Definition
A sedimentary rock, deposit of a submarine turbidity currents and are composed of layered particles
Basalt is a common extrusive igneous rock formed by the rapid cooling of basaltic lava exposed at or very near the surface of Earth
Origin
European Foreland Basins
Egypt
Discoverer
Arnold H. Bouma
Georgius Agricola
Etymology
From Medieval Latin turbiditas, from Latin turbidus (turbid). Turbidity current is from 1939
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, Soft Rock
Durable Rock, Medium Hardness Rock
Group
Not Applicable
Volcanic
Other Categories
Coarse Grained Rock, Fine Grained Rock, Opaque Rock
Fine Grained Rock, Opaque Rock
Texture
Mud-rich, Sandy
Glassy, Massive, Porphyritic, Scoriaceous, Vesicular
Color
Black, Brown, Colourless, Green, Grey, Pink
Black, Brown, Light to Dark Grey
Durability
Durable
Durable
Scratch Resistant
Yes
Yes
Appearance
Dull and Banded
Dull and Soft
Interior Uses
Bathrooms, Countertops, Decorative Aggregates, Flooring, Homes, Interior Decoration
Floor Tiles, Homes, Hotels, Kitchens
Exterior Uses
As Building Stone, As Facing Stone, Paving Stone, Garden Decoration
As Building Stone, Paving Stone, Garden Decoration, Office Buildings
Other Architectural Uses
Curbing
Curbing, Whetstones
Construction Industry
As Dimension Stone, Cement Manufacture, Construction Aggregate, 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, Monuments, Sculpture
Artifacts, Monuments
Commercial Uses
Cemetery Markers, Creating Artwork
An Oil and Gas Reservoir, Commemorative Tablets, Creating Artwork, Used in aquariums
Types
Not Available
Alkaline Basalt, Boninite, High Alumina Basalt, Mid Ocean Ridge Basalt (MORB), Tholeiitic Basalt, Basaltic trachyandesite, Mugearite and Shoshonite
Features
High silica content, 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
Turbidite is a type of sedimentary rock formed when a river carries or transports pieces of broken rock as it flows. These particles then settle down and are subjected to high temperature and pressures hence forming Turbidite.
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
Coesite, Quartz, Sand
Olivine, Plagioclase, Pyroxene
Compound Content
CaO, Carbon Dioxide, MgO
Aluminium Oxide, CaO, Iron(III) Oxide, FeO, Potassium Oxide, MgO, MnO, Sodium Oxide, Phosphorus Pentoxide, Silicon Dioxide, Titanium Dioxide
Types of Metamorphism
Not Applicable
Contact Metamorphism
Types of Weathering
Biological Weathering, Chemical Weathering, Mechanical Weathering
Biological Weathering
Types of Erosion
Chemical Erosion, Coastal Erosion, Sea Erosion, Water Erosion, Wind Erosion
Not Available
Grain Size
Fine to Coarse Grained
Fine Grained
Fracture
Splintery
Conchoidal
Streak
White, Greenish White or Grey
White to Grey
Porosity
Very Less Porous
Less Porous
Luster
Metallic
Not Available
Cleavage
Disjunctive
Not Available
Specific Gravity
2.46-2.73
2.8-3
Transparency
Opaque
Opaque
Density
1.6-2.5 g/cm3
2.9-3.1 g/cm3
Resistance
Heat Resistant
Heat Resistant, Pressure Resistant, Wear Resistant
Deposits in Eastern Continents
Asia
Not Yet Found
India, Russia
Africa
Western Africa
South Africa
Europe
Austria, Belarus, Romania, Switzerland, United Kingdom
Iceland
Others
Not Yet Found
Not Yet Found
Deposits in Western Continents
North America
Canada, USA
Canada, USA
South America
Brazil, Colombia
Brazil
Deposits in Oceania Continent
Australia
New Zealand, Western Australia
Not Yet Found
Turbidite 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. Turbidite vs Basalt characteristics assist us to distinguish and recognize rocks. Also you can check about Properties of Turbidite and Properties of Basalt. Learn more about Turbidite vs Basalt in the next section. The interior uses of Turbidite include Bathrooms, Countertops, 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 Turbidite and Basalt, they have various applications in construction industry. The uses of Turbidite in construction industry include As dimension stone, Cement manufacture, Construction aggregate, For road aggregate, Making natural cement and that of Basalt include Arrowheads, As dimension stone, Cobblestones, Cutting tool, Rail track ballast, Roadstone.
More about Turbidite and Basalt
Here you can know more about Turbidite and Basalt. The life cycle of a rock consists of formation of rock, composition of rock and transformation of rock. The composition of Turbidite and Basalt consists of mineral content and compound content. The mineral content of Turbidite includes Coesite, Quartz, Sand and mineral content of Basalt includes Olivine, Plagioclase, Pyroxene. You can also check out the list of all Sedimentary Rocks. When we have to compare Turbidite vs Basalt, the texture, color and appearance plays an important role in determining the type of rock. Turbidite is available in black, brown, colourless, green, grey, pink colors whereas, Basalt is available in black, brown, light to dark grey colors. Appearance of Turbidite is Dull and Banded and that of Basalt is Dull and Soft. Properties of rock is another aspect for Turbidite vs Basalt. The hardness of Turbidite is 3 and that of Basalt is 6. The types of Turbidite are Not Available 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 Turbidite is white, greenish white or grey while that of Basalt is white to grey. The specific heat capacity of Turbidite is 0.92 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.Turbidite is heat resistant whereas Basalt is heat resistant, pressure resistant, wear resistant.