Definition
Marble is a non-foliated metamorphic rock which is composed of recrystallized carbonate which is formed when limestone is exposed to high temperatures and pressures over a long time
Basalt is a common extrusive igneous rock formed by the rapid cooling of basaltic lava exposed at or very near the surface of Earth
Discoverer
Unknown
Georgius Agricola
Etymology
From the Greek marmaros, shining stone and also from the English word marmoreal meaning marble-like
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, Medium Hardness Rock
Durable Rock, Medium Hardness Rock
Group
Not Applicable
Volcanic
Other Categories
Medium Grained Rock, Opaque Rock
Fine Grained Rock, Opaque Rock
Texture
Granular
Glassy, Massive, Porphyritic, Scoriaceous, Vesicular
Color
Black, Blue, Brown, Grey, Pink, White
Black, Brown, Light to Dark Grey
Durability
Durable
Durable
Scratch Resistant
Yes
Yes
Appearance
Veined and Shiny
Dull and Soft
Interior Uses
Bathrooms, Countertops, Decorative Aggregates, Entryways, Floor Tiles, Homes, Hotels, Interior Decoration, Kitchens, Stair Treads
Floor Tiles, Homes, Hotels, Kitchens
Exterior Uses
As Building Stone, As Facing Stone, Garden Decoration, Office Buildings, Paving Stone
As Building Stone, Paving Stone, Garden Decoration, Office Buildings
Other Architectural Uses
Not Yet Used
Curbing, Whetstones
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, Jewellery, Monuments, Sculpture, Small Figurines
Artifacts, Monuments
Commercial Uses
Cemetery Markers, Commemorative Tablets, Creating Artwork, Curling, Laboratory bench tops, Paper Industry, Tombstones, Used in aquariums, Whiting material in toothpaste, paint and paper
An Oil and Gas Reservoir, Commemorative Tablets, Creating Artwork, Used in aquariums
Types
Breccia Marble, Carrara Marble, Calacatta marble, Cultured Marble, Polished Marble, Honed Marble, Sand Marble
Alkaline Basalt, Boninite, High Alumina Basalt, Mid Ocean Ridge Basalt (MORB), Tholeiitic Basalt, Basaltic trachyandesite, Mugearite and Shoshonite
Features
Available in Lots of Colors and Patterns, Easily splits into thin plates, Generally rough to touch, Is one of the oldest rock
Has High structural resistance against erosion and climate, Very fine grained rock
Archaeological Significance
Famous Monuments
Al Aqsa Mosque in Jerusalem, Buland Darwaza in Agra, India, Capitol Hill Building, Washington DC, Charminar in Hyderabad, India, Chhatrapati Shivaji Terminus in Maharashtra, India, Ephesus in Turkey, Faisal Mosque in Islamabad, Pakistan, Humayun's Tomb in Delhi, India, Jama Masjid in Delhi, India, Lotus Temple in New Delhi, India, Louvre in Paris, France, Mysore Palace in Karnataka, India, Neuschwanstein in Bavaria, Palace of Parliament in Bucharest, Romania, Parthenon in Greece, Potala Palace in Lahasa, Tibet, Prophet’s Mosque in Medina, Qutb Minar in India, Saint Basil's Cathedral in Moscow, Russia, St. Peter’s Cathedral in Vatican City, Taj Mahal in Agra, India, Tower of Pisa, Italy, Victoria Memorial in Kolkata, India, Washington Monument, US
Easter Island in the Polynesian Triangle, Pacific Ocean, Gateway of India in Mumbai, India, Gol Gumbaz in Karnataka, India
Famous Sculptures
Ajanta Caves in Maharashtra, India, Bust of Artemis, Elephanta Caves in Maharashtra, India, Lincoln Memorial in America
Data Not Available
Formation
Marble is a metamorphic rock produced from limestone in the earth crust. It is formed by the metamorphism of limestone.
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
Garnet, Graphite, Olivine, Pyrite, Quartz
Olivine, Plagioclase, Pyroxene
Compound Content
CaO, Iron(III) Oxide, FeO, MgO, Silicon 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, Chemical Weathering, Mechanical Weathering
Biological Weathering
Types of Erosion
Chemical Erosion, Coastal Erosion
Not Available
Grain Size
Medium Grained
Fine Grained
Fracture
Not Available
Conchoidal
Streak
White
White to Grey
Porosity
Less Porous
Less Porous
Luster
Dull to Pearly to Subvitreous
Not Available
Cleavage
Perfect
Not Available
Toughness
Not Available
2.3
Specific Gravity
2.86-2.87
2.8-3
Transparency
Opaque
Opaque
Density
2.4-2.7 g/cm3
2.9-3.1 g/cm3
Resistance
Heat Resistant
Heat Resistant, Pressure Resistant, Wear Resistant
Deposits in Eastern Continents
Asia
China, India
India, Russia
Africa
Namibia
South Africa
Europe
Italy, Spain
Iceland
Others
Not Yet Found
Not Yet Found
Deposits in Western Continents
North America
Not Yet Found
Canada, USA
South America
Not Yet Found
Brazil
Deposits in Oceania Continent
Australia
New South Wales, New Zealand, Queensland, Victoria
Not Yet Found
Marble 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. Marble vs Basalt characteristics assist us to distinguish and recognize rocks. Also you can check about Properties of Marble and Properties of Basalt. Learn more about Marble vs Basalt in the next section. The interior uses of Marble include Bathrooms, Countertops, Decorative aggregates, Entryways, Floor tiles, Homes, Hotels, Interior decoration, Kitchens and Stair treads whereas the interior uses of Basalt include Floor tiles, Homes, Hotels and Kitchens. Due to some exceptional properties of Marble and Basalt, they have various applications in construction industry. The uses of Marble 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 Marble and Basalt
Here you can know more about Marble and Basalt. The life cycle of a rock consists of formation of rock, composition of rock and transformation of rock. The composition of Marble and Basalt consists of mineral content and compound content. The mineral content of Marble includes Garnet, Graphite, Olivine, Pyrite, Quartz 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 Marble vs Basalt, the texture, color and appearance plays an important role in determining the type of rock. Marble is available in black, blue, brown, grey, pink, white colors whereas, Basalt is available in black, brown, light to dark grey colors. Appearance of Marble is Veined and Shiny and that of Basalt is Dull and Soft. Properties of rock is another aspect for Marble vs Basalt. The hardness of Marble is 3-4 and that of Basalt is 6. The types of Marble are Breccia Marble, Carrara Marble, Calacatta marble, Cultured Marble, Polished Marble, Honed Marble, Sand Marble 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 Marble is white while that of Basalt is white to grey. The specific heat capacity of Marble is 0.88 kJ/Kg K 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.Marble is heat resistant whereas Basalt is heat resistant, pressure resistant, wear resistant.