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Why were the first continents made from granite?
The older, basaltic rocks that formed on the Earth before granite first developed were to easily weathered by the ocean to form permanent continents. The ocean floor is made of basalt, but when basaltic formations extended to the surface of early oceans, they were quickly weathered away. Granite first formed when underwater volcanoes erupted, and the magma was cooled extremely quickly, forming a less dense, but much more durable, rock than basalt. These early granite formations served as the "anchors" for the early continents to form upon. In short, granite was the most durable form of rock to develop on early Earth, and, as such, it provided a durable place for the continents to develop on, safe from the erosive forces of the early oceans.
Which is harder basalt or granite?
Both basalt and granite are types of rock, and a rock is composed of multiple minerals - except for some rocks composed of essentially one mineral like limestone (calcite) or quartzite (quartz). Minerals are crystalline compounds with known characteristics such as hardness, specific gravity, etc Therefore the hardness of the rock depends on the exact location on the rock you are testing the hardness, as it will vary from mineral to mineral. Some minerals even have differential hardness. Granite is composed of quartz, feldspar, and usually some ferromagnesian minerals such as biotite or hornblende (depending on the definition of a granite). Basalt is composed mostly of plagioclase (a feldspar) and pyroxene. Each of those minerals has a different hardness, and geologists never use the hardness of a "rock" to determine what kind of rock it is. Basalt is usually much finer grained than granite so it would be virtually impossible to determine the hardness of the individual mineral crystals. On Moh's hardness scale, the hardness of these rock-forming minerals are as follows: Quartz 7 Feldspar 6 (depending on the species of feldspar) Biotite 2.5-3 Pyroxene 5-6 (depending on the species of pyroxene) So the hardness of a rock is determined by the minerals, and in a coarse grained rock like a granite, the hardness can vary widely. The hardest mineral in granite (quartz) is harder than the hardest mineral in basalt (feldspar), but that's not enough to say that granite is conclusively harder than basalt. The resistance to breaking of a rock (which could be confused with the apparent hardness to a non-expert) is greatly affected by fractures, weathering, induration, welding, and many other features which are independent of mineral content.
How does a basalt differ from gabbro?
Basalt is a fine-grained volcanic rock, usually dark in color, while gabbro is a coarse-grained intrusive rock that is also dark in color. Basalt tends to cool and solidify quickly on the Earth's surface, resulting in a fine-grained texture, whereas gabbro cools slowly beneath the surface, allowing larger mineral crystals to form.
Does basalt form on the oceanic crust?
Yes, basalt forms on oceanic crust through volcanic activity at mid-ocean ridges and hotspot volcanoes. It is the most common rock type on the ocean floor and is created from the solidification of molten lava.
What is the difference between andesite and basalt?
Andesite is an intermediate volcanic rock that contains more silica and is lighter in color compared to basalt. Basalt is a fine-grained volcanic rock that is darker in color and forms from rapidly cooling lava at Earth's surface.
How will the size of crystals in granite be different to the size of crystals in basalt?
because they take longer to cool from the magma it is formed from
Are basaltic igneous rocks lower in density than granitic rocks?
Granite is very much less dense than basalt. This is why the continental crust (mostly composed of granite) floats on Oceanic crust (made mostly of basalt). Granite is 70 % silicon. Where basalt is mainly pyroxene.
Why were the first continents made from granite?
The older, basaltic rocks that formed on the Earth before granite first developed were to easily weathered by the ocean to form permanent continents. The ocean floor is made of basalt, but when basaltic formations extended to the surface of early oceans, they were quickly weathered away. Granite first formed when underwater volcanoes erupted, and the magma was cooled extremely quickly, forming a less dense, but much more durable, rock than basalt. These early granite formations served as the "anchors" for the early continents to form upon. In short, granite was the most durable form of rock to develop on early Earth, and, as such, it provided a durable place for the continents to develop on, safe from the erosive forces of the early oceans.
What is the diffrence between basalt and granite?
Basalt is the most common volcanic rock. It contains the minerals plagioclase and augite. It can come in black or dark gray and has a hardness of 6-7 on the MOHS scale. Its grains are fine. Granite is an intrusive rock. It contains feldspar, quartz and mica. It can come in black, gray, pink, red, or yellow. It has a hardness of 6 on the MOHS scale. Its grains are fine. Both, however, are igneous rocks.
How much inches wide is granite in rock form?
14 inches wide
How much money would you get by selling an igneous rock?
Probably not very much, igneous rocks are caused through the cooling of magma or larva and are very common on earth. Granite and Basalt are examples of igneous rocks.
Which rocks are made from crystals?
Pretty much all of them with the exception of things like obsidian, which is a glass and by definition not crystalline. Note that the crystals in question may be extremely small (microcrystalline).
What rock would be a good use of statue and is not affected too much by acid rain?
Any igneous rock like granite or basalt would be good. Avoid carbonate rocks.
Which is harder basalt or granite?
Both basalt and granite are types of rock, and a rock is composed of multiple minerals - except for some rocks composed of essentially one mineral like limestone (calcite) or quartzite (quartz). Minerals are crystalline compounds with known characteristics such as hardness, specific gravity, etc Therefore the hardness of the rock depends on the exact location on the rock you are testing the hardness, as it will vary from mineral to mineral. Some minerals even have differential hardness. Granite is composed of quartz, feldspar, and usually some ferromagnesian minerals such as biotite or hornblende (depending on the definition of a granite). Basalt is composed mostly of plagioclase (a feldspar) and pyroxene. Each of those minerals has a different hardness, and geologists never use the hardness of a "rock" to determine what kind of rock it is. Basalt is usually much finer grained than granite so it would be virtually impossible to determine the hardness of the individual mineral crystals. On Moh's hardness scale, the hardness of these rock-forming minerals are as follows: Quartz 7 Feldspar 6 (depending on the species of feldspar) Biotite 2.5-3 Pyroxene 5-6 (depending on the species of pyroxene) So the hardness of a rock is determined by the minerals, and in a coarse grained rock like a granite, the hardness can vary widely. The hardest mineral in granite (quartz) is harder than the hardest mineral in basalt (feldspar), but that's not enough to say that granite is conclusively harder than basalt. The resistance to breaking of a rock (which could be confused with the apparent hardness to a non-expert) is greatly affected by fractures, weathering, induration, welding, and many other features which are independent of mineral content.
Do large grain rocks form from lava or magma?
Large grain rocks, such as granite, form from magma as it cools slowly beneath the Earth's surface. This slow cooling allows for the growth of large mineral grains within the rock. Rocks formed from lava, such as basalt, typically have much smaller grain sizes due to the rapid cooling at the Earth's surface.
Which is most abundant on earth mantle material or granite rock or liquid water or basalt or inner core?
The most abundant material on Earth is basalt, which can be found in the oceanic crust. The mantle is also a significant component, making up the majority of Earth's volume. Liquid water is abundant on Earth's surface, but is much less common when compared to the solid materials in the Earth's interior. The inner core is composed mainly of solid iron and nickel.
Is basalt igneous sedimentary metamorphic?
Basalt is an igneous rock . . . it is pretty much hardened lava.
