Nephelinite

Basalt

Nephelinite and Basalt

Nephelinite

Basalt

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1 Definition

1.1 Definition

Nephelinite is a fine-grained or aphanitic igneous rock made up almost entirely of nepheline and clinopyroxene (variety augite).

Basalt is a common extrusive igneous rock formed by the rapid cooling of basaltic lava exposed at or very near the surface of Earth

1.2 History

1.2.1 Origin

Brazil

Egypt

1.2.2 Discoverer

Unknown

Georgius Agricola

1.3 Etymology

from French néphéline, from Greek nephelē

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

1.4 Class

Igneous Rocks

1.4.1 Sub-Class

Durable Rock, Hard Rock

Durable Rock, Medium Hardness Rock

1.5 Family

1.5.1 Group

Plutonic

Volcanic

1.6 Other Categories

Fine Grained Rock, Opaque Rock

2 Texture

2.1 Texture

Aphanitic

Glassy, Massive, Porphyritic, Scoriaceous, Vesicular

2.2 Color

Black, Brown, Colourless, Green, Grey, White

Black, Brown, Light to Dark Grey

2.3 Maintenance

Less

2.4 Durability

Durable

2.4.1 Water Resistant

✔ ✘

2.4.2 Scratch Resistant

✔ ✘

2.4.3 Stain Resistant

✔ ✘

2.4.4 Wind Resistant

✔ ✘

2.4.5 Acid Resistant

✔ ✘

2.5 Appearance

Skeletal

Dull and Soft

3 Uses

3.1 Architecture

3.1.1 Interior Uses

Decorative Aggregates, Homes, Interior Decoration

Floor Tiles, Homes, Hotels, Kitchens

3.1.2 Exterior Uses

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

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

3.1.3 Other Architectural Uses

Curbing

Curbing, Whetstones

3.2 Industry

3.2.1 Construction Industry

As Dimension Stone, Cement Manufacture, Construction Aggregate, for Road Aggregate

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

3.2.2 Medical Industry

Not Yet Used

3.3 Antiquity Uses

Artifacts, Monuments, Sculpture, Small Figurines

Artifacts, Monuments

3.4 Other Uses

3.4.1 Commercial Uses

Creating Artwork, Soil Conditioner, Source of Magnesia (MgO)

An Oil and Gas Reservoir, Commemorative Tablets, Creating Artwork, Used in aquariums

4 Types

4.1 Types

Peralkaline Nephelinite

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

4.2 Features

Host Rock for Lead

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

4.3 Archaeological Significance

4.3.1 Monuments

Used

4.3.2 Famous Monuments

Data Not Available

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

4.3.3 Sculpture

Used

4.3.4 Famous Sculptures

Data Not Available

4.3.5 Pictographs

Not Used

Used

4.3.6 Petroglyphs

Not Used

Used

4.3.7 Figurines

Used

4.4 Fossils

Absent

5 Formation

5.1 Formation

Nephelinite 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.

5.2 Composition

5.2.1 Mineral Content

Clinopyroxene, Nepheline, Plagioclase

Olivine, Plagioclase, Pyroxene

5.2.2 Compound Content

Ca, CaO, Carbon, Cl, MgO

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

5.3 Transformation

5.3.1 Metamorphism

✔ ✘

5.3.2 Types of Metamorphism

Contact Metamorphism

5.3.3 Weathering

✔ ✘

5.3.4 Types of Weathering

Biological Weathering, Chemical Weathering, Mechanical Weathering

Biological Weathering

5.3.5 Erosion

✔ ✘

5.3.6 Types of Erosion

Chemical Erosion, Water Erosion, Wind Erosion

Not Available

6 Properties

6.1 Physical Properties

6.1.1 Hardness

6.56

1 7

6.1.2 Grain Size

Fine Grained

6.1.3 Fracture

Flat

Conchoidal

6.1.4 Streak

White

White to Grey

6.1.5 Porosity

Less Porous

6.1.6 Luster

Vitreous to Metallic

Not Available

6.1.7 Compressive Strength

35.00 N/mm²37.40 N/mm²

0.15 450

6.1.8 Cleavage

Imperfect

Not Available

6.1.9 Toughness

2.7

2.3

6.1.10 Specific Gravity

2.4-2.92.8-3

0 8.4

6.1.11 Transparency

Opaque

6.1.12 Density

2.5-3 g/cm³2.9-3.1 g/cm³

0 1400

6.2 Thermal Properties

6.2.1 Specific Heat Capacity

0.88 kJ/Kg K0.84 kJ/Kg K

0.14 3.2

6.2.2 Resistance

Heat Resistant

Heat Resistant, Pressure Resistant, Wear Resistant

7 Reserves

7.1 Deposits in Eastern Continents

7.1.1 Asia

Japan

India, Russia

7.1.2 Africa

Rwanda, Tanzania

South Africa

7.1.3 Europe

Not Yet Found

Iceland

7.1.4 Others

Hawaii Islands

Not Yet Found

7.2 Deposits in Western Continents

7.2.1 North America

Canada, USA

7.2.2 South America

Colombia

Brazil

7.3 Deposits in Oceania Continent

7.3.1 Australia

Not Yet Found

All about Nephelinite and Basalt Properties

Know all about Nephelinite and Basalt properties here. All properties of rocks are important as they define the type of rock and its application. Nephelinite and Basalt belong to Igneous Rocks.Texture of Nephelinite is Aphanitic whereas that of Basalt is Glassy, Massive, Porphyritic, Scoriaceous, Vesicular. Nephelinite appears Skeletal and Basalt appears Dull and Soft. The luster of Nephelinite is vitreous to metallic while that of Basalt is not available. Nephelinite is available in black, brown, colourless, green, grey, white colors whereas Basalt is available in black, brown, light to dark grey colors. The commercial uses of Nephelinite are creating artwork, soil conditioner, source of magnesia (mgo) and that of Basalt are an oil and gas reservoir, commemorative tablets, creating artwork, used in aquariums.