What Is The Difference Between Granite And Basalt Rock

Granite is an intrusive rock with few contaminants while basalt is an extrusive rock with many contaminants.

What is the difference between granite and basalt rock.

1 definition 1 1 definition basalt is a common extrusive igneous rock formed by the rapid cooling of basaltic lava exposed at or very near the surface of earth granite is a very hard granular crystalline igneous rock which consists mainly of quartz mica and feldspar and is often used as building stone. Basalt is an extrusive igneous rock whereas granite is an intrusive ingenuous rock. Granite is the principal component of the continental crust while basalt is the principal component of the oceanic crust. Basalt is a major rock type that occurs in virtually every tectonic setting.

Earth contains three kinds of rocks namely igneous rocks sedimentary rocks and metamorphic rocks basalt and granite are two types of igneous rocks. Differences between basalt and granite. 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. Basalt is clearly the most common volcanic rock on earth and basaltic rocks including gabbro diabase and their metamorphosed equivalents are the most common rocks in the crust 2 basalt is also common on the moon and other rocky planets of the solar system.

Though some rocks look identical they have certain characteristics which distinguish them from others. Granite is lighter in color than basalt. Basalt and granite actually have quite a bit in common. The color of the rocks is dependent on the mineral composition of the rock.

Basalt vs andesite characteristics. Basalt igneous rocks. Basalt is the foundation of oceanic crust granite is an intrusive igneous rock made from visible mineral crystals a result of cooling over a longer period of time under the surface of the. Although there are some similarities between basalt and granite there are also significant differences between these two rock types.

Characteristics of rocks include texture appearance color fracture streak hardness etc. Excluding the rocks between my ears i d have to say that basalt and granite have the honor of being the most important rocks in the crust. One other difference between basalt and granite pertains to the way these two types of rocks split when putting under pressure. Basalt is volcanic or extrusive forming at the surface while granite is plutonic or intrusive forming beneath the surface.

Basalt is basic and contains a substantial amount of olivine whereas granite is. Basalt vs andesite characteristics assist us to distinguish and recognize rocks. 2011 8 14 the key difference between basalt and granite is that basalt is mostly occurring on ocean floors while granite is in the crust of the earth in all continents.