Definition
Charnockite is a variety of granite containing minerals like orthopyroxene, quartz, and feldspar
Picrite is a variety of high-magnesium olivine basalt that is very rich in the mineral olivine
Origin
Tamil Nadu, India
Hawaii Islands
Discoverer
T. H. Holland
Unknown
Etymology
From Job Charnock, an administtrator of East India Company
From Greek pikros bitter + -ite, 19th century
Class
Igneous Rocks
Igneous Rocks
Sub-Class
Durable Rock, Hard Rock
Durable Rock, Hard Rock
Other Categories
Coarse Grained Rock, Opaque Rock
Fine Grained Rock, Opaque Rock
Texture
Granular
Earthy, Rough
Color
Black, Grey, Orange, Pink, White
Black, Brown, Green, Grey, Pink, White, Yellow
Durability
Durable
Durable
Scratch Resistant
Yes
Yes
Appearance
Veined or Pebbled
Rough and Shiny
Interior Uses
Bathrooms, Countertops, Decorative Aggregates, Entryways, Floor Tiles, Homes, Hotels, Kitchens, Stair Treads
Countertops, Decorative Aggregates, Homes, Interior Decoration
Exterior Uses
As Building Stone, As Facing Stone, Bridges, Paving Stone, Garden Decoration, Office Buildings, Resorts
As Building Stone, As Facing Stone, Garden Decoration, Paving Stone
Other Architectural Uses
Curbing
Curbing
Construction Industry
As Dimension Stone
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.
Antiquity Uses
Artifacts, Monuments, Sculpture, Small Figurines
Artifacts, Monuments, Sculpture
Commercial Uses
Curling, Gemstone, Laboratory bench tops, Tombstones
As a Feed Additive for Livestock, As armour rock for sea walls, Metallurgical Flux, Pottery, Source of Magnesia (MgO)
Features
Available in Lots of Colors and Patterns, It is One of the Oldest, Strongest and Hardest Rock
Host Rock for Lead
Archaeological Significance
Formation
Charnockite is an intrusive igneous rock which is very hard and is formed due to weathering of existing rocks.
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, Biotite, Feldspar, Hornblade, Micas, Muscovite or Illite, Olivine, Plagioclase, Pyroxene, Quartz
Biotite, Olivine, Plagioclase, Pyrrhotite
Compound Content
Aluminium Oxide, CaO, Iron(III) Oxide, FeO, Potassium Oxide, MgO, MnO, Sodium Oxide, Phosphorus Pentoxide, Silicon Dioxide, Titanium Dioxide
Al, CaO, Carbon Dioxide, Mg, MgO
Types of Metamorphism
Burial Metamorphism, Contact Metamorphism, Regional Metamorphism
Burial Metamorphism, Cataclastic Metamorphism, Impact Metamorphism, Regional Metamorphism
Types of Weathering
Biological 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
Coarse Grained
Fine Grained
Streak
White
White, Greenish White or Grey
Porosity
Very Less Porous
Less Porous
Luster
-
Subvitreous to Dull
Specific Gravity
-9999
2.75-2.92
Transparency
Opaque
Opaque
Density
2.6 g/cm3
1.5-2.5 g/cm3
Resistance
Heat Resistant, Wear Resistant
Heat Resistant
Deposits in Eastern Continents
Africa
East Africa, Ethiopia, Madagascar, Morocco, Mozambique
South Africa
Europe
Albania, Romania, Scotland, United Kingdom
Iceland
Deposits in Western Continents
North America
USA
Canada, USA
South America
Brazil, Colombia, Venezuela
Brazil
Deposits in Oceania Continent
Australia
Central Australia, Western Australia
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Charnockite 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. Charnockite vs Picrite characteristics assist us to distinguish and recognize rocks. Also you can check about Properties of Charnockite and Properties of Picrite. Learn more about Charnockite vs Picrite in the next section. The interior uses of Charnockite include Bathrooms, Countertops, Decorative aggregates, Entryways, Floor tiles, Homes, Hotels, Kitchens and Stair treads whereas the interior uses of Picrite include Countertops, Decorative aggregates, Homes and Interior decoration. Due to some exceptional properties of Charnockite and Picrite, they have various applications in construction industry. The uses of Charnockite in construction industry include As dimension stone 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 Charnockite and Picrite
Here you can know more about Charnockite and Picrite. The life cycle of a rock consists of formation of rock, composition of rock and transformation of rock. The composition of Charnockite and Picrite consists of mineral content and compound content. The mineral content of Charnockite includes Amphibole, Biotite, Feldspar, Hornblade, Micas, Muscovite or Illite, Olivine, Plagioclase, Pyroxene, Quartz 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 Charnockite vs Picrite, the texture, color and appearance plays an important role in determining the type of rock. Charnockite is available in black, grey, orange, pink, white colors whereas, Picrite is available in black, brown, green, grey, pink, white, yellow colors. Appearance of Charnockite is Veined or Pebbled and that of Picrite is Rough and Shiny. Properties of rock is another aspect for Charnockite vs Picrite. The hardness of Charnockite is 6-7 and that of Picrite is 6.8. The types of Charnockite are Enderbite 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 Charnockite is white while that of Picrite is white, greenish white or grey. The specific heat capacity of Charnockite 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.Charnockite is heat resistant, wear resistant whereas Picrite is heat resistant.