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Oolite and Basalt


Basalt and Oolite


Definition

Definition
Oolite is a sedimentary rock formed from ooids, spherical grains which are composed of concentric layers of calcite   
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
Unknown   
Egypt   

Discoverer
Unknown   
Georgius Agricola   

Etymology
From oo- + -lite, after German Oolit. A rock consisting of fine grains of carbonate of lime   
From Late Latin Basaltes (variant of basanites ), very hard stone, which was imported from Ancient Greek Basanites   

Class
Sedimentary Rocks   
Igneous Rocks   

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

Family
  
  

Group
Volcanic   
Volcanic   

Other Categories
Fine Grained Rock, Opaque Rock   
Fine Grained Rock, Opaque Rock   

Texture

Texture
Clastic or Non-Clastic   
Glassy, Massive, Porphyritic, Scoriaceous, Vesicular   

Color
Black, Blue, Brown, Cream, Green, Grey, Pink, Red, Silver, White, Yellow   
Black, Brown, Light to Dark Grey   

Maintenance
Less   
More   

Durability
Durable   
Durable   

Water Resistant
No   
No   

Scratch Resistant
Yes   
Yes   

Stain Resistant
Yes   
Yes   

Wind Resistant
No   
No   

Acid Resistant
No   
Yes   

Appearance
Rounded and Rough   
Dull and Soft   

Uses

Architecture
  
  

Interior Uses
Decorative Aggregates, Flooring, Interior Decoration   
Floor Tiles, Homes, Hotels, Kitchens   

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

Other Architectural Uses
Not Yet Used   
Curbing, Whetstones   

Industry
  
  

Construction Industry
Cement Manufacture, Cobblestones, Landscaping   
Arrowheads, As Dimension Stone, Cobblestones, Cutting Tool, Rail Track Ballast, Roadstone   

Medical Industry
Not Yet Used   
Not Yet Used   

Antiquity Uses
Artifacts   
Artifacts, Monuments   

Other Uses
  
  

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

Types

Types
Not Available   
Alkaline Basalt, Boninite, High Alumina Basalt, Mid Ocean Ridge Basalt (MORB), Tholeiitic Basalt, Basaltic trachyandesite, Mugearite and Shoshonite   

Features
Available in lots of colors, Generally rough to touch, Very fine grained rock   
Has High structural resistance against erosion and climate, Very fine grained rock   

Archaeological Significance
  
  

Monuments
Not Yet Used   
Used   

Famous Monuments
Not Applicable   
Easter Island in the Polynesian Triangle, Pacific Ocean, Gateway of India in Mumbai, India, Gol Gumbaz in Karnataka, India   

Sculpture
Not Yet Used   
Used   

Famous Sculptures
Not Applicable   
Data Not Available   

Pictographs
Used   
Used   

Petroglyphs
Used   
Used   

Figurines
Not Yet Used   
Used   

Fossils
Present   
Absent   

Formation

Formation
Oolites form when layers of calcite are deposited around a sand grain or fossil piece and are rolled around in calm water, which makes them round.   
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
Calcite, Chert, Clay, Dolomite, Quartz, Sand, Silt   
Olivine, Plagioclase, Pyroxene   

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

Transformation
  
  

Metamorphism
No   
Yes   

Types of Metamorphism
Not Applicable   
Contact Metamorphism   

Weathering
Yes   
Yes   

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

Erosion
Yes   
No   

Types of Erosion
Chemical Erosion, Coastal Erosion   
Not Available   

Properties

Physical Properties
  
  

Hardness
3-4   
6   

Grain Size
Fine Grained   
Fine Grained   

Fracture
Conchoidal   
Conchoidal   

Streak
White   
White to Grey   

Porosity
Less Porous   
Less Porous   

Luster
Pearly to Shiny   
Not Available   

Compressive Strength
Not Available   
37.40 N/mm2   
28

Cleavage
Non-Existent   
Not Available   

Toughness
1   
2.3   

Specific Gravity
Not Available   
2.8-3   

Transparency
Opaque   
Opaque   

Density
Not Available   
2.9-3.1 g/cm3   

Thermal Properties
  
  

Specific Heat Capacity
Not Available   
0.84 kJ/Kg K   
15

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

Reserves

Deposits in Eastern Continents
  
  

Asia
Brunei, India, Indonesia, Malaysia, Singapore, Thailand, Vietnam   
India, Russia   

Africa
Cameroon, Chad, Ghana, Kenya, Malawi, Sudan, Tanzania, Togo, Zambia, Zimbabwe   
South Africa   

Europe
United Kingdom   
Iceland   

Others
Not Yet Found   
Not Yet Found   

Deposits in Western Continents
  
  

North America
USA   
Canada, USA   

South America
Colombia   
Brazil   

Deposits in Oceania Continent
  
  

Australia
Adelaide, New Zealand, Queensland, Tonga, Victoria, Yorke Peninsula   
Not Yet Found   

Summary >>
<< Reserves

All about Oolite and Basalt Properties

Know all about Oolite and Basalt properties here. All properties of rocks are important as they define the type of rock and its application. Oolite belongs to Sedimentary Rocks while Basalt belongs to Igneous Rocks.Texture of Oolite is Clastic or Non-Clastic whereas that of Basalt is Glassy, Massive, Porphyritic, Scoriaceous, Vesicular. Oolite appears Rounded and Rough and Basalt appears Dull and Soft. The luster of Oolite is pearly to shiny while that of Basalt is not available. Oolite is available in black, blue, brown, cream, green, grey, pink, red, silver, white, yellow colors whereas Basalt is available in black, brown, light to dark grey colors. The commercial uses of Oolite are creating artwork, jewelry, used in aquariums and that of Basalt are an oil and gas reservoir, commemorative tablets, creating artwork, used in aquariums.

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