Ilitye lentaba-mlilo (elaziwa ngokuba yipumice okanye ibasalt enemingxuma) lilitye elisebenzayo nelinobuhlobo nokusingqongileyo, elilitye elixabisekileyo kakhulu elinemingxuma elenziwe yiglasi yentaba-mlilo, iiminerali, kunye namaqamza emva kokuqhuma kwentaba-mlilo. Ilitye lentaba-mlilo liqulathe amaminerali amaninzi kunye nezinto ezilandelelanayo ezifana nesodium, imagnesium, ialuminium, isilicon, icalcium, ititanium, imanganese, isinyithi, i-nickel, i-cobalt, kunye ne-molybdenum. Alinamiseli kwaye linamaza emagnethi akude. Emva kokuqhuma kwentaba-mlilo okungenalusini, emva kwamashumi amawaka eminyaka, abantu baya befumanisa ixabiso layo ngakumbi. Ngoku liye landisa amasimi alo okusetyenziswa kuwo anjengezakhiwo, ukugcinwa kwamanzi, ukugaya, izixhobo zokucoca, amalahle e-barbecue, ukulima umhlaba, ukulima ngaphandle komhlaba, kunye neemveliso zokuhombisa, lidlala indima engenakutshintshwa kumashishini ahlukeneyo.

IBasalt luhlobo lwelitye leentaba-mlilo elisisiseko, eliluhlobo lwelitye eliqinileyo okanye elinokwakheka kwefoam elenziwe yi-magma evela kwintaba-mlilo emva kokuba ipholile phezu komhlaba. Lililitye le-magmatic. Isakhiwo salo selitye sidla ngokubonisa izakhiwo ze-stomatal, ezifana ne-almond, kunye ne-porphyritic, ngamanye amaxesha zinekristale ezinkulu zeminerali. I-basalt engagugiyo ikakhulu imnyama nengwevu, kwaye kukwakho nomdaka omnyama, mfusa omnyama, kunye noluhlaza ongwevu.

I-basalt enemingxuma (ipumice), ngenxa yokuba inemingxuma ephezulu kunye nobunzima obukhulu, ingaxutywa nekhonkrithi ukunciphisa ubunzima bayo, kodwa isenamandla kwaye ineempawu ezifana nokuthintela isandi kunye nokuthintela ubushushu. Yinto efanelekileyo kwikhonkrithi ekhaphukhaphu kwizakhiwo eziphakamileyo. I-pumice iseyinto elungileyo yokusila, enokusetyenziselwa ukusila izinto zesinyithi kunye namatye; Kwishishini, ingasetyenziswa njengezihluzi, izomisi, ii-catalysts, njl. Iithayile zelitye lentaba-mlilo zobungcali ziyathengiswa. I-lava kunye nelitye le-basalt ziyathengiswa.