Ocean Ridge Basalt (MORB), Tholeiitic Basalt, Basaltic trachyandesite, Mugearite and Shoshonite
  
Features
Application of acids on the surface causes cloudy frosting, Available in Lots of Colors and Patterns, Dissolves in hydrochloric acid, 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
Data Not Available
  
Easter Island in the Polynesian Triangle, Pacific Ocean, Gateway of India in Mumbai, India, Gol Gumbaz in Karnataka, India
  
Sculpture
Used
  
Used
  
Famous Sculptures
Data Not Available
  
Data Not Available
  
Pictographs
Used
  
Used
  
Petroglyphs
Used
  
Used
  
Figurines
Used
  
Used
  
Fossils
Absent
  
Absent
  
Formation
Litchfieldite 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
Albite, Amphibole, Biotite, Cancrinite, Feldspar, Hornblende, Plagioclase, Pyroxene, Sodalite
  
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
  
Transformation
  
  
Metamorphism
Yes
  
Yes
  
Types of Metamorphism
Burial Metamorphism, Cataclastic Metamorphism, Contact Metamorphism, Impact Metamorphism
  
Contact Metamorphism
  
Weathering
Yes
  
Yes
  
Types of Weathering
Biological Weathering, Mechanical Weathering
  
Biological Weathering
  
Erosion
Yes
  
No
  
Types of Erosion
Coastal Erosion, Water Erosion, Wind Erosion
  
Not Available
  
Physical Properties
  
  
Hardness
5.5-6
  
6
  
Grain Size
Coarse Grained
  
Fine Grained
  
Fracture
Conchoidal to Uneven
  
Conchoidal
  
Streak
White
  
White to Grey
  
Porosity
Less Porous
  
Less Porous
  
Luster
Greasy to Dull
  
Not Available
  
Compressive Strength
150.00 N/mm2
  
14
37.40 N/mm2
  
28
Cleavage
Poor
  
Not Available
  
Toughness
Not Available
  
2.3
  
Specific Gravity
2.6
  
2.8-3
  
Transparency
Translucent to Opaque
  
Opaque
  
Density
2.6 g/cm3
  
2.9-3.1 g/cm3
  
Thermal Properties
  
  
Specific Heat Capacity
Not Available
  
0.84 kJ/Kg K
  
15
Resistance
Heat Resistant, Impact Resistant, Wear Resistant
  
Heat Resistant, Pressure Resistant, Wear Resistant
  
Deposits in Eastern Continents
  
  
Asia
Not Yet Found
  
India, Russia
  
Africa
South Africa
  
South Africa
  
Europe
Finland, Norway, Portugal
  
Iceland
  
Others
Not Yet Found
  
Not Yet Found
  
Deposits in Western Continents
  
  
North America
Canada
  
Canada, USA
  
South America
Brazil
  
Brazil
  
Deposits in Oceania Continent
  
  
Australia
Not Yet Found
  
Not Yet Found
  
Litchfieldite 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. Litchfieldite vs Basalt characteristics assist us to distinguish and recognize rocks. Also you can check about Properties of Litchfieldite and Properties of Basalt. Learn more about Litchfieldite vs Basalt in the next section. The interior uses of Litchfieldite 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 Litchfieldite and Basalt, they have various applications in construction industry. The uses of Litchfieldite in construction industry include As dimension stone, Cement manufacture, Construction aggregate, For road aggregate, Landscaping, Making natural cement, Manufacture of magnesium and dolomite refractories, Production of glass and ceramics and that of Basalt include Arrowheads, As dimension stone, Cobblestones, Cutting tool, Rail track ballast, Roadstone.
More about Litchfieldite and Basalt
Here you can know more about Litchfieldite and Basalt. The life cycle of a rock consists of formation of rock, composition of rock and transformation of rock. The composition of Litchfieldite and Basalt consists of mineral content and compound content. The mineral content of Litchfieldite includes Albite, Amphibole, Biotite, Cancrinite, Feldspar, Hornblende, Plagioclase, Pyroxene, Sodalite 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 Litchfieldite vs Basalt, the texture, color and appearance plays an important role in determining the type of rock. Litchfieldite is available in brown, buff, cream, green, grey, pink, white colors whereas, Basalt is available in black, brown, light to dark grey colors. Appearance of Litchfieldite is Banded and Foilated and that of Basalt is Dull and Soft. Properties of rock is another aspect for Litchfieldite vs Basalt. The hardness of Litchfieldite is 5.5-6 and that of Basalt is 6. The types of Litchfieldite are Borolanite and Litchfieldite 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 Litchfieldite is white while that of Basalt is white to grey. The specific heat capacity of Litchfieldite 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.Litchfieldite is heat resistant, impact resistant, wear resistant whereas Basalt is heat resistant, pressure resistant, wear resistant.