What are the uses of basalt rock?
Quick Answer
Basalt is most commonly used during construction projects. It can be used as aggregate in asphalt and concrete pavements. It is also used as a road base, railroad ballast and cobblestone pavement. Basalt may be cut into thin slabs and used as monuments, building veneers or floor tiles.
Continue ReadingFull Answer
Dark in color, basalt rock is an igneous rock, which are (rocks produced under intense heat. Its dark color is partly as result of the minerals olivine and aspyroxene. Basalt rock forms when hot lava gets to the Earth's surface. This may be either via a mid-ocean ridge or a volcano. When expelled, hot lava reaches temperatures of up to 1250 degrees Fahrenheit and flows like a thick liquid. However, when the lava cools down, it forms a hard solid rock. The word "basalt" is derived from the Latin word "basalts," which loosely translates to "very hard stone." Depending on the thickness and the location, lava flow may take days or months to completely cool. Basalt rock is Earth's most abundant bedrock, forming a large percentage of the ocean floor and the Earth's crust. The moon, like the Earth, also has a high abundance of basalt rock in its underlying curst.
Learn more about Earth ScienceRelated Questions
-
Q:
Why does Earth support life?
A: Earth supports life because it is the correct distance from the sun, its composition is rock, it has a molten core, it gains protection from its atmosphere... Full Answer >Filed Under: -
Q:
How is oil formed?
A: Oil is formed when organic materials are buried under sedimentary rock; anoxic conditions and intense pressure cause a gradual transformation in petroleum.... Full Answer >Filed Under: -
Q:
How is limestone mined?
A: Limestone is surface mined through open pit quarries or hillside cuts, or horizontally by tunneling under the overlaying surface rock. Quarrying is the mos... Full Answer >Filed Under: -
Q:
What is groundwater?
A: Groundwater is the water that is in the cracks and spaces between sand, soil and rock underground, and it sometimes bubbles up to the surface through sprin... Full Answer >Filed Under:
You May Also Like
-
Q:
What are some uses of caustic soda?
-
Q:
Would we fall off Earth if it stopped spinning?
-
Q:
What are some uses of polypropylene glycol?
-
Q:
What are household uses for vinegar?
-
Q:
What are some facts about liquid matter that are interesting to kids?
-
Q:
What happens when Lake Texoma has a low water level?
