Home
Compare Rocks


Obsidian and Basanite 


Basanite  and Obsidian


Definition

Definition
Obsidian is a naturally occurring volcanic glass formed as an extrusive igneous rock. It is produced when felsic lava extruded from a volcano cools rapidly with minimum crystal growth   
Basanite is a black basaltic rock which mainly contains plagioclase, augite, olivine and nepheline and is formerly used as a touchstone   

History
  
  

Origin
Ethiopia   
Unknown   

Discoverer
Obsius   
Unknown   

Etymology
From Latin obsidianus, misprint of Obsianus (lapis) (stone) of Obsius   
From Latin basanites + -ite   

Class
Igneous Rocks   
Igneous Rocks   

Sub-Class
Durable Rock, Medium Hardness Rock   
Durable Rock, Hard Rock   

Family
  
  

Group
Volcanic   
Not Applicable   

Other Categories
Opaque Rock   
Fine Grained Rock, Opaque Rock   

Texture

Texture
Glassy   
Aphanitic to Porphyritic   

Color
Black, Blue, Brown, Green, Orange, Red, Tan, Yellow   
Black, Brown, Green, Grey, Red, White   

Maintenance
Less   
Less   

Durability
Durable   
Durable   

Water Resistant
Yes   
Yes   

Scratch Resistant
Yes   
Yes   

Stain Resistant
No   
Yes   

Wind Resistant
No   
Yes   

Acid Resistant
No   
Yes   

Appearance
Shiny   
Glassy or Pearly   

Uses

Architecture
  
  

Interior Uses
Decorative Aggregates, Interior Decoration   
Decorative Aggregates, Homes   

Exterior Uses
Garden Decoration   
As Building Stone, Garden Decoration, Office Buildings   

Other Architectural Uses
Not Yet Used   
Whetstones   

Industry
  
  

Construction Industry
Arrowheads, Cutting Tool, Knives, Scrapers, Spear Points   
Arrowheads, Construction Aggregate, Cutting Tool, Spear Points   

Medical Industry
Surgery   
Not Yet Used   

Antiquity Uses
Artifacts, Jewellery   
Artifacts, Monuments   

Other Uses
  
  

Commercial Uses
Creating Artwork, Mirror, Used in aquariums   
As a touchstone, Creating Artwork, Gemstone, In fire-starting tools, Manufacture of tools, Metallurgical Flux, Jewelry, To ignite fire, Used in flintlock firearms   

Types

Types
Fireworks Obsidian, Mahogany, Sheen Obsidian, Snowflake obsidian and Velvet Peacock Obsidian   
Nepheline-Basanite, Analcite-Basanite and Leucite-Basanite   

Features
Blocks negativity, Helps to protect against depression   
Clasts are smooth to touch, Easily splits into thin plates, Has High structural resistance against erosion and climate, Used as a touchstone   

Archaeological Significance
  
  

Monuments
Not Yet Used   
Used   

Famous Monuments
Not Applicable   
Data Not Available   

Sculpture
Not Yet Used   
Not Yet Used   

Famous Sculptures
Not Applicable   
Not Applicable   

Pictographs
Used   
Not Used   

Petroglyphs
Used   
Not Used   

Figurines
Not Yet Used   
Not Yet Used   

Fossils
Absent   
Absent   

Formation

Formation
When the lava is released from volcano, it undergoes a very rapid cooling which freezes the mechanisms of crystallization. The result is a volcanic glass with a uniform smooth texture.   
Basanite is a fine-grained, hard rock that forms when bits of lava shoot out of volcanoes.   

Composition
  
  

Mineral Content
Not Available   
Augite, Feldspar, Ilmenite, Olivine, Plagioclase   

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

Transformation
  
  

Metamorphism
Yes   
Yes   

Types of Metamorphism
Burial Metamorphism, Cataclastic Metamorphism, Contact Metamorphism   
Burial Metamorphism, Cataclastic Metamorphism, Contact Metamorphism, Regional Metamorphism   

Weathering
Yes   
Yes   

Types of Weathering
Biological Weathering, Chemical Weathering, Mechanical Weathering   
Chemical Weathering, Mechanical Weathering   

Erosion
Yes   
Yes   

Types of Erosion
Chemical Erosion, Coastal Erosion, Glacier Erosion   
Chemical Erosion, Coastal Erosion, Glacier Erosion, Sea Erosion, Water Erosion, Wind Erosion   

Properties

Physical Properties
  
  

Hardness
5-5.5   
7   

Grain Size
Not Applicable   
Fine Grained   

Fracture
Conchoidal   
Uneven, Splintery or Conchoidal   

Streak
White   
White   

Porosity
Very Less Porous   
Highly Porous   

Luster
Vitreous   
Waxy and Dull   

Compressive Strength
0.15 N/mm2   
33
Not Available   

Cleavage
Non-Existent   
Non-Existent   

Toughness
Not Available   
1.5   

Specific Gravity
2.6-2.7   
2.5-2.8   

Transparency
Translucent   
Translucent to Opaque   

Density
2.6 g/cm3   
2.7 g/cm3   

Thermal Properties
  
  

Specific Heat Capacity
0.92 kJ/Kg K   
10
0.74 kJ/Kg K   
19

Resistance
Heat Resistant, Impact Resistant   
Heat Resistant, Impact Resistant, Pressure Resistant, Wear Resistant   

Reserves

Deposits in Eastern Continents
  
  

Asia
Afghanistan, Indonesia, Japan, Russia   
Not Yet Found   

Africa
Kenya   
Uganda   

Europe
Greece, Hungary, Iceland, Italy, Turkey   
Germany, Hungary, Italy, Spain   

Others
Not Yet Found   
Greenland, Mid-Atlantic Ridge   

Deposits in Western Continents
  
  

North America
Canada, Mexico, USA   
USA   

South America
Argentina, Chile, Ecuador, Peru   
Bolivia, Brazil   

Deposits in Oceania Continent
  
  

Australia
New Zealand   
New South Wales, New Zealand, Queensland, South Australia, Western Australia   

Summary >>
<< Reserves

All about Obsidian and Basanite  Properties

Know all about Obsidian and Basanite  properties here. All properties of rocks are important as they define the type of rock and its application. Obsidian and Basanite  belong to Igneous Rocks.Texture of Obsidian is Glassy whereas that of Basanite  is Aphanitic to Porphyritic. Obsidian appears Shiny and Basanite  appears Glassy or Pearly. The luster of Obsidian is vitreous while that of Basanite  is waxy and dull. Obsidian is available in black, blue, brown, green, orange, red, tan, yellow colors whereas Basanite  is available in black, brown, green, grey, red, white colors. The commercial uses of Obsidian are creating artwork, mirror, used in aquariums and that of Basanite  are as a touchstone, creating artwork, gemstone, in fire-starting tools, manufacture of tools, metallurgical flux, jewelry, to ignite fire, used in flintlock firearms.

Compare Igneous Rocks

Igneous Rocks

Igneous Rocks

» More Igneous Rocks

Compare Igneous Rocks

» More Compare Igneous Rocks