Definition
Diabase is a fine-grained igneous rock which is composed mostly of pyroxene and feldspar
History
Origin
Germany
Discoverer
Christian Leopold von Buch
Etymology
From Greek di + base
Class
Igneous Rocks
Sub-Class
Durable Rock, Hard Rock
Family
Group
Volcanic
Other Categories
Fine Grained Rock, Medium Grained Rock, Opaque Rock
Texture
Aphanitic, Granular
Color
Dark Grey to Black
Maintenance
Less
Durability
Durable
Water Resistant
✔
✘
81% - Igneous Rocks Rocks have it !
Scratch Resistant
✔
✘
86% - Igneous Rocks Rocks have it !
Stain Resistant
✔
✘
66% - Igneous Rocks Rocks have it !
Wind Resistant
✔
✘
49% - Igneous Rocks Rocks have it !
Acid Resistant
✔
✘
48% - Igneous Rocks Rocks have it !
Appearance
Vesicular
Architecture
Interior Uses
Countertops, Decorative Aggregates, Homes, Interior Decoration, Kitchens
Exterior Uses
As Building Stone, As Facing Stone, Paving Stone, Garden Decoration, Office Buildings
Other Architectural Uses
Curbing
Industry
Construction Industry
As Dimension Stone, Building houses or walls, Cement Manufacture, Construction Aggregate, for Road Aggregate
Medical Industry
-
Antiquity Uses
Artifacts, Monuments, Sculpture, Small Figurines
Other Uses
Commercial Uses
An Oil and Gas Reservoir, Cemetery Markers, Commemorative Tablets, Laboratory bench tops, Jewelry, Sea Defence, Tombstones
Types
Dolerite
Features
Smooth to touch
Archaeological Significance
Monuments
-
Famous Monuments
Stonehenge in English county of Wiltshire
Sculpture
-
Famous Sculptures
-
Pictographs
-
Petroglyphs
-
Figurines
-
Fossils
Absent
Formation
Diabase forms when molten igneous rock is squeezed up into a vertical crack in other rocks, the crack is usually forced apart and the molten rock cools in the space to form a tabular igneous intrusion cutting across the surrounding rocks and is known as a dike.
Composition
Mineral Content
Augite, Chlorite, Olivine, Plagioclase, Pyroxene, Pyrrhotite, Serpentine
Compound Content
Aluminium Oxide, CaO, Chromium(III) Oxide, Iron(III) Oxide, Potassium Oxide, MgO, Sodium Oxide, Silicon Dioxide, Sulfur Trioxide
Transformation
Metamorphism
✔
✘
97% - Igneous Rocks Rocks have it !
Types of Metamorphism
Burial Metamorphism, Cataclastic Metamorphism, Contact Metamorphism, Regional Metamorphism
Weathering
✔
✘
99% - Igneous Rocks Rocks have it !
Types of Weathering
Biological Weathering, Chemical Weathering
Erosion
✔
✘
92% - Igneous Rocks Rocks have it !
Types of Erosion
Chemical Erosion, Coastal Erosion, Water Erosion
Physical Properties
Hardness
7
1
7
👆🏻
Grain Size
Fine to Medium Grained
Fracture
Conchoidal
Streak
Black
Porosity
Highly Porous
Luster
-
Compressive Strength
225.00 N/mm2
Rank: 8 (Overall)
0.15
450
👆🏻
Cleavage
-
Toughness
1.6
Specific Gravity
2.86-2.87
0
8.4
👆🏻
Transparency
Opaque
Density
2.7-3.3 g/cm3
0
1400
👆🏻
Thermal Properties
Specific Heat Capacity
0.84 kJ/Kg K
Rank: 15 (Overall)
0.14
3.2
👆🏻
Resistance
Heat Resistant, Impact Resistant, Pressure Resistant, Wear Resistant
Deposits in Eastern Continents
Asia
India
Africa
South Africa, Tanzania
Europe
Germany, Greece, Italy, Scotland, Turkey
Others
Antarctica, Greenland
Deposits in Western Continents
North America
Canada, USA
South America
Argentina, Brazil, Colombia, Venezuela
Deposits in Oceania Continent
Australia
Central Australia, New Zealand, Queensland, Western Australia