What is the definition of diabase?

Definition of diabase 1 archaic : diorite. 2 chiefly British : an altered basalt. 3 : a fine-grained rock of the composition of gabbro but with an ophitic texture.

What texture is diabase?

Diabase normally has a fine but visible texture of euhedral lath-shaped plagioclase crystals (62%) set in a finer matrix of clinopyroxene, typically augite (20–29%), with minor olivine (3% up to 12% in olivine diabase), magnetite (2%), and ilmenite (2%).

How is diabase formed?

Diabase is an igneous rock made when molten magma (melted rock) cools quickly near the surface of the earth. Diabase has two main minerals. White plagioclase and dark brown pyroxene. The minerals are large enough to see with the naked eye.

What is the characteristics of diabase?

diabase, also called Dolerite, fine- to medium-grained, dark gray to black intrusive igneous rock. It is extremely hard and tough and is commonly quarried for crushed stone, under the name of trap.

What is the difference between basalt diabase and gabbro?

Diabase and gabbro have the same general mineral composition as basalt, but they have a larger grain size. Basalt is identical to diabase and gabbro, but is very fine-grained. Basalt is from a melt that cooled very rapidly- in other words, on the surface of the earth or in the ocean.

Is diabase the hardest rock?

The strongest rock in the world is diabase, followed closely by other fine-grained igneous rocks and quartzite. Diabase is strongest in compression, tension, and shear stress. If mineral hardness is the determining factor of strength then diamond is technically the strongest rock in the world.

How strong is diabase rock?

The strongest rock in the world in compression is Diabase, which can stand up to 350 MPa. Diabase is a kind of fine-grained igneous rock. Close behind diabase in compressive strength come other fine-grained igneous rocks like Diorite, Gabbro, and Basalt.

What is the difference between diabase and gabbro?

Diabase is actually a variety of gabbro which consists mainly of labradorite feldspar, augite, magnetite, and olivine. The grain size of diabase is on the smaller side. Diabase and gabbro have the same general mineral composition as basalt, but they have a larger grain size.

How can gabbro and basalt be distinguished from one another?

Gabbro and Basalt are Related Gabbros are equivalent in composition to basalts. The difference between the two rock types is their grain size. Basalts are extrusive igneous rocks that cool quickly and have fine-grained crystals. Gabbros are intrusive igneous rocks that cool slowly and have coarse-grained crystals.

How strong is diabase?

The strongest rock in the world in compression is Diabase, which can stand up to 350 MPa.

What is the difference between basalt and diabase?

How do basalt rhyolite and gabbro differ?

Granite and rhyolite are considered felsic, while basalt and gabbro are mafic (click here for more information on mafic and felsic). Felsic rocks, in general, form the bulk of the continental plates, while mafic basalt forms the seafloor.

How is gabbro and basalt formed?

Gabbro (/ˈɡæb. roʊ/) is a phaneritic (coarse-grained), mafic intrusive igneous rock formed from the slow cooling of magnesium-rich and iron-rich magma into a holocrystalline mass deep beneath the Earth’s surface. Slow-cooling, coarse-grained gabbro is chemically equivalent to rapid-cooling, fine-grained basalt.

What is basalt and rhyolite?

Rhyolite is a sticky or viscous lava that usually does not flow very far from the place where it is erupted. In contrast, basalt is a volcanic rock that contains relatively little silica and abundant iron and magnesium, so phenocrysts of olivine and pyroxene are common. Basalt is usually black to dark brown in color.

How are basalt and rhyolite related?

Both rhyolite and basalt are types of igneous rocks. Igneous rocks are usually found in two forms as intrusive and extrusive igneous rocks, based on the method of formation. Basalt is an extrusive igneous rock type. Rhyolite is considered as an extrusive volcanic rock that is equivalent to granite.

What’s the difference between basalt and gabbro?

Gabbro is a type of intrusive rock while basalt is a type of extrusive rock. The main difference between gabbro and basalt is that gabbro forms deep beneath the Earth’s surface, whereas basalt forms at or very near the surface of the planet.

How is rhyolite distinguished from basalt?

Both rhyolite and basalt are extrusive rocks. The main difference between basalt and rhyolite is that basalt usually appears in dark colours, while rhyolite usually appears in light colours.

What’s the difference between basaltic and rhyolitic lavas?

Basaltic magma has a low viscosity whereas rhyolitic magma has a high viscosity. Volcano – a hill or mountain formed by the extrusion of lava or ejection of rock fragments from a vent. Shield volcanoes – broad, gently sloping cones constructed of solidified lava flows.

How is rhyolite different from basalt?

What is the meaning of diabase?

Look up diabase in Wiktionary, the free dictionary. Diabase ( / ˈdaɪ.əˌbeɪs / ), also called dolerite ( / ˈdɒl.əˌraɪt /) or microgabbro, is a mafic, holocrystalline, subvolcanic rock equivalent to volcanic basalt or plutonic gabbro.

How big is a diabase rock?

It does not have the salt-and-pepper appearance of the specimen at the top of this page. This rock is approximately eight centimeters across. Diabase typically has a mineral composition that is dominated by the plagioclase feldspar known as labradorite (approximately 40% to 70% of the rock).

What are the different types of diabase?

There are several types of use: 1 Crushed Stone: Diabase is one of many types of “trap rock” used as crushed stone in the construction industry. These… 2 Dimension Stone: Diabase can be cut or sheared into blocks of specific or random sizes. These are some categories of… More

How are heavy minerals formed in diabase?

Certain flat tabular masses (thick sheets or sills) of diabase, such as that forming the Palisades along the Hudson River near New York City, show concentrations of heavy minerals (as olivine or pyroxene) in their lower portions. These concentrations are commonly believed to have developed by the settling of early formed crystals in molten diabase.

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