Some players of Minecraft primarily focus on crafting and resource gathering, while others enjoy building various structures. With each update, the developers aim to introduce features that will delight all players, regardless of their preferred activities.
The recent update to the Nether has introduced a variety of blocks, primarily for decorative purposes. Alongside these additions, new and intriguing monsters and resources have also been included. Today, we will focus on one of the newly added blocks—basalt. To obtain basalt in Minecraft, you will need to navigate through challenging conditions in the Nether and locate it near bubbling lava and terrifying creatures eager to eliminate you. However, it’s actually quite straightforward; you just need to reach the soul sand valley biome where you can find columns made of basalt. You’ll have a much better chance of discovering this material in the basalt deltas, where the ground is predominantly composed of basalt, making your search unnecessary.
Collecting basalt is quite straightforward; simply strike it with a pickaxe, and it will break apart. Alternatively, you can achieve this by pouring lava into the space above the soul sand near blue ice. Basalt is highly fire-resistant, making it an excellent choice if you’re planning to build a shelter in a hot environment.
When discussing construction, it’s important to highlight some characteristics of basalt blocks in Minecraft Bedrock. Firstly, there are two types: raw and polished. You can convert the former into the latter by placing it in a stone cutter. Secondly, they need to be laid out carefully, like logs, so that the pattern aligns in the same direction. In the real world, basalt is one of the most common rock types on Earth. You have likely seen it in photographs and may have encountered it in nature. The Giant’s Causeway in Northern Ireland is made of basalt (as shown in the image above), as well as much of Hawaii and Iceland. A particularly impressive layer of basalt can be found on the hills of Yellowstone National Park in the USA. Overall, areas with volcanoes tend to be rich in basaltic formations.
If you haven’t encountered basalt on Earth, you might have seen it on the Moon. The darkest areas of the lunar surface are actually basalt plains. These were formed by volcanic eruptions that occurred approximately 1 to 4 billion years ago. Lunar basalt differs from its terrestrial counterpart. Due to the lack of oxygen and water, the structure and mineral composition of lunar basalt appear different from those found on Earth.
Basaltic rocks on Earth exhibit a variety of appearances, with several types formed under different conditions. During volcanic eruptions, lava can become frothy in the air, leading to the creation of porous basalts, which may sometimes contain lava tubes within them. Conversely, when lava flows across the ground, it has a thicker consistency and cools rapidly, resulting in cracks that divide the mass into polygonal shapes (similar to those found at the Giant’s Causeway). The faster the cooling occurs, the fewer polygons are formed.
Finally, when basalt is erupted underwater or flows into the sea, it takes on distinctive pillow-like formations that can occasionally break apart, creating new pillows. This process is quite spectacular, but one must exercise extreme caution while observing it.
