Differences between basalt and granite Basalt can form in a few days to months, whereas granite plutons can take millions of years to cool and harden. Basalt is more common in oceanic crust while granite is more common in continental crust.

Igneous rocks are formed by the crystallisation of a magma. The difference between granites and basalts is in silica content and their rates of cooling. A basalt is about 53% SiO2, whereas granite is 73%. Intrusive, slowly cooled inside the crust.

Appearance of Granite is Veined or Pebbled and that of Basalt is Dull and Soft. Properties of rock is another aspect for Granite vs Basalt. The hardness of Granite is 6-7 and that of Basalt is 6.

Because the magma comes out of the earth (and often into water) it cools very quickly, and the minerals have very little opportunity to grow. Basalt is commonly very fine grained, and it is nearly impossible to see individual minerals without magnification. Basalt is considered a mafic silicate rock.

Calculations show that such a volume of granite magma would take several millions of years to cool down from 900 degrees C to near 550-650 degrees C, where it would totally crystallize, and then finally to cool to the 25 degrees C temperature found at the earth’s surface.

What is Sensa granite? A: Each slab of SenSa granite is one-of-a-kind and carefully quarried by Cosentino using state-of-the-art equipment to provide the highest quality stone. Strength, durability and uniqueness make SenSa Granite the ideal choice for kitchen countertops as well as other surfaces in the home.

Granite is found mainly in Texas, Massachusetts, Indiana, Wisconsin, and Georgia, as these are the top producers of granite in the U.S., accounting for 64 percent of the country’s production. In 2016, natural stone was produced at 276 quarries within 34 states.

E. L. Smith Quarry, in or near Graniteville, Vermont and Barre, Vermont. This is the world’s largest “deep hole” granite quarry.

Bingham Canyon mine