Is Basalt Denser Than Granite

Granite is an igneous plutonic rock which is.

Is basalt denser than granite.

Basalt as a mafic rock contains more calcium oxide manganese oxide and iron compounds than granite. Basalt wikipedia wikimedia foundation 13 sept. Summary basalt vs granite. It is common both on earth and other planetary bodies.

Its principle minerals include pyroxene feldspar and olivine. 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. Granite is available in black grey orange pink white colors whereas basalt is available in black brown light to dark grey. As it turns out most of the ocean floor is basalt and most of the continents are granite.

Basalt is an igneous volcanic rock that forms commonly in oceanic crust and parts of continental crust. And if you know your igneous petrology you will see that the more mafic rich in magnesium and iron a rock is the greater its density. Sedimentary rocks and granite which are rich in quartz and feldspar tend to be less dense than volcanic rocks. These impurities make it roughly 10 percent heavier than granite.

Basalt is denser than granite because basalt is a an oceanic type of rock so it has had more pressure from the ocean making it denser than granite because granite is a continental type of rock. The trick is to heat the basalt back up again so it can melt and give the iron another shot at the core. It forms from lava flows which extrude onto the surface and cool. Basalt is denser than granite because basalt is a an oceanic type of rock so it has had more pressure from the ocean making it denser than granite because granite is a continental type of rock.

Basalt and granite are two types of igneous rocks that we can find on earth. Ocean crust is made of basalt and continental crust is mostly granite 3. Its high iron content gives it magnetic properties and it may show signs of rust when exposed to air. It wants to be there and heat is the key which unlocks the door.

Basaltic crust is dark and thin and heavy while granite is light and accumulates. Rock density is very sensitive to the minerals that compose a particular rock type.