32 Basalt Facts For Kids To Learn About This Igneous Rock

Basalt is an extrusive igneous rock similar to granite in that it is composed of calcium-rich plagioclase feldspar and pyroxene.

The most common minerals in basalt are augite plagioclase, with the lesser common minerals being orthopyroxene and hornblende. Basalt can erupt as lava flows, intrude as dikes, and erupt as volcanic plugs and lava domes. 

It is the most common volcanic rock on Earth and can be found on every continent except Antarctica. Basalt is the primary rock in the oceanic crust and is a significant component of oceanic and continental volcanic arcs. Basalt is also found in volcanic plains and rocky oceanic islands and seamounts. Basalt is the most abundant rock type in Earth's crust, an essential part of the ocean floor, and the bottom of the oceanic crust.

The Properties Of Basalt

The main issue with basalt is that it is not very good at conducting electricity. Basalt has a fine-grained texture and is dark in color, often similar to common rocks.

Compositionally, it is made up of calcic plagioclase, CaAl2SiO6, is bountiful in sodium-rich plagioclase, a feldspar that is similar to labradorite, pyroxene, augite, Ca (Mg, Fe) 5Si8O22 (on a calcium-rich end), and magnetite [Fe3O4], which is also magnesium-rich.

It contains pyroxene and olivine. These are natural minerals, and their composition is controlled by the chemistry of the magma that basalt crystallized from. By varying the amounts of these minerals, basalt can be made into various textures, ranging from coarse-grained gabbro to fine-grained anorthoclase porphyry.

Basalt is mentioned in the book of Genesis and is cited as the building material for many of the monuments of ancient Egypt, including the pyramids. Basalt is also the source of natural glass, which was highly valued in ancient times.

Basalt is solidified lava from a volcano. It forms from volcanoes or when lava cools and hardens. Some basalt is created when the hot lava cools quickly in a matter of hours or days. This is because basalt can dissolve in water, and seawater is much more desirable than most things on dry land.

The oceanic plates rub against each other, and when they meet, sometimes the marine plate goes under the continental plate, which is usually about 2-5 mi (3.2-8 km) thick. At this point, water is forced into the cracks and can dissolve the rocks.

The Composition Of Basalt

The most abundant element in the Earth's crust is oxygen. Earth's interior is divided into layers, but oxygen is still the most abundant element, even in the mantle. 

Oxygen is one of the lightest and most abundant elements. The second lightest and most abundant elements are silicon, aluminum, and iron.

Basalt is a fine-grained, felsic volcanic rock with a composition near 55% silicon dioxide, 35% oxygen, and 10% alumina, plus iron and calcium.

Basaltic magma should not be confused with the much hotter and fluid (easily poured) basalt magma, which is usually associated with oceanic ridges and hot spots.

It's made of 40 minerals, including olivine and clinopyroxene, the most abundant minerals in Earth's upper mantle. Basalt is usually a black rock but can be dark gray to light brown.

The Formation Of Basalt

The term 'basalt' refers to the dark-colored and relatively fine-grained plutonic (intrusive) igneous rocks of similar composition. Basalt rocks are the most common type of rock found in Iceland.

Most basalt flows on Earth were formed by volcanoes. When lava erupts at the surface, it can cool down very quickly and form basalt rock.

Basalt is made of molten rock, similar to granite and gabbro. Basalt is a sedimentary rock, which means it is formed from sediments. In this case, basalt can be made of sediment that melts when a volcano erupts. Sedimentary rocks are not derived from molten rocks.

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.

From the middle of the lava, there is an area that is darker and denser. This area represents the basaltic rock.

Basalt flows are mostly found on Earth, but have also been found on the moon, Mars, and Mercury.

Columnar basalt forms when lava cools and solidifies slowly in thin vertical columns, cooling evenly and slow enough so that crystals do not grow. This even cooling allows the formation of hexagonal prisms. 

Also, columnar basalt forms from the slow cooling of the thick lava flow, when fractures in the cooling lava develop on the side and bottom, but not the top. The lava then cools from the top of the flow downwards.

How is basalt mined?

Basalt is mined by separating it from the Earth's surface layer. A dragline machine removes the overburden, which is the material that sits on top of the basalt.

The basalt is then blasted with high-pressure water to break it into large blocks, which are loaded onto trucks and transported to a processing plant.

The blocks are cut into smaller pieces and screened to remove any impurities. The final product—a mixture of basalt and other materials—is used in construction projects or as an aggregate for roads and other paving applications.

Basalt is used in construction and has been used in the establishment of buildings for thousands of years. Often, lava or volcanic deposits are called basalts, but this is a misnomer.

Basalt lava is molten lava that can be classified as picritic. It is the most common type of lava, with over 50% of lava being picritic.

Terrestrial basalts are rocks formed from the partial or complete solidification of magma on Earth's surface, instead of in the atmosphere or underwater. All of the terrestrial basalts collected on Earth have been collected from a rock.

Pillow basalts are formed from the extrusion of lava underwater or above the abyssal plain. Some common minerals in pillow basalts are olivine, pyroxene, and amphiboles.

The Unknown Facts Of Basaltic Lava Flows

Basaltic lava flows are generally thick, slow-moving, and more lava flow. They usually radiate towards the center of the volcano.

On the other hand, andesitic lava is generally explosive and contains more pyroclasts. They are more viscous and flow more slowly.

The lava from the volcano reaches hotter temperatures when basaltic lava flows. The difference between basalt and andesite is the amount of silica or SiO2.

These are rich in iron, magnesium, and sodium. Andesite, on the other hand, is rich in aluminum and calcium.

Basalt lava flows are named after the land area where it was formed, for example, Columbia River Basalt and Deccan Traps.

Basalt eruptions can cover hundreds of thousands of square kilometers with lava, creating basalt plateaus.

Lava eruptions can also throw volcanic ash many tens of kilometers into the atmosphere and blanket surrounding land areas with a layer tens of centimeters thick.

Pyroclastic flows are often associated with lava plateaus because the lack of topographical relief reduces the flow's friction, and the flow's erosive power can remove the spines and lava plateaus below.

Volcanic eruptions can be caused by the release of high-pressure gas or steam from inside a volcano's magma. The upper zone comprises peraluminous rocks, such as andesite and dacite. The lower zone contains basaltic magma.

Geologists classify pillow basalts that occur in oceanic rifts as tholeiitic basalts. These pillow basalt lavas are characteristically tholeiitic, meaning that they have a low ratio of magnesium to calcium, a high proportion of Fe to Mg, and a low proportion of Si to Al.

The rock then fractures into a glassy material filled with air spaces during explosive lava eruptions and lava flows. This gives the basalt its name.

A basalt volcano is a volcanic eruption composed primarily of mafic, ultramafic rock. Most basalt magmas have a high viscosity, which contributes to a slow eruption (open-system behavior) with gentle, effusive eruptions, although some are violent.

Basalt is an igneous rock. It is used to make concrete, bricks, and roofing tiles. Basalt is also a high-temperature rock.

It is used to make thermal insulation and protect ships from getting too hot. Basalt has been used as a decorative stone in the past. It is becoming more popular as an ornamental stone. It is also used in many pieces of artwork.

Basalt tuff is a fine to medium-grain textured, hard sedimentary rock primarily composed of feldspar, quartz, and one or more dark minerals such as augite, hornblende, and biotite.

Unweathered basalt is the term used for basalt that is not exposed to the surface of the Earth and is not subject to the elements.

An upwelling mantle is a zone in the Earth's mantle that moves up toward the lithosphere and away from mantle plumes. It results in a shallow convection cell that drives movement along mid-ocean ridges. It is also responsible for the formation of hotspots.

Basaltic glass is a form of volcanic glass created when molten basaltic lava comes into contact with seawater or other forms of water. Many people believe that basalt glass is an artificial creation; however, it occurs in nature.

Basalt blocks can be used in landscaping, as a building material, for road surfacing and highways, as building blocks, and much more. With the basalt blocks' natural heating and cooling ability, you can use them to build your house.