Porphyry

Basanite

Porphyry vs Basanite

Porphyry

Basanite

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Definition

Porphyry is a reddish-brown to purple igneous rock containing large phenocrysts of various minerals embedded in a fine-grained matrix

Basanite is a black basaltic rock which mainly contains plagioclase, augite, olivine and nepheline and is formerly used as a touchstone

History

Origin

Egypt

Discoverer

Unknown

Etymology

From Old French porfire, from Italian porfiro and in some cases directly from Latin porphyrites

From Latin basanites + -ite

Class

Igneous Rocks

Sub-Class

Durable Rock, Hard Rock

Family

Group

Plutonic

Other Categories

Fine Grained Rock, Opaque Rock

Texture

Porphyritic

Aphanitic to Porphyritic

Color

Black, Brown, Green, Grey, Red, Rust, White

Black, Brown, Green, Grey, Red, White

Maintenance

Less

Durability

Durable

Water Resistant

✔ ✘

Scratch Resistant

✔ ✘

Stain Resistant

✔ ✘

Wind Resistant

✔ ✘

Acid Resistant

✔ ✘

Appearance

Dull

Glassy or Pearly

Uses

Architecture

Interior Uses

Decorative Aggregates, Interior Decoration

Decorative Aggregates, Homes

Exterior Uses

Garden Decoration, Paving Stone

As Building Stone, Garden Decoration, Office Buildings

Other Architectural Uses

Curbing

Whetstones

Industry

Construction Industry

Construction Aggregate

Arrowheads, Construction Aggregate, Cutting Tool, Spear Points

Medical Industry

Antiquity Uses

Artifacts, Monuments, Sculpture

Artifacts, Monuments

Other Uses

Commercial Uses

Creating Artwork, Gemstone, Jewelry

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

Types

Rhomb Porphyry

Nepheline-Basanite, Analcite-Basanite and Leucite-Basanite

Features

Generally rough to touch, Is one of the oldest rock, Surfaces are often shiny

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

Famous Monuments

Sculpture

Famous Sculptures

Pictographs

Petroglyphs

Figurines

Fossils

Absent

Formation

Porphyry is formed in two stages: the magma cools slowly deep within the crust or the magma is cools rapidly as it erupts from a volcano, creating small grains that are usually invisible to naked eye.

Basanite is a fine-grained, hard rock that forms when bits of lava shoot out of volcanoes.

Composition

Mineral Content

Biotite, Chert, Feldspar, Garnet, Graphite, Quartz, Silica

Augite, Feldspar, Ilmenite, Olivine, Plagioclase

Compound Content

Aluminium Oxide, CaO, Iron(III) Oxide, Potassium Oxide, MgO, Sodium Oxide, Silicon Dioxide, Titanium Dioxide

Potassium Oxide, Sodium Oxide, Silicon Dioxide

Transformation

Metamorphism

✔ ✘

Types of Metamorphism

Burial Metamorphism, Cataclastic Metamorphism, Contact Metamorphism, Hydrothermal Metamorphism, Impact Metamorphism, Regional Metamorphism

Burial Metamorphism, Cataclastic Metamorphism, Contact Metamorphism, Regional Metamorphism

Weathering

✔ ✘

Types of Weathering

Biological Weathering, Chemical Weathering

Chemical Weathering, Mechanical Weathering

Erosion

✔ ✘

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

6-77

1 7

👆🏻

Grain Size

Fine Grained

Fracture

Irregular

Uneven, Splintery or Conchoidal

Streak

White

Porosity

Less Porous

Highly Porous

Luster

Dull

Waxy and Dull

Compressive Strength

150.00 N/mm²100.00 N/mm²

0.15 450

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Cleavage

Toughness

1.7

1.5

Specific Gravity

2.5-42.5-2.8

0 8.4

👆🏻

Transparency

Translucent to Opaque

Density

2.5-2.52 g/cm³2.7 g/cm³

0 1400

👆🏻

Thermal Properties

Specific Heat Capacity

0.71 kJ/Kg K0.74 kJ/Kg K

0.14 3.2

👆🏻

Resistance

Heat Resistant, Impact Resistant

Heat Resistant, Impact Resistant, Pressure Resistant, Wear Resistant

Reserves

Deposits in Eastern Continents

Asia

China, Kazakhstan, South Korea, Thailand, Turkey, Vietnam

Africa

Egypt, Ethiopia, Ghana, South Africa

Uganda

Europe

Finland, France, Germany, Great Britain, Hungary, Iceland, Ireland, Italy, Netherlands, Norway, Romania, Sweden, Switzerland

Germany, Hungary, Italy, Spain

Others

Greenland

Greenland, Mid-Atlantic Ridge

Deposits in Western Continents

North America

Canada, Cuba, Jamaica, USA

USA

South America

Bolivia, Brazil, Colombia, Ecuador, Paraguay

Bolivia, Brazil

Deposits in Oceania Continent

Australia

New South Wales, New Zealand, Western Australia

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

Porphyry vs Basanite Information

Earth’s outer layer is covered by rocks and these rocks have different physical and chemical properties. As two rocks are not same, it’s fun to compare them. You can also know more about Porphyry and Basanite Reserves. Porphyry is a reddish-brown to purple igneous rock containing large phenocrysts of various minerals embedded in a fine-grained matrix. Basanite is a black basaltic rock which mainly contains plagioclase, augite, olivine and nepheline and is formerly used as a touchstone. These rocks are composed of many distinct minerals. The process of formation of rocks is different for various rocks. Rocks are quarried from many years for various purposes. You can check out Porphyry vs Basanite information and Porphyry vs Basanite characteristics in the upcoming sections.

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Porphyry vs Basanite 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. Porphyry vs Basanite characteristics assist us to distinguish and recognize rocks. Also you can check about Properties of Porphyry and Properties of Basanite . Learn more about Porphyry vs Basanite in the next section. The interior uses of Porphyry include Decorative aggregates and Interior decoration whereas the interior uses of Basanite include Decorative aggregates and Homes. Due to some exceptional properties of Porphyry and Basanite , they have various applications in construction industry. The uses of Porphyry in construction industry include Construction aggregate and that of Basanite include Arrowheads, Construction aggregate, Cutting tool, Spear points.

More about Porphyry and Basanite

Here you can know more about Porphyry and Basanite . The life cycle of a rock consists of formation of rock, composition of rock and transformation of rock. The composition of Porphyry and Basanite consists of mineral content and compound content. The mineral content of Porphyry includes Biotite, Chert, Feldspar, Garnet, Graphite, Quartz, Silica and mineral content of Basanite includes Augite, Feldspar, Ilmenite, Olivine, Plagioclase. You can also check out the list of all Igneous Rocks. When we have to compare Porphyry vs Basanite , the texture, color and appearance plays an important role in determining the type of rock. Porphyry is available in black, brown, green, grey, red, rust, white colors whereas, Basanite is available in black, brown, green, grey, red, white colors. Appearance of Porphyry is Dull and that of Basanite is Glassy or Pearly. Properties of rock is another aspect for Porphyry vs Basanite . The hardness of Porphyry is 6-7 and that of Basanite is 7. The types of Porphyry are Rhomb Porphyry whereas types of Basanite are Nepheline-Basanite, Analcite-Basanite and Leucite-Basanite. Streak of rock is the color of powder produced when it is dragged across an unweathered surface. The streak of Porphyry and Basanite is white. The specific heat capacity of Porphyry is 0.71 kJ/Kg K and that of Basanite is 0.74 kJ/Kg K. Depending on the properties like hardness, toughness, specific heat capacity, porosity etc., rocks are resistant to heat, wear, impact, etc.Porphyry is heat resistant, impact resistant whereas Basanite is heat resistant, impact resistant, pressure resistant, wear resistant.