Siltstone

Basalt

Siltstone and Basalt

Siltstone

Basalt

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Definition

Siltstone can be defined as a fine-grained sedimentary rock which mainly consists of consolidated silt

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

Egypt

Discoverer

Unknown

Georgius Agricola

Etymology

From English word silt and stone and from Proto-Indo-European root sal and stainaz

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

Class

Sedimentary Rocks

Igneous Rocks

Sub-Class

Durable Rock, Hard Rock

Durable Rock, Medium Hardness Rock

Family

Group

Volcanic

Other Categories

Fine Grained Rock, Opaque Rock

Texture

Clastic

Glassy, Massive, Porphyritic, Scoriaceous, Vesicular

Color

Brown, Red, Reddish Brown

Black, Brown, Light to Dark Grey

Maintenance

Less

Durability

Durable

Water Resistant

✔ ✘

Scratch Resistant

✔ ✘

Stain Resistant

✔ ✘

Wind Resistant

✔ ✘

Acid Resistant

✔ ✘

Appearance

Rough

Dull and Soft

Uses

Architecture

Interior Uses

Decorative Aggregates, 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

Industry

Construction Industry

Building houses or walls, Cement Manufacture, Construction Aggregate, for Road Aggregate, Making natural cement, Raw material for the manufacture of mortar

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

Medical Industry

Antiquity Uses

Artifacts, Sculpture, Small Figurines

Artifacts, Monuments

Other Uses

Commercial Uses

Raw material for the manufacture of mortar, Soil Conditioner

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

Types

Siltstone

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

Features

Available in Lots of Colors and Patterns, Easily splits into thin plates, Generally rough to touch, High silica content, Very fine grained rock

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

Archaeological Significance

Monuments

Famous Monuments

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

Sculpture

Famous Sculptures

Pictographs

Petroglyphs

Figurines

Fossils

Present

Absent

Formation

Siltstone is a type of sedimentary rock which is formed from fine rock particles. As the particles of eroded rock travel along with water, the edges of the rock are worn-out by water into a rounded shape.

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

Calcite, Clay, Clay Minerals, Feldspar, Micas, Quartz, Sand, Silica, Silt

Olivine, Plagioclase, Pyroxene

Compound Content

Aluminium Oxide, CaO, Iron(III) Oxide, Potassium Oxide, MgO, Sodium Oxide, Silicon Dioxide

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

Transformation

Metamorphism

✔ ✘

Types of Metamorphism

Contact Metamorphism

Weathering

✔ ✘

Types of Weathering

Biological Weathering, Chemical Weathering, Mechanical Weathering

Biological Weathering

Erosion

✔ ✘

Types of Erosion

Chemical Erosion, Coastal Erosion, Glacier Erosion

Properties

Physical Properties

Hardness

6-76

1 7

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Grain Size

Fine Grained

Fracture

Conchoidal

Streak

White

White to Grey

Porosity

Highly Porous

Less Porous

Luster

Dull

Compressive Strength

30.00 N/mm²37.40 N/mm²

0.15 450

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Cleavage

Toughness

2.6

2.3

Specific Gravity

2.54-2.732.8-3

0 8.4

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Transparency

Opaque

Density

2.6-2.7 g/cm³2.9-3.1 g/cm³

0 1400

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Thermal Properties

Specific Heat Capacity

0.84 kJ/Kg K0.84 kJ/Kg K

0.14 3.2

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Resistance

Heat Resistant, Impact Resistant, Pressure Resistant, Water Resistant

Heat Resistant, Pressure Resistant, Wear Resistant

Reserves

Deposits in Eastern Continents

Asia

China, India, Kazakhstan, Mongolia, Russia, Uzbekistan

India, Russia

Africa

Namibia, Nigeria, South Africa

South Africa

Europe

Austria, Denmark, Germany, Great Britain, Netherlands, Norway, Poland, Sweden, Switzerland, United Kingdom

Iceland

Others

Greenland

Deposits in Western Continents

North America

Canada, USA

South America

Brazil

Deposits in Oceania Continent

Australia

New South Wales, New Zealand

All about Siltstone and Basalt Properties

Know all about Siltstone and Basalt properties here. All properties of rocks are important as they define the type of rock and its application. Siltstone belongs to Sedimentary Rocks while Basalt belongs to Igneous Rocks.Texture of Siltstone is Clastic whereas that of Basalt is Glassy, Massive, Porphyritic, Scoriaceous, Vesicular. Siltstone appears Rough and Basalt appears Dull and Soft. The luster of Siltstone is dull while that of Basalt is . Siltstone is available in brown, red, reddish brown colors whereas Basalt is available in black, brown, light to dark grey colors. The commercial uses of Siltstone are raw material for the manufacture of mortar, soil conditioner and that of Basalt are an oil and gas reservoir, commemorative tablets, creating artwork, used in aquariums.