Syenite

Basalt

Syenite and Basalt

Syenite

Basalt

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Definition

Syenite is a coarse-grained igneous rock which is composed mainly of alkali feldspar and various ferromagnesian minerals

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 French syénite, from Latin Syenites (lapis ) (stone) of Syene

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

Plutonic

Volcanic

Other Categories

Coarse Grained Rock, Fine Grained Rock, Medium Grained Rock, Opaque Rock

Fine Grained Rock, Opaque Rock

Texture

Earthy

Glassy, Massive, Porphyritic, Scoriaceous, Vesicular

Color

Brown, Buff, Cream, Green, Grey, Pink, White

Black, Brown, Light to Dark Grey

Maintenance

Less

Durability

Durable

Water Resistant

✔ ✘

Scratch Resistant

✔ ✘

Stain Resistant

✔ ✘

Wind Resistant

✔ ✘

Acid Resistant

✔ ✘

Appearance

Banded and Foilated

Dull and Soft

Uses

Architecture

Interior Uses

Flooring, Homes, Hotels, Interior Decoration

Floor Tiles, Homes, Hotels, Kitchens

Exterior Uses

As Building Stone, As Facing 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, Construction Aggregate, for Road Aggregate, Landscaping, Making natural cement, Manufacture of Magnesium and Dolomite Refractories

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

Medical Industry

Antiquity Uses

Artifacts, Monuments, Sculpture, Small Figurines

Artifacts, Monuments

Other Uses

Commercial Uses

Cemetery Markers, Creating Artwork

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

Types

Shonkinite

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, Is one of the oldest rock, Matrix variable

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

Absent

Formation

Syenites are formed due to alkaline igneous activities and are generally formed in thick continental crustal areas or in Cordilleran subduction zones.

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

Amphibole, Biotite, Feldspar, Hornblade, Micas, Muscovite or Illite, Plagioclase, Pyroxene, Quartz

Olivine, Plagioclase, Pyroxene

Compound Content

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

Transformation

Metamorphism

✔ ✘

Types of Metamorphism

Burial Metamorphism, Cataclastic Metamorphism, Contact Metamorphism, Hydrothermal Metamorphism, Impact Metamorphism, Regional 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, Sea Erosion, Water Erosion, Wind Erosion

Properties

Physical Properties

Hardness

5.5-66

1 7

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Grain Size

Medium to Fine Coarse Grained

Fine Grained

Fracture

Conchoidal

Streak

White

White to Grey

Porosity

Less Porous

Luster

Subvitreous to Dull

Compressive Strength

150.00 N/mm²37.40 N/mm²

0.15 450

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Cleavage

Perfect

Toughness

2.3

Specific Gravity

2.6-2.72.8-3

0 8.4

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Transparency

Opaque

Density

2.6-2.8 g/cm³2.9-3.1 g/cm³

0 1400

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Thermal Properties

Specific Heat Capacity

0.92 kJ/Kg K0.84 kJ/Kg K

0.14 3.2

👆🏻

Resistance

Heat Resistant, Impact Resistant, Wear Resistant

Heat Resistant, Pressure Resistant, Wear Resistant

Reserves

Deposits in Eastern Continents

Asia

China, India, Iran, Saudi Arabia, Sri Lanka, Taiwan, Thailand, Turkey, Vietnam

India, Russia

Africa

Angola, Egypt, Madagascar, Namibia, Nigeria, South Africa

South Africa

Europe

Bulgaria, England, Germany, Norway, Romania, Switzerland

Iceland

Others

Deposits in Western Continents

North America

USA

Canada, USA

South America

Brazil, Chile

Brazil

Deposits in Oceania Continent

Australia

New Zealand, Queensland, South Australia, Western Australia

All about Syenite and Basalt Properties

Know all about Syenite and Basalt properties here. All properties of rocks are important as they define the type of rock and its application. Syenite and Basalt belong to Igneous Rocks.Texture of Syenite is Earthy whereas that of Basalt is Glassy, Massive, Porphyritic, Scoriaceous, Vesicular. Syenite appears Banded and Foilated and Basalt appears Dull and Soft. The luster of Syenite is subvitreous to dull while that of Basalt is . Syenite is available in brown, buff, cream, green, grey, pink, white colors whereas Basalt is available in black, brown, light to dark grey colors. The commercial uses of Syenite are cemetery markers, creating artwork and that of Basalt are an oil and gas reservoir, commemorative tablets, creating artwork, used in aquariums.