Pseudotachylite

Basanite

Pseudotachylite and Basanite

Pseudotachylite

Basanite

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Definition

Very fine grained fault rock which is composed of glassy matrix that often contains inclusions of wall-rock fragments.

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

History

Origin

USA

Discoverer

Unknown

Etymology

From pseudo- +‎ tachylite, a glassy rock generated by frictional heat within faults.

From Latin basanites + -ite

Class

Metamorphic Rocks

Igneous Rocks

Sub-Class

Durable Rock, Hard Rock

Family

Group

Other Categories

Fine Grained Rock, Opaque Rock

Texture

Quench

Aphanitic to Porphyritic

Color

Black, Brown, Green, Grey, Pink, White

Black, Brown, Green, Grey, Red, White

Maintenance

Less

Durability

Durable

Water Resistant

✔ ✘

Scratch Resistant

✔ ✘

Stain Resistant

✔ ✘

Wind Resistant

✔ ✘

Acid Resistant

✔ ✘

Appearance

Dull and Soft

Glassy or Pearly

Uses

Architecture

Interior Uses

Decorative Aggregates, Entryways, Interior Decoration

Decorative Aggregates, Homes

Exterior Uses

As Building Stone, As Facing Stone, Garden Decoration

As Building Stone, Garden Decoration, Office Buildings

Other Architectural Uses

Curbing

Whetstones

Industry

Construction Industry

As Dimension Stone, Cement Manufacture, for Road Aggregate, Making natural cement

Arrowheads, Construction Aggregate, Cutting Tool, Spear Points

Medical Industry

Antiquity Uses

Artifacts, Monuments

Other Uses

Commercial Uses

Creating Artwork, Gemstone

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

Types

Cataclastic rock

Nepheline-Basanite, Analcite-Basanite and Leucite-Basanite

Features

Host Rock for Lead

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

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.

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

Composition

Mineral Content

Iron Oxides, Pyroxene, Quartz, Stishovite, Sulfides

Augite, Feldspar, Ilmenite, Olivine, Plagioclase

Compound Content

Carbon Dioxide, Silicon Dioxide, Sulfur Dioxide, Sulphur

Potassium Oxide, Sodium Oxide, Silicon Dioxide

Transformation

Metamorphism

✔ ✘

Types of Metamorphism

Burial Metamorphism, Cataclastic Metamorphism, Contact Metamorphism

Burial Metamorphism, Cataclastic Metamorphism, Contact Metamorphism, Regional Metamorphism

Weathering

✔ ✘

Types of Weathering

Chemical Weathering, Mechanical Weathering

Erosion

✔ ✘

Types of Erosion

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

Properties

Physical Properties

Hardness

1 7

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Grain Size

Very fine-grained

Fine Grained

Fracture

Uneven

Uneven, Splintery or Conchoidal

Streak

Light to dark brown

White

Porosity

Less Porous

Highly Porous

Luster

Vitreous

Waxy and Dull

Compressive Strength

60.00 N/mm²100.00 N/mm²

0.15 450

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Cleavage

Toughness

1.5

Specific Gravity

2.46-2.862.5-2.8

0 8.4

👆🏻

Transparency

Transparent to Translucent

Translucent to Opaque

Density

2.7-2.9 g/cm³2.7 g/cm³

0 1400

👆🏻

Thermal Properties

Specific Heat Capacity

0.92 kJ/Kg K0.74 kJ/Kg K

0.14 3.2

👆🏻

Resistance

Heat Resistant

Heat Resistant, Impact Resistant, Pressure Resistant, Wear Resistant

Reserves

Deposits in Eastern Continents

Asia

South Korea

Africa

Western Africa

Uganda

Europe

Great Britain, Switzerland

Germany, Hungary, Italy, Spain

Others

Greenland, Mid-Atlantic Ridge

Deposits in Western Continents

North America

USA

South America

Bolivia, Brazil

Deposits in Oceania Continent

Australia

Central Australia, Western Australia

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

All about Pseudotachylite and Basanite Properties

Know all about Pseudotachylite and Basanite properties here. All properties of rocks are important as they define the type of rock and its application. Pseudotachylite belongs to Metamorphic Rocks while Basanite belongs to Igneous Rocks.Texture of Pseudotachylite is Quench whereas that of Basanite is Aphanitic to Porphyritic. Pseudotachylite appears Dull and Soft and Basanite appears Glassy or Pearly. The luster of Pseudotachylite is vitreous while that of Basanite is waxy and dull. Pseudotachylite is available in black, brown, green, grey, pink, white colors whereas Basanite is available in black, brown, green, grey, red, white colors. The commercial uses of Pseudotachylite are creating artwork, gemstone 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.