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
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
Group
Not Applicable
Volcanic
Other Categories
Fine Grained Rock, Opaque Rock
Fine Grained Rock, Opaque Rock
Texture
Earthy
Glassy, Massive, Porphyritic, Scoriaceous, Vesicular
Color
Black, Brown, Colourless, Green, Grey, White
Black, Brown, Light to Dark Grey
Durability
Durable
Durable
Appearance
Rough and Dull
Dull and Soft
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
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
Commercial Uses
Commemorative Tablets, Creating Artwork
An Oil and Gas Reservoir, Commemorative Tablets, Creating Artwork, Used in aquariums
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
Famous Monuments
Data Not Available
Easter Island in the Polynesian Triangle, Pacific Ocean, Gateway of India in Mumbai, India, Gol Gumbaz in Karnataka, India
Famous Sculptures
Data Not Available
Data Not Available
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.
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
Types of Metamorphism
Burial Metamorphism, Cataclastic Metamorphism, Contact Metamorphism, Hydrothermal Metamorphism, Impact Metamorphism
Contact Metamorphism
Types of Weathering
Not Applicable
Biological Weathering
Types of Erosion
Chemical Erosion, Coastal Erosion, Glacier Erosion, Sea Erosion, Wind Erosion
Not Available
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
Cleavage
Irregular
Not Available
Specific Gravity
2.79-3
2.8-3
Transparency
Opaque
Opaque
Density
2.5-3 g/cm3
2.9-3.1 g/cm3
Resistance
Heat Resistant
Heat Resistant, Pressure Resistant, Wear Resistant
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
Serpentinite 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. Serpentinite vs Basalt characteristics assist us to distinguish and recognize rocks. Also you can check about Properties of Serpentinite and Properties of Basalt. Learn more about Serpentinite vs Basalt in the next section. The interior uses of Serpentinite include Decorative aggregates and Interior decoration whereas the interior uses of Basalt include Floor tiles, Homes, Hotels and Kitchens. Due to some exceptional properties of Serpentinite and Basalt, they have various applications in construction industry. The uses of Serpentinite 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 Serpentinite and Basalt
Here you can know more about Serpentinite and Basalt. The life cycle of a rock consists of formation of rock, composition of rock and transformation of rock. The composition of Serpentinite and Basalt consists of mineral content and compound content. The mineral content of Serpentinite includes Carbonate, Magnetite, Pyrrhotite, Serpentine, Sulfides and mineral content of Basalt includes Olivine, Plagioclase, Pyroxene. You can also check out the list of all . When we have to compare Serpentinite vs Basalt, the texture, color and appearance plays an important role in determining the type of rock. Serpentinite is available in black, brown, colourless, green, grey, white colors whereas, Basalt is available in black, brown, light to dark grey colors. Appearance of Serpentinite is Rough and Dull and that of Basalt is Dull and Soft. Properties of rock is another aspect for Serpentinite vs Basalt. The hardness of Serpentinite is 3-5 and that of Basalt is 6. The types of Serpentinite are Jadeitite 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 Serpentinite is white, greenish white or grey while that of Basalt is white to grey. The specific heat capacity of Serpentinite is 0.95 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.Serpentinite is heat resistant whereas Basalt is heat resistant, pressure resistant, wear resistant.