Pumice and Basalt

Pumice

Basalt

Definition

Pumice is a volcanic rock that consists of highly vesicular rough textured volcanic glass, which may or may not contain crystals

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

Spain

Egypt

Discoverer

Unknown

Georgius Agricola

Etymology

From Old French pomis, from a Latin dialect variant of pumex

From Late Latin Basaltes (variant of basanites ), very hard stone, which was imported from Ancient Greek Basanites

Class

Igneous Rocks

Sub-Class

Durable Rock, Medium Hardness Rock

Family

Group

Volcanic

Other Categories

Fine Grained Rock, Opaque Rock

Texture

Vesicular

Glassy, Massive, Porphyritic, Scoriaceous, Vesicular

Color

Beige, Colourless, Grey, Light Green, Light Grey, Pink, White, Yellow- grey

Black, Brown, Light to Dark Grey

Maintenance

Less

Durability

Durable

Water Resistant

Yes

Scratch Resistant

Yes

Stain Resistant

Yes

Wind Resistant

Acid Resistant

Yes

Appearance

Vesicular

Dull and Soft

Uses

Architecture

Interior Uses

Decorative Aggregates, Flooring, Homes, 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

Curbing, Powder

Curbing, Whetstones

Industry

Construction Industry

As Dimension Stone, Cement Manufacture, for Road Aggregate, In landscaping and horticulture, Making natural cement, Production of lightweight concrete blocks

Arrowheads, As Dimension Stone, Cobblestones, Cutting Tool, Rail Track Ballast, Roadstone

Medical Industry

As an abrasive in skin exfoliating products, In Chemical and Pharmaceutical Industry, Medicines and Cosmetics

Not Yet Used

Antiquity Uses

Artifacts

Artifacts, Monuments

Other Uses

Commercial Uses

As a traction material on snow-covered roads, As an abrasive in pencil erasers, Fine abrasive used for polishing, Manufacture of Soap, Solvents, Dyes, Plastics and Fibres, Used in aquariums

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

Types

Scoria

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

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

Petroglyphs

Used

Figurines

Not Yet Used

Used

Fossils

Absent

Formation

Pumice rock forms when the magma cools so quickly that atoms in the melt are not able to arrange themselves into a crystalline structure.

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

Aluminum Oxides, Calcite, Carbonate, Iron Oxides, Silica

Olivine, Plagioclase, Pyroxene

Compound Content

Al, Aluminium Oxide, CaO, Carbon Dioxide, MgO, Silicon Dioxide

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

Transformation

Metamorphism

Yes

Types of Metamorphism

Burial Metamorphism, Impact Metamorphism

Contact Metamorphism

Weathering

Yes

Types of Weathering

Biological Weathering, Chemical Weathering, Mechanical Weathering

Biological Weathering

Erosion

Yes

Types of Erosion

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

Not Available

Properties

Physical Properties

Hardness

Grain Size

Fine Grained

Fracture

Planar

Conchoidal

Streak

White, Greenish White or Grey

White to Grey

Porosity

Highly Porous

Less Porous

Luster

Earthy

Not Available

Compressive Strength

51.20 N/mm²

37.40 N/mm²

Cleavage

Perfect

Not Available

Toughness

2.3

Specific Gravity

2.86

2.8-3

Transparency

Opaque

Density

0.25-0.3 g/cm³

2.9-3.1 g/cm³

Thermal Properties

Specific Heat Capacity

0.87 kJ/Kg K

0.84 kJ/Kg K

Resistance

Impact Resistant, Pressure Resistant

Heat Resistant, Pressure Resistant, Wear Resistant

Reserves

Deposits in Eastern Continents

Asia

Afghanistan, Indonesia, Japan, Russia

India, Russia

Africa

Ethiopia, Kenya, Tanzania

South Africa

Europe

Greece, Hungary, Iceland, Italy, Turkey

Iceland

Others

Not Yet Found

Deposits in Western Continents

North America

Bahamas, Barbados, Canada, Costa Rica, Cuba, Jamaica, Mexico, USA

Canada, USA

South America

Argentina, Chile, Ecuador, Peru

Brazil

Deposits in Oceania Continent

Australia

New Zealand, Western Australia

Not Yet Found

Summary >>

<< Reserves

All about Pumice and Basalt Properties

Know all about Pumice and Basalt properties here. All properties of rocks are important as they define the type of rock and its application. Pumice and Basalt belong to Igneous Rocks.Texture of Pumice is Vesicular whereas that of Basalt is Glassy, Massive, Porphyritic, Scoriaceous, Vesicular. Pumice appears Vesicular and Basalt appears Dull and Soft. The luster of Pumice is earthy while that of Basalt is not available. Pumice is available in beige, colourless, grey, light green, light grey, pink, white, yellow- grey colors whereas Basalt is available in black, brown, light to dark grey colors. The commercial uses of Pumice are as a traction material on snow-covered roads, as an abrasive in pencil erasers, fine abrasive used for polishing, manufacture of soap, solvents, dyes, plastics and fibres, used in aquariums and that of Basalt are an oil and gas reservoir, commemorative tablets, creating artwork, used in aquariums.