Diabase

Diabase intrusive

Description

A dark-gray to black igneous rock composed of plagioclase feldspar, augite, and pyroxene with small quantities of magnetite and apatite. Diabase is found in Canada and along the east coast of the United States from New England to Virginia. It is used as a building and monument stone as well as for paving and cement aggregate.

Diabase truncates foliation

Synonyms and Related Terms

dolerite; diabase (Port.); Diabas (Deut.); diabaas (Ned.)

Hazards and Safety

May contain free silica that can cause silicosis with inhalation.

Authority

• Thomas Gregory, The Condensed Chemical Dictionary, Reinhold Publishing, New York, 3rd ed., 1942 Comment: p. 273

• G.S.Brady, Materials Handbook, McGraw-Hill Book Co., New York, 1971

• Michael McCann, Artist Beware, Watson-Guptill Publications, New York City, 1979

• The American Heritage Dictionary or Encarta, via Microsoft Bookshelf 98, Microsoft Corp., 1998