Pumice

Basalt

Pumice vs Basalt

Pumice

Basalt

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1 Definition

1.1 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

1.2 History

1.2.1 Origin

Spain

Egypt

1.2.2 Discoverer

Unknown

Georgius Agricola

1.3 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

1.4 Class

Igneous Rocks

1.4.1 Sub-Class

Durable Rock, Medium Hardness Rock

1.5 Family

1.5.1 Group

Volcanic

1.6 Other Categories

Fine Grained Rock, Opaque Rock

2 Texture

2.1 Texture

Vesicular

Glassy, Massive, Porphyritic, Scoriaceous, Vesicular

2.2 Color

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

Black, Brown, Light to Dark Grey

2.3 Maintenance

Less

2.4 Durability

Durable

2.4.1 Water Resistant

✔ ✘

2.4.2 Scratch Resistant

✔ ✘

2.4.3 Stain Resistant

✔ ✘

2.4.4 Wind Resistant

✔ ✘

2.4.5 Acid Resistant

✔ ✘

2.5 Appearance

Vesicular

Dull and Soft

3 Uses

3.1 Architecture

3.1.1 Interior Uses

Decorative Aggregates, Flooring, Homes, Interior Decoration

Floor Tiles, Homes, Hotels, Kitchens

3.1.2 Exterior Uses

As Building Stone, As Facing Stone, Garden Decoration, Paving Stone

As Building Stone, Paving Stone, Garden Decoration, Office Buildings

3.1.3 Other Architectural Uses

Curbing, Powder

Curbing, Whetstones

3.2 Industry

3.2.1 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

3.2.2 Medical Industry

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

Not Yet Used

3.3 Antiquity Uses

Artifacts

Artifacts, Monuments

3.4 Other Uses

3.4.1 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

4 Types

4.1 Types

Scoria

Alkaline Basalt, Boninite, High Alumina Basalt, Mid Ocean Ridge Basalt (MORB), Tholeiitic Basalt, Basaltic trachyandesite, Mugearite and Shoshonite

4.2 Features

Host Rock for Lead

Has High structural resistance against erosion and climate, Very fine grained rock

4.3 Archaeological Significance

4.3.1 Monuments

Not Yet Used

Used

4.3.2 Famous Monuments

Not Applicable

Easter Island in the Polynesian Triangle, Pacific Ocean, Gateway of India in Mumbai, India, Gol Gumbaz in Karnataka, India

4.3.3 Sculpture

Not Yet Used

Used

4.3.4 Famous Sculptures

Not Applicable

Data Not Available

4.3.5 Pictographs

Used

4.3.6 Petroglyphs

Used

4.3.7 Figurines

Not Yet Used

Used

4.4 Fossils

Absent

5 Formation

5.1 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.

5.2 Composition

5.2.1 Mineral Content

Aluminum Oxides, Calcite, Carbonate, Iron Oxides, Silica

Olivine, Plagioclase, Pyroxene

5.2.2 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

5.3 Transformation

5.3.1 Metamorphism

✔ ✘

5.3.2 Types of Metamorphism

Burial Metamorphism, Impact Metamorphism

Contact Metamorphism

5.3.3 Weathering

✔ ✘

5.3.4 Types of Weathering

Biological Weathering, Chemical Weathering, Mechanical Weathering

Biological Weathering

5.3.5 Erosion

✔ ✘

5.3.6 Types of Erosion

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

Not Available

6 Properties

6.1 Physical Properties

6.1.1 Hardness

1 7

6.1.2 Grain Size

Fine Grained

6.1.3 Fracture

Planar

Conchoidal

6.1.4 Streak

White, Greenish White or Grey

White to Grey

6.1.5 Porosity

Highly Porous

Less Porous

6.1.6 Luster

Earthy

Not Available

6.1.7 Compressive Strength

51.20 N/mm²37.40 N/mm²

0.15 450

6.1.8 Cleavage

Perfect

Not Available

6.1.9 Toughness

2.3

6.1.10 Specific Gravity

2.862.8-3

0 8.4

6.1.11 Transparency

Opaque

6.1.12 Density

0.25-0.3 g/cm³2.9-3.1 g/cm³

0 1400

6.2 Thermal Properties

6.2.1 Specific Heat Capacity

0.87 kJ/Kg K0.84 kJ/Kg K

0.14 3.2

6.2.2 Resistance

Impact Resistant, Pressure Resistant

Heat Resistant, Pressure Resistant, Wear Resistant

7 Reserves

7.1 Deposits in Eastern Continents

7.1.1 Asia

Afghanistan, Indonesia, Japan, Russia

India, Russia

7.1.2 Africa

Ethiopia, Kenya, Tanzania

South Africa

7.1.3 Europe

Greece, Hungary, Iceland, Italy, Turkey

Iceland

7.1.4 Others

Not Yet Found

7.2 Deposits in Western Continents

7.2.1 North America

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

Canada, USA

7.2.2 South America

Argentina, Chile, Ecuador, Peru

Brazil

7.3 Deposits in Oceania Continent

7.3.1 Australia

New Zealand, Western Australia

Not Yet Found

Pumice vs Basalt 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 Pumice and Basalt Reserves. 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. 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 Pumice vs Basalt information and Pumice vs Basalt characteristics in the upcoming sections.

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Pumice 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. Pumice vs Basalt characteristics assist us to distinguish and recognize rocks. Also you can check about Properties of Pumice and Properties of Basalt. Learn more about Pumice vs Basalt in the next section. The interior uses of Pumice include Decorative aggregates, Flooring, Homes and Interior decoration whereas the interior uses of Basalt include Floor tiles, Homes, Hotels and Kitchens. Due to some exceptional properties of Pumice and Basalt, they have various applications in construction industry. The uses of Pumice in construction industry include As dimension stone, Cement manufacture, For road aggregate, In landscaping and horticulture, Making natural cement, Production of lightweight concrete blocks and that of Basalt include Arrowheads, As dimension stone, Cobblestones, Cutting tool, Rail track ballast, Roadstone.

More about Pumice and Basalt

Here you can know more about Pumice and Basalt. The life cycle of a rock consists of formation of rock, composition of rock and transformation of rock. The composition of Pumice and Basalt consists of mineral content and compound content. The mineral content of Pumice includes Aluminum Oxides, Calcite, Carbonate, Iron Oxides, Silica and mineral content of Basalt includes Olivine, Plagioclase, Pyroxene. You can also check out the list of all Igneous Rocks. When we have to compare Pumice vs Basalt, the texture, color and appearance plays an important role in determining the type of rock. 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. Appearance of Pumice is Vesicular and that of Basalt is Dull and Soft. Properties of rock is another aspect for Pumice vs Basalt. Hardness of Pumice and Basalt is 6. The types of Pumice are Scoria 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 Pumice is white, greenish white or grey while that of Basalt is white to grey. The specific heat capacity of Pumice is 0.87 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.Pumice is impact resistant, pressure resistant whereas Basalt is heat resistant, pressure resistant, wear resistant.