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
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
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, Green, Grey, Pink, White
Black, Brown, Light to Dark Grey
Durability
Durable
Durable
Scratch Resistant
Yes
Yes
Appearance
Dull and Soft
Dull and Soft
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
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 Available
Not Available
Antiquity Uses
Artifacts, Monuments
Artifacts, Monuments
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
Famous Monuments
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
Not Available
Pictographs
Not Used
Used
Petroglyphs
Not Used
Used
Figurines
Not Yet Used
Used
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.
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
Types of Metamorphism
Burial Metamorphism, Cataclastic Metamorphism, Contact Metamorphism
Contact Metamorphism
Types of Weathering
Not Applicable
Biological Weathering
Types of Erosion
Not Applicable
Not Available
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
Cleavage
Not Available
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
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 Available
Not Available
Deposits in Western Continents
North America
Not Available
Canada, USA
South America
Not Available
Brazil
Deposits in Oceania Continent
Australia
Central Australia, Western Australia
Not Available
Pseudotachylite vs Basalt 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. Pseudotachylite vs Basalt characteristics assist us to distinguish and recognize rocks. Also you can check about Properties of Pseudotachylite and Properties of Basalt. Learn more about Pseudotachylite vs Basalt in the next section. The interior uses of Pseudotachylite include Decorative aggregates, Entryways and Interior decoration whereas the interior uses of Basalt include Floor tiles, Homes, Hotels and Kitchens. Due to some exceptional properties of Pseudotachylite and Basalt, they have various applications in construction industry. The uses of Pseudotachylite in construction industry include As dimension stone, Cement manufacture, For road aggregate, Making natural cement and that of Basalt include Arrowheads, As dimension stone, Cobblestones, Cutting tool, Rail track ballast, Roadstone.
More about Pseudotachylite and Basalt
Here you can know more about Pseudotachylite and Basalt. The life cycle of a rock consists of formation of rock, composition of rock and transformation of rock. The composition of Pseudotachylite and Basalt consists of mineral content and compound content. The mineral content of Pseudotachylite includes Iron Oxides, Pyroxene, Quartz, Stishovite, Sulfides and mineral content of Basalt includes Olivine, Plagioclase, Pyroxene. You can also check out the list of all Metamorphic Rocks. When we have to compare Pseudotachylite vs Basalt, the texture, color and appearance plays an important role in determining the type of rock. Pseudotachylite is available in black, brown, green, grey, pink, white colors whereas, Basalt is available in black, brown, light to dark grey colors. Appearance of Pseudotachylite is Dull and Soft and that of Basalt is Dull and Soft. Properties of rock is another aspect for Pseudotachylite vs Basalt. The hardness of Pseudotachylite is 7 and that of Basalt is 6. The types of Pseudotachylite are Not Available whereas types of Basalt are Alkaline Basalt, Boninite, High Alumina Basalt, Mid Ocean Ridge Basalt (MORB), Tholeiitic Basalt, Basaltic trachyandesite, Mugearite and Shoshonite. Streak of rock is the color of powder produced when it is dragged across an unweathered surface. The streak of Pseudotachylite is light to dark brown while that of Basalt is white to grey. The specific heat capacity of Pseudotachylite is 0.92 kJ/Kg K and that of Basalt is 0.84 kJ/Kg K. Depending on the properties like hardness, toughness, specific heat capacity, porosity etc., rocks are resistant to heat, wear, impact, etc.Pseudotachylite is heat resistant whereas Basalt is heat resistant, pressure resistant, wear resistant.
