igneous
Basalt with Olivine and Scoria
Extrusive Igneous Rock
Hardness of 5-6 on the Mohs scale, dark grey to brownish base color with red oxidation patches and green olivine xenoliths/crystals, vesicular texture with small gas cavities, dull to sub-vitreous luster.
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Physical properties
Hardness of 5-6 on the Mohs scale, dark grey to brownish base color with red oxidation patches and green olivine xenoliths/crystals, vesicular texture with small gas cavities, dull to sub-vitreous luster.
Formation & geological history
Formed from the rapid cooling of mafic lava flows at or near the Earth's surface, often associated with volcanic eruptions and hotspots, ranging in age from recent volcanic activity to millions of years old.
Uses & applications
Used in construction, aggregate for concrete, road base, and occasionally tumbled or cut as lapidary specimens or for aquarium landscaping.
Geological facts
Basalt is the most common rock type on the crust of the Earth's ocean basins and is also abundantly found on the Moon and Mars.
Field identification & locations
Easily identified by its dark, fine-grained, vesicular (pitted) appearance and presence of trapped mineral inclusions like olivine. Commonly found near volcanic regions worldwide.
