Home
Compare Rocks


Chalk vs Picrite


Picrite vs Chalk


Definition

Definition
Chalk is a soft, white, powdery limestone consisting mainly of fossil shells of foraminifers   
Picrite is a variety of high-magnesium olivine basalt that is very rich in the mineral olivine   

History
  
  

Origin
Unknown   
Hawaii Islands   

Discoverer
Unknown   
Unknown   

Etymology
From old English cealc chalk, lime, plaster; pebble, from Greek khalix small pebble, in English transferred to the opaque, white, soft limestone   
From Greek pikros bitter + -ite, 19th century   

Class
Sedimentary Rocks   
Igneous Rocks   

Sub-Class
Durable Rock, Soft Rock   
Durable Rock, Hard Rock   

Family
  
  

Group
Not Applicable   
Volcanic   

Other Categories
Fine Grained Rock, Opaque Rock   
Fine Grained Rock, Opaque Rock   

Texture

Texture
Clastic or Non-Clastic   
Earthy, Rough   

Color
Grey, White, Yellow   
Black, Brown, Colourless, Green, Grey, Pink, White, Yellow   

Maintenance
Less   
Less   

Durability
Durable   
Durable   

Water Resistant
No   
Yes   

Scratch Resistant
No   
Yes   

Stain Resistant
No   
Yes   

Wind Resistant
No   
Yes   

Acid Resistant
No   
Yes   

Appearance
Soft   
Rough and Shiny   

Uses

Architecture
  
  

Interior Uses
Decorative Aggregates, Homes, Interior Decoration   
Countertops, Decorative Aggregates, Homes, Interior Decoration   

Exterior Uses
As Building Stone, As Facing Stone, Paving Stone, Garden Decoration   
As Building Stone, As Facing Stone, Garden Decoration, Paving Stone   

Other Architectural Uses
Powder   
Curbing   

Industry
  
  

Construction Industry
As Dimension Stone, Cement Manufacture, Construction Aggregate, for Road Aggregate, Making natural cement, raw material for manufacture of quicklime and slaked lime, Source of calcium   
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
Not Yet Used   
Not Yet Used   

Antiquity Uses
Artifacts, Monuments, Sculpture, Small Figurines   
Artifacts, Monuments, Sculpture   

Other Uses
  
  

Commercial Uses
Alumina Refineries, Creating Artwork, Drawing on blackboards, Gymnasts, athletes and mountain climbers use for grip, In aquifers, Paper Industry, Production of Lime, Raw material for manufacture of quicklime, slaked lime, Soil Conditioner, Whiting, Whiting material in toothpaste, paint and paper   
As a Feed Additive for Livestock, As armour rock for sea walls, Metallurgical Flux, Pottery, Source of Magnesia (MgO)   

Types

Types
Not Available   
Oceanite   

Features
Clasts are smooth to touch, Is one of the oldest rock, Smooth to touch, Very fine grained rock   
Host Rock for Lead   

Archaeological Significance
  
  

Monuments
Used   
Used   

Famous Monuments
Data Not Available   
Data Not Available   

Sculpture
Used   
Used   

Famous Sculptures
Data Not Available   
Data Not Available   

Pictographs
Used   
Not Used   

Petroglyphs
Used   
Not Used   

Figurines
Used   
Used   

Fossils
Present   
Absent   

Formation

Formation
Chalk is formed from lime mud, which accumulates on the sea floor which is then transformed into rock by geological processes.   
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.   

Composition
  
  

Mineral Content
Calcite, Clay, Clay Minerals, Quartz, Sand   
Biotite, Olivine, Plagioclase, Pyrrhotite   

Compound Content
Ca, NaCl, CaO   
Al, CaO, Carbon Dioxide, Mg, MgO   

Transformation
  
  

Metamorphism
No   
Yes   

Types of Metamorphism
Not Applicable   
Burial Metamorphism, Cataclastic Metamorphism, Impact Metamorphism, Regional Metamorphism   

Weathering
Yes   
Yes   

Types of Weathering
Biological Weathering, Chemical Weathering   
Biological Weathering   

Erosion
Yes   
Yes   

Types of Erosion
Chemical Erosion, Coastal Erosion, Water Erosion   
Chemical Erosion, Coastal Erosion, Glacier Erosion, Sea Erosion, Water Erosion, Wind Erosion   

Properties

Physical Properties
  
  

Hardness
1   
6.8   

Grain Size
Very fine-grained   
Fine Grained   

Fracture
Not Available   
Uneven   

Streak
White   
White, Greenish White or Grey   

Porosity
Highly Porous   
Less Porous   

Luster
Dull   
Subvitreous to Dull   

Compressive Strength
Not Available   
189.00 N/mm2   
11

Cleavage
Non-Existent   
Imperfect   

Toughness
1   
2.1   

Specific Gravity
2.3-2.4   
2.75-2.92   

Transparency
Opaque   
Opaque   

Density
2.49-2.50 g/cm3   
1.5-2.5 g/cm3   

Thermal Properties
  
  

Specific Heat Capacity
0.90 kJ/Kg K   
12
0.88 kJ/Kg K   
13

Resistance
Heat Resistant   
Heat Resistant   

Reserves

Deposits in Eastern Continents
  
  

Asia
Brunei, India, Indonesia, Malaysia, Singapore, Thailand, Vietnam   
India, Russia   

Africa
Cameroon, Chad, Ghana, Kenya, Malawi, Sudan, Tanzania, Togo, Zambia, Zimbabwe   
South Africa   

Europe
England, France, Germany, Spain, United Kingdom   
Iceland   

Others
Not Yet Found   
Not Yet Found   

Deposits in Western Continents
  
  

North America
Canada, USA   
Canada, USA   

South America
Colombia   
Brazil   

Deposits in Oceania Continent
  
  

Australia
Adelaide, New Zealand, Queensland, Tonga, Victoria, Yorke Peninsula   
Not Yet Found   

Definition >>
<< All

Chalk vs Picrite Information

Earth’s outer layer is covered by rocks and these rocks have different physical and chemical properties. As two rocks are not same, it’s fun to compare them. You can also know more about Chalk and Picrite Reserves. Chalk is a soft, white, powdery limestone consisting mainly of fossil shells of foraminifers. Picrite is a variety of high-magnesium olivine basalt that is very rich in the mineral olivine. These rocks are composed of many distinct minerals. The process of formation of rocks is different for various rocks. Rocks are quarried from many years for various purposes. You can check out Chalk vs Picrite information and Chalk vs Picrite characteristics in the upcoming sections.

Compare Sedimentary Rocks

Chalk 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. Chalk vs Picrite characteristics assist us to distinguish and recognize rocks. Also you can check about Properties of Chalk and Properties of Picrite. Learn more about Chalk vs Picrite in the next section. The interior uses of Chalk 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 Chalk and Picrite, they have various applications in construction industry. The uses of Chalk in construction industry include As dimension stone, Cement manufacture, Construction aggregate, For road aggregate, Making natural cement, Raw material for manufacture of quicklime and slaked lime, Source of calcium 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 Chalk and Picrite

Here you can know more about Chalk and Picrite. The life cycle of a rock consists of formation of rock, composition of rock and transformation of rock. The composition of Chalk and Picrite consists of mineral content and compound content. The mineral content of Chalk includes Calcite, Clay, Clay Minerals, Quartz, Sand and mineral content of Picrite includes Biotite, Olivine, Plagioclase, Pyrrhotite. You can also check out the list of all Sedimentary Rocks. When we have to compare Chalk vs Picrite, the texture, color and appearance plays an important role in determining the type of rock. Chalk is available in grey, white, yellow colors whereas, Picrite is available in black, brown, colourless, green, grey, pink, white, yellow colors. Appearance of Chalk is Soft and that of Picrite is Rough and Shiny. Properties of rock is another aspect for Chalk vs Picrite. The hardness of Chalk is 1 and that of Picrite is 6.8. The types of Chalk are Not Available 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 Chalk is white while that of Picrite is white, greenish white or grey. The specific heat capacity of Chalk is 0.90 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.Chalk is heat resistant whereas Picrite is heat resistant.

Fossil Rocks

Fossil Rocks

» More Fossil Rocks

Compare Sedimentary Rocks

» More Compare Sedimentary Rocks