Definition
Websterite is ultramafic and ultrabasic rock that consists of roughly equal proportions of orthopyroxene and clinopyroxene. It is a special type of pyroxenite.
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
Webster, North Carolina
Egypt
Discoverer
Unknown
Georgius Agricola
Etymology
From the town of Webster located in North Carolina
From Late Latin Basaltes (variant of basanites ), very hard stone, which was imported from Ancient Greek Basanites
Class
Igneous Rocks
Igneous Rocks
Sub-Class
Durable Rock, Hard Rock
Durable Rock, Medium Hardness Rock
Other Categories
Coarse Grained Rock, Opaque Rock
Fine Grained Rock, Opaque Rock
Texture
Clastic, Granular, Phaneritic, Porphyritic
Glassy, Massive, Porphyritic, Scoriaceous, Vesicular
Color
Black to Grey, Bluish - Grey, Dark Greenish - Grey, Green, Light Greenish Grey
Black, Brown, Light to Dark Grey
Durability
Durable
Durable
Scratch Resistant
Yes
Yes
Appearance
Layered, Banded, Veined and Shiny
Dull and Soft
Interior Uses
Countertops, Decorative Aggregates, Entryways, Floor Tiles, Flooring, Interior Decoration
Floor Tiles, Homes, Hotels, Kitchens
Exterior Uses
As Building Stone, As Facing Stone, Garden Decoration, Paving Stone
As Building Stone, Paving Stone, Garden Decoration, Office Buildings
Other Architectural Uses
Curbing
Curbing, Whetstones
Construction Industry
As Dimension Stone, Building houses or walls, Cement Manufacture, Construction Aggregate, for Road Aggregate
Arrowheads, As Dimension Stone, Cobblestones, Cutting Tool, Rail Track Ballast, Roadstone
Medical Industry
Not Yet Used
Not Yet Used
Antiquity Uses
Artifacts
Artifacts, Monuments
Commercial Uses
Cemetery Markers, Commemorative Tablets, Creating Artwork, Laboratory bench tops, Jewelry, Sea Defence, Tombstones
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
Generally rough to touch, Is one of the oldest rock
Has High structural resistance against erosion and climate, Very fine grained rock
Archaeological Significance
Monuments
Not Yet 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
Not Yet Used
Used
Famous Sculptures
Data Not Available
Data Not Available
Pictographs
Not Used
Used
Petroglyphs
Not Used
Used
Figurines
Not Yet Used
Used
Formation
Websterite can be formed as cumulates in ultramafic intrusions by accumulation of pyroxene crystals at the base of the lava chamber.
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
Amphibole, Augite, Bronzite, Chromite, Diopside, Enstatite, Garnet, Hornblende, Hypersthene, Magnetite, Pyroxene
Olivine, Plagioclase, Pyroxene
Compound Content
Aluminium Oxide, CaO, Chromium(III) Oxide, Iron(III) Oxide, Potassium Oxide, MgO, Sodium Oxide, Silicon Dioxide, Sulfur Trioxide
Aluminium Oxide, CaO, Iron(III) Oxide, FeO, Potassium Oxide, MgO, MnO, Sodium Oxide, Phosphorus Pentoxide, Silicon Dioxide, Titanium Dioxide
Types of Metamorphism
Burial Metamorphism, Impact Metamorphism
Contact Metamorphism
Types of Weathering
Biological Weathering, Chemical Weathering, Mechanical Weathering
Biological Weathering
Types of Erosion
Chemical Erosion, Coastal Erosion, Glacier Erosion, Water Erosion, Wind Erosion
Not Available
Grain Size
Coarse Grained
Fine Grained
Fracture
Uneven
Conchoidal
Streak
White, Greenish White or Grey
White to Grey
Porosity
Less Porous
Less Porous
Luster
Dull to Vitreous to Submetallic
Not Available
Compressive Strength
Not Available
Cleavage
Irregular
Not Available
Toughness
Not Available
2.3
Specific Gravity
3.2-3.5
2.8-3
Transparency
Opaque
Opaque
Density
3.1-3.6 g/cm3
2.9-3.1 g/cm3
Specific Heat Capacity
Not Available
Resistance
Impact Resistant, Pressure Resistant, Wear Resistant
Heat Resistant, Pressure Resistant, Wear Resistant
Deposits in Eastern Continents
Asia
India, Russia
India, Russia
Africa
South Africa
South Africa
Europe
Germany, Greece, Italy, Scotland, Turkey
Iceland
Others
Greenland
Not Yet Found
Deposits in Western Continents
North America
Canada, USA
Canada, USA
South America
Brazil, Colombia, Venezuela
Brazil
Deposits in Oceania Continent
Australia
New Zealand, Queensland
Not Yet Found
Websterite 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. Websterite vs Basalt characteristics assist us to distinguish and recognize rocks. Also you can check about Properties of Websterite and Properties of Basalt. Learn more about Websterite vs Basalt in the next section. The interior uses of Websterite include Countertops, Decorative aggregates, Entryways, Floor tiles, Flooring and Interior decoration whereas the interior uses of Basalt include Floor tiles, Homes, Hotels and Kitchens. Due to some exceptional properties of Websterite and Basalt, they have various applications in construction industry. The uses of Websterite in construction industry include As dimension stone, Building houses or walls, Cement manufacture, Construction aggregate, For road aggregate and that of Basalt include Arrowheads, As dimension stone, Cobblestones, Cutting tool, Rail track ballast, Roadstone.
More about Websterite and Basalt
Here you can know more about Websterite and Basalt. The life cycle of a rock consists of formation of rock, composition of rock and transformation of rock. The composition of Websterite and Basalt consists of mineral content and compound content. The mineral content of Websterite includes Amphibole, Augite, Bronzite, Chromite, Diopside, Enstatite, Garnet, Hornblende, Hypersthene, Magnetite, Pyroxene and mineral content of Basalt includes Olivine, Plagioclase, Pyroxene. You can also check out the list of all Igneous Rocks. When we have to compare Websterite vs Basalt, the texture, color and appearance plays an important role in determining the type of rock. Websterite is available in black to grey, bluish - grey, dark greenish - grey, green, light greenish grey colors whereas, Basalt is available in black, brown, light to dark grey colors. Appearance of Websterite is Layered, Banded, Veined and Shiny and that of Basalt is Dull and Soft. Properties of rock is another aspect for Websterite vs Basalt. The hardness of Websterite is 7 and that of Basalt is 6. The types of Websterite 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 Websterite is white, greenish white or grey while that of Basalt is white to grey. The specific heat capacity of Websterite is Not Available 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.Websterite is impact resistant, pressure resistant, wear resistant whereas Basalt is heat resistant, pressure resistant, wear resistant.