How is basalt and granite similar?
Basalt and granite actually have quite a bit in common. Both are igneous rocks, which means that they cooled from a magma (the earth gets very hot just below the surface, and there is lots of liquid rock available). Both are made up of minerals from the silicate group, so both have large amounts of silicon and oxygen.
Is basalt as hard as granite?
Basalt weathers faster than granite because it is not as hard and it's easier for outside substances to impact and manipulate its structure.
What is the major difference between the texture of granite and basalt?
Of the two, basalt is darker and consists of fine-grained minerals such as magnesium and iron while granite is lighter and consist of feldspar and quartz. Among other differences, the nature of these rocks reveals that basalt is basic in nature, whereas granite is acidic in nature.
What is basalt made of?
Basalts are composed of minute grains of plagioclase feldspar (generally labradorite), pyroxene, olivine, biotite, hornblende, and less than 20% quartz. The mineral nepheline or leucite may associate or proxy the feldspar giving rise to verities with special names.
What type of rock is basalt?
Basalt is a hard, black volcanic rock. Basalt is the most common rock type in the Earth's crust. Depending on how it is erupted, basalt can be hard and massive (Figure 1) or crumbly and full of bubbles (Figure 2).
Is basalt hard or soft?
Basalt. Basalt is a hard, black volcanic rock. Basalt is the most common rock type in the Earth's crust.
Is basalt denser than granite?
According to About.com the density of granite ranges from 2.6-2.7 g/cm3 and basalt is 2.8-3.0 g/cm3.
What texture is basalt?
Basalts have almost always aphanitic or fine-grained mineral texture resulting from rapid cooling of volcanic magma.
What are some properties of basalt?
basalt, extrusive igneous (volcanic) rock that is low in silica content, dark in colour, and comparatively rich in iron and magnesium. Some basalts are quite glassy (tachylytes), and many are very fine-grained and compact.
What type of rock is basalt and granite?
Igneous rocks Igneous rocks (Granites). Igneous rocks are formed by the crystallisation of a magma. The difference between granites and basalts is in silica content and their rates of cooling. A basalt is about 53% SiO2, whereas granite is 73%.
What is basalt and granite?
Basalt is volcanic, or extrusive, forming at the surface, while granite is plutonic, or intrusive, forming beneath the surface. Basalt is mafic while granite is felsic.
How would you describe basalt rock?
Basalt is a dark-colored, fine-grained, igneous rock composed mainly of plagioclase and pyroxene minerals. It most commonly forms as an extrusive rock, such as a lava flow, but can also form in small intrusive bodies, such as an igneous dike or a thin sill. It has a composition similar to gabbro.
What is basalt used for?
Basalt is used in construction (e.g. as building blocks or in the groundwork), making cobblestones (from columnar basalt) and in making statues. Heating and extruding basalt yields stone wool, which has potential to be an excellent thermal insulator.
What is special about basalt?
Basalt is a mafic extrusive rock, is the most widespread of all igneous rocks, and comprises more than 90% of all volcanic rocks. Because of its relatively low silica content, basalt lava has a comparatively low viscosity, and forms thin flows that can travel long distances.
How would you describe basalt?
Definition of basalt : a dark gray to black dense to fine-grained igneous rock that consists of basic plagioclase, augite, and usually magnetite.
What’s basalt made of?
Basalts are composed of minute grains of plagioclase feldspar (generally labradorite), pyroxene, olivine, biotite, hornblende, and less than 20% quartz.
What kind of rock is basalt?
volcanic rock Basalt is a hard, black volcanic rock. Basalt is the most common rock type in the Earth's crust. Depending on how it is erupted, basalt can be hard and massive (Figure 1) or crumbly and full of bubbles (Figure 2).
What are 3 facts about basalt?
Basalt is a common extrusive rock found on Mars, Earth, and Venus. Basaltic rocks are also found on Earth's surface as they erupt in the form of lava. More than half of the ocean floor is basalt. It is one of the most abundant volcanic rocks on Earth.