Is Basalt Denser Than Granite

Granite is available in black grey orange pink white colors whereas basalt is available in black brown light to dark grey.

Is basalt denser than granite.

Granite is an igneous plutonic rock which is. Basalt wikipedia wikimedia foundation 13 sept. Basalt is an igneous volcanic rock that forms commonly in oceanic crust and parts of continental crust. Basaltic crust is dark and thin and heavy while granite is light and accumulates.

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. These impurities make it roughly 10 percent heavier than granite. Basalt and granite are two types of igneous rocks that we can find on earth. Basalt as a mafic rock contains more calcium oxide manganese oxide and iron compounds than granite.

As it turns out most of the ocean floor is basalt and most of the continents are granite. The molten minerals would less dense for the same reason hot water is less dense than cold water and hot air is less dense than cold air. Sedimentary rocks and granite which are rich in quartz and feldspar tend to be less dense than volcanic rocks. Ocean crust is made of basalt and continental crust is mostly granite 3.

The trick is to heat the basalt back up again so it can melt and give the iron another shot at the core. 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. It forms from lava flows which extrude onto the surface and cool. Which would be less dense granite or magma that contains the same minerals as granite.

Its principle minerals include pyroxene feldspar and olivine. 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. It wants to be there and heat is the key which unlocks the door. It is common both on earth and other planetary bodies.

Summary basalt vs granite. Rock density is very sensitive to the minerals that compose a particular rock type.