Definition
Very fine grained fault rock which is composed of glassy matrix that often contains inclusions of wall-rock fragments.
  
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
USA
  
Egypt
  
Discoverer
Unknown
  
Georgius Agricola
  
Etymology
From pseudo- + tachylite, a glassy rock generated by frictional heat within faults.
  
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, Hard Rock
  
Durable Rock, Medium Hardness Rock
  
Family
  
  
Group
Not Applicable
  
Volcanic
  
Other Categories
Fine Grained Rock, Opaque Rock
  
Fine Grained Rock, Opaque Rock
  
Texture
Quench
  
Glassy, Massive, Porphyritic, Scoriaceous, Vesicular
  
Color
Black, Brown, Colourless, Green, Grey, Pink, White
  
Black, Brown, Light to Dark Grey
  
Maintenance
Less
  
More
  
Durability
Durable
  
Durable
  
Water Resistant
Yes
  
No
  
Scratch Resistant
Yes
  
Yes
  
Stain Resistant
No
  
Yes
  
Wind Resistant
Yes
  
No
  
Acid Resistant
Yes
  
Yes
  
Appearance
Dull and Soft
  
Dull and Soft
  
Architecture
  
  
Interior Uses
Decorative Aggregates, Entryways, Interior Decoration
  
Floor Tiles, Homes, Hotels, Kitchens
  
Exterior Uses
As Building Stone, As Facing Stone, Garden Decoration
  
As Building Stone, Paving Stone, Garden Decoration, Office Buildings
  
Other Architectural Uses
Curbing
  
Curbing, Whetstones
  
Industry
  
  
Construction Industry
As Dimension Stone, Cement Manufacture, for Road Aggregate, Making natural cement
  
Arrowheads, As Dimension Stone, Cobblestones, Cutting Tool, Rail Track Ballast, Roadstone
  
Medical Industry
Not Yet Used
  
Not Yet Used
  
Antiquity Uses
Artifacts, Monuments
  
Artifacts, Monuments
  
Other Uses
  
  
Commercial Uses
Creating Artwork, Gemstone
  
An Oil and Gas Reservoir, Commemorative Tablets, Creating Artwork, Used in aquariums
  
Types
Not Available
  
Alkaline Basalt, Boninite, High Alumina Basalt, Mid Ocean Ridge Basalt (MORB), Tholeiitic Basalt, Basaltic trachyandesite, Mugearite and Shoshonite
  
Features
Host Rock for Lead
  
Has High structural resistance against erosion and climate, Very fine grained rock
  
Archaeological Significance
  
  
Monuments
Used
  
Used
  
Famous Monuments
Data Not Available
  
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
Not Used
  
Used
  
Petroglyphs
Not Used
  
Used
  
Figurines
Not Yet Used
  
Used
  
Fossils
Absent
  
Absent
  
Formation
Due to change in environmental conditions, rocks are heated and pressurized deep inside the Earth's surface. Pseudotachylite is formed from the extreme heat caused by magma or by the intense collisions and friction of tectonic plates.
  
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
Iron Oxides, Pyroxene, Quartz, Stishovite, Sulfides
  
Olivine, Plagioclase, Pyroxene
  
Compound Content
Carbon Dioxide, Silicon Dioxide, Sulfur Dioxide, Sulphur
  
Aluminium Oxide, CaO, Iron(III) Oxide, FeO, Potassium Oxide, MgO, MnO, Sodium Oxide, Phosphorus Pentoxide, Silicon Dioxide, Titanium Dioxide
  
Transformation
  
  
Metamorphism
Yes
  
Yes
  
Types of Metamorphism
Burial Metamorphism, Cataclastic Metamorphism, Contact Metamorphism
  
Contact Metamorphism
  
Weathering
No
  
Yes
  
Types of Weathering
Not Applicable
  
Biological Weathering
  
Erosion
No
  
No
  
Types of Erosion
Not Applicable
  
Not Available
  
Physical Properties
  
  
Hardness
7
  
6
  
Grain Size
Very fine-grained
  
Fine Grained
  
Fracture
Uneven
  
Conchoidal
  
Streak
Light to dark brown
  
White to Grey
  
Porosity
Less Porous
  
Less Porous
  
Luster
Vitreous
  
Not Available
  
Compressive Strength
60.00 N/mm2
  
25
37.40 N/mm2
  
28
Cleavage
Irregular
  
Not Available
  
Toughness
Not Available
  
2.3
  
Specific Gravity
2.46-2.86
  
2.8-3
  
Transparency
Transparent to Translucent
  
Opaque
  
Density
2.7-2.9 g/cm3
  
2.9-3.1 g/cm3
  
Thermal Properties
  
  
Specific Heat Capacity
0.92 kJ/Kg K
  
10
0.84 kJ/Kg K
  
15
Resistance
Heat Resistant
  
Heat Resistant, Pressure Resistant, Wear Resistant
  
Deposits in Eastern Continents
  
  
Asia
South Korea
  
India, Russia
  
Africa
Western Africa
  
South Africa
  
Europe
Great Britain, Switzerland
  
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
Central Australia, Western Australia
  
Not Yet Found
  
All about Pseudotachylite and Basalt Properties
Know all about Pseudotachylite and Basalt properties here. All properties of rocks are important as they define the type of rock and its application. Pseudotachylite belongs to Metamorphic Rocks while Basalt belongs to Igneous Rocks.Texture of Pseudotachylite is Quench whereas that of Basalt is Glassy, Massive, Porphyritic, Scoriaceous, Vesicular. Pseudotachylite appears Dull and Soft and Basalt appears Dull and Soft. The luster of Pseudotachylite is vitreous while that of Basalt is not available. Pseudotachylite is available in black, brown, colourless, green, grey, pink, white colors whereas Basalt is available in black, brown, light to dark grey colors. The commercial uses of Pseudotachylite are creating artwork, gemstone and that of Basalt are an oil and gas reservoir, commemorative tablets, creating artwork, used in aquariums.