Definition
Appinite is an igneous rock in which the crystals are so fine grained that individual minerals cannot be easily distinguished
Picrite is a variety of high-magnesium olivine basalt that is very rich in the mineral olivine
Discoverer
Unknown
Unknown
Etymology
From the variety of Lamprophyre Greek lampros bright and shining + porphureos purple
From Greek pikros bitter + -ite, 19th century
Class
Igneous Rocks
Igneous Rocks
Sub-Class
Durable Rock, Medium Hardness Rock
Durable Rock, Hard Rock
Other Categories
Coarse Grained Rock, Fine Grained Rock, Opaque Rock
Fine Grained Rock, Opaque Rock
Texture
Porphyritic
Earthy, Rough
Color
Black, Bluish - Grey, Brown, Dark Greenish - Grey, Green, Grey
Black, Brown, Green, Grey, Pink, White, Yellow
Durability
Durable
Durable
Scratch Resistant
Yes
Yes
Appearance
Dull, Banded and Foilated
Rough and Shiny
Interior Uses
Decorative Aggregates, Homes, Interior Decoration
Countertops, Decorative Aggregates, Homes, Interior Decoration
Exterior Uses
Paving Stone, Garden Decoration, Office Buildings
As Building Stone, As Facing Stone, Garden Decoration, Paving Stone
Other Architectural Uses
Whetstones
Curbing
Construction Industry
As Dimension Stone, Cement Manufacture, for Road Aggregate, Making natural cement, Manufacture of Magnesium and Dolomite Refractories
As a Sintering Agent in Steel Industry to process Iron Ore, Cement Manufacture, for Road Aggregate, Manufacture of Magnesium and Dolomite Refractories, Roadstone, Used for flooring, stair treads, borders and window sills.
Medical Industry
Taken as a Supplement for Calcium or Magnesium
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Antiquity Uses
Artifacts, Monuments, Sculpture, Small Figurines
Artifacts, Monuments, Sculpture
Commercial Uses
An Oil and Gas Reservoir, As a Feed Additive for Livestock, Gemstone, Metallurgical Flux, Production of Lime, Soil Conditioner
As a Feed Additive for Livestock, As armour rock for sea walls, Metallurgical Flux, Pottery, Source of Magnesia (MgO)
Types
Igneous rock
Oceanite
Features
Always found as volcanic pipes over deep continental crust, Host rock for Diamond, Is one of the oldest rock, Surfaces are often shiny
Host Rock for Lead
Archaeological Significance
Formation
The formation of Appinite takes place deep beneath the Earth’s surface at around 150 to 450 kms, and are erupted rapidly and violently.
Picrite is a fine-grained, hard rock which is a type of metasomatite, essentially altered basalt. It forms with or without crystallization, either below the surface as intrusive rocks or on the surface as extrusive rocks.
Mineral Content
Amphibole, Carbonate, Garnet, Micas, Olivine, Phlogopite, Pyroxene
Biotite, Olivine, Plagioclase, Pyrrhotite
Compound Content
Aluminium Oxide, NaCl, CaO, Iron(III) Oxide, FeO, Potassium Oxide, MgO, MnO, Sodium Oxide, Silicon Dioxide, Titanium Dioxide
Al, CaO, Carbon Dioxide, Mg, MgO
Types of Metamorphism
Burial Metamorphism, Cataclastic Metamorphism, Contact Metamorphism, Hydrothermal Metamorphism, Regional Metamorphism
Burial Metamorphism, Cataclastic Metamorphism, Impact Metamorphism, Regional Metamorphism
Types of Weathering
Chemical Weathering, Mechanical Weathering
Biological Weathering
Types of Erosion
Chemical Erosion, Water Erosion, Wind Erosion
Chemical Erosion, Coastal Erosion, Glacier Erosion, Sea Erosion, Water Erosion, Wind Erosion
Grain Size
Fine to Coarse Grained
Fine Grained
Fracture
Conchoidal
Uneven
Streak
White
White, Greenish White or Grey
Porosity
Very Less Porous
Less Porous
Luster
Subvitreous to Dull
Subvitreous to Dull
Specific Gravity
2.86-2.87
2.75-2.92
Transparency
Translucent to Opaque
Opaque
Density
2.95-2.96 g/cm3
1.5-2.5 g/cm3
Resistance
Heat Resistant, Impact Resistant
Heat Resistant
Deposits in Eastern Continents
Asia
Russia
India, Russia
Africa
Angola, Botswana, Cameroon, Ethiopia, South Africa
South Africa
Europe
England, Hungary, Iceland, United Kingdom
Iceland
Others
Antarctica, Greenland
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Deposits in Western Continents
North America
Canada, Mexico, USA
Canada, USA
South America
Argentina, Colombia, Ecuador
Brazil
Deposits in Oceania Continent
Australia
New South Wales, New Zealand, Queensland, South Australia, Western Australia
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Appinite vs Picrite Characteristics
Though some rocks look identical, they have certain characteristics which distinguish them from others. Characteristics of rocks include texture, appearance, color, fracture, streak, hardness etc. Appinite vs Picrite characteristics assist us to distinguish and recognize rocks. Also you can check about Properties of Appinite and Properties of Picrite. Learn more about Appinite vs Picrite in the next section. The interior uses of Appinite include Decorative aggregates, Homes and Interior decoration whereas the interior uses of Picrite include Countertops, Decorative aggregates, Homes and Interior decoration. Due to some exceptional properties of Appinite and Picrite, they have various applications in construction industry. The uses of Appinite in construction industry include As dimension stone, Cement manufacture, For road aggregate, Making natural cement, Manufacture of magnesium and dolomite refractories and that of Picrite include As a sintering agent in steel industry to process iron ore, Cement manufacture, For road aggregate, Manufacture of magnesium and dolomite refractories, Roadstone, Used for flooring, stair treads, borders and window sills..
More about Appinite and Picrite
Here you can know more about Appinite and Picrite. The life cycle of a rock consists of formation of rock, composition of rock and transformation of rock. The composition of Appinite and Picrite consists of mineral content and compound content. The mineral content of Appinite includes Amphibole, Carbonate, Garnet, Micas, Olivine, Phlogopite, Pyroxene and mineral content of Picrite includes Biotite, Olivine, Plagioclase, Pyrrhotite. You can also check out the list of all Igneous Rocks. When we have to compare Appinite vs Picrite, the texture, color and appearance plays an important role in determining the type of rock. Appinite is available in black, bluish - grey, brown, dark greenish - grey, green, grey colors whereas, Picrite is available in black, brown, green, grey, pink, white, yellow colors. Appearance of Appinite is Dull, Banded and Foilated and that of Picrite is Rough and Shiny. Properties of rock is another aspect for Appinite vs Picrite. The hardness of Appinite is 5-6 and that of Picrite is 6.8. The types of Appinite are Igneous rock whereas types of Picrite are Oceanite. Streak of rock is the color of powder produced when it is dragged across an unweathered surface. The streak of Appinite is white while that of Picrite is white, greenish white or grey. The specific heat capacity of Appinite is 0.84 kJ/Kg K and that of Picrite is 0.88 kJ/Kg K. Depending on the properties like hardness, toughness, specific heat capacity, porosity etc., rocks are resistant to heat, wear, impact, etc.Appinite is heat resistant, impact resistant whereas Picrite is heat resistant.