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Serpentinite and Basalt


Basalt and Serpentinite


Definition

Definition
A hydration and metamorphic transformation of ultramafic rock from the Earth's mantle is called as serpentinization, a group of minerals is formed by serpentinization compose rock 'serpentinite'.   
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 English word serpentinization.   
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, Medium Hardness Rock   
Durable Rock, Medium Hardness Rock   

Family
  
  

Group
Not Applicable   
Volcanic   

Other Categories
Fine Grained Rock, Opaque Rock   
Fine Grained Rock, Opaque Rock   

Texture

Texture
Earthy   
Glassy, Massive, Porphyritic, Scoriaceous, Vesicular   

Color
Black, Brown, Colourless, Green, Grey, White   
Black, Brown, Light to Dark Grey   

Maintenance
Less   
More   

Durability
Durable   
Durable   

Water Resistant
Yes   
No   

Scratch Resistant
No   
Yes   

Stain Resistant
Yes   
Yes   

Wind Resistant
No   
No   

Acid Resistant
No   
Yes   

Appearance
Rough and Dull   
Dull and Soft   

Uses

Architecture
  
  

Interior Uses
Decorative Aggregates, Interior Decoration   
Floor Tiles, Homes, Hotels, Kitchens   

Exterior Uses
As Building Stone, Paving Stone, Garden Decoration, Office Buildings   
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, Jewellery, Monuments, Sculpture   
Artifacts, Monuments   

Other Uses
  
  

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

Types

Types
Jadeitite   
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
Used   
Used   

Famous Sculptures
Data Not Available   
Data Not Available   

Pictographs
Used   
Used   

Petroglyphs
Used   
Used   

Figurines
Used   
Used   

Fossils
Absent   
Absent   

Formation

Formation
Due to change in environmental conditions, rocks are heated and pressurized deep inside the Earth's surface. Serpentinite 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
Carbonate, Magnetite, Pyrrhotite, Serpentine, Sulfides   
Olivine, Plagioclase, Pyroxene   

Compound Content
Ca, CaO, Carbon Dioxide, KCl, MgO, 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, Hydrothermal Metamorphism, Impact Metamorphism   
Contact Metamorphism   

Weathering
No   
Yes   

Types of Weathering
Not Applicable   
Biological Weathering   

Erosion
Yes   
No   

Types of Erosion
Chemical Erosion, Coastal Erosion, Glacier Erosion, Sea Erosion, Wind Erosion   
Not Available   

Properties

Physical Properties
  
  

Hardness
3-5   
6   

Grain Size
Very fine-grained   
Fine Grained   

Fracture
Uneven   
Conchoidal   

Streak
White, Greenish White or Grey   
White to Grey   

Porosity
Less Porous   
Less Porous   

Luster
Waxy and Dull   
Not Available   

Compressive Strength
310.00 N/mm2   
2
37.40 N/mm2   
28

Cleavage
Irregular   
Not Available   

Toughness
7   
2.3   

Specific Gravity
2.79-3   
2.8-3   

Transparency
Opaque   
Opaque   

Density
2.5-3 g/cm3   
2.9-3.1 g/cm3   

Thermal Properties
  
  

Specific Heat Capacity
0.95 kJ/Kg K   
9
0.84 kJ/Kg K   
15

Resistance
Heat Resistant   
Heat Resistant, Pressure Resistant, Wear Resistant   

Reserves

Deposits in Eastern Continents
  
  

Asia
India, Saudi Arabia, Singapore, South Korea   
India, Russia   

Africa
Ethiopia, Western Africa   
South Africa   

Europe
England, Georgia, Switzerland, United Kingdom   
Iceland   

Others
Not Yet Found   
Not Yet Found   

Deposits in Western Continents
  
  

North America
Canada   
Canada, USA   

South America
Colombia   
Brazil   

Deposits in Oceania Continent
  
  

Australia
Central Australia, New South Wales, New Zealand, Western Australia   
Not Yet Found   

Summary >>
<< Reserves

All about Serpentinite and Basalt Properties

Know all about Serpentinite and Basalt properties here. All properties of rocks are important as they define the type of rock and its application. Serpentinite belongs to Metamorphic Rocks while Basalt belongs to Igneous Rocks.Texture of Serpentinite is Earthy whereas that of Basalt is Glassy, Massive, Porphyritic, Scoriaceous, Vesicular. Serpentinite appears Rough and Dull and Basalt appears Dull and Soft. The luster of Serpentinite is waxy and dull while that of Basalt is not available. Serpentinite is available in black, brown, colourless, green, grey, white colors whereas Basalt is available in black, brown, light to dark grey colors. The commercial uses of Serpentinite are commemorative tablets, creating artwork and that of Basalt are an oil and gas reservoir, commemorative tablets, creating artwork, used in aquariums.

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