Diabase

Picrite

Diabase vs Picrite

Diabase

Picrite

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Definition

Diabase is a fine-grained igneous rock which is composed mostly of pyroxene and feldspar

Picrite is a variety of high-magnesium olivine basalt that is very rich in the mineral olivine

History

Origin

Germany

Hawaii Islands

Discoverer

Christian Leopold von Buch

Unknown

Etymology

From Greek di + base

From Greek pikros bitter + -ite, 19th century

Class

Igneous Rocks

Sub-Class

Durable Rock, Hard Rock

Family

Group

Volcanic

Other Categories

Fine Grained Rock, Medium Grained Rock, Opaque Rock

Fine Grained Rock, Opaque Rock

Texture

Aphanitic, Granular

Earthy, Rough

Color

Dark Grey to Black

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

Maintenance

Less

Durability

Durable

Water Resistant

✔ ✘

Scratch Resistant

✔ ✘

Stain Resistant

✔ ✘

Wind Resistant

✔ ✘

Acid Resistant

✔ ✘

Appearance

Vesicular

Rough and Shiny

Uses

Architecture

Interior Uses

Countertops, Decorative Aggregates, Homes, Interior Decoration, Kitchens

Countertops, Decorative Aggregates, Homes, Interior Decoration

Exterior Uses

As Building Stone, As Facing Stone, Paving Stone, Garden Decoration, Office Buildings

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

Other Architectural Uses

Curbing

Industry

Construction Industry

As Dimension Stone, Building houses or walls, Cement Manufacture, Construction Aggregate, for Road Aggregate

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

Antiquity Uses

Artifacts, Monuments, Sculpture, Small Figurines

Artifacts, Monuments, Sculpture

Other Uses

Commercial Uses

An Oil and Gas Reservoir, Cemetery Markers, Commemorative Tablets, Laboratory bench tops, Jewelry, Sea Defence, Tombstones

As a Feed Additive for Livestock, As armour rock for sea walls, Metallurgical Flux, Pottery, Source of Magnesia (MgO)

Types

Dolerite

Oceanite

Features

Smooth to touch

Host Rock for Lead

Archaeological Significance

Monuments

Famous Monuments

Stonehenge in English county of Wiltshire

Sculpture

Famous Sculptures

Pictographs

Petroglyphs

Figurines

Fossils

Absent

Formation

Diabase forms when molten igneous rock is squeezed up into a vertical crack in other rocks, the crack is usually forced apart and the molten rock cools in the space to form a tabular igneous intrusion cutting across the surrounding rocks and is known as a dike.

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

Augite, Chlorite, Olivine, Plagioclase, Pyroxene, Pyrrhotite, Serpentine

Biotite, Olivine, Plagioclase, Pyrrhotite

Compound Content

Aluminium Oxide, CaO, Chromium(III) Oxide, Iron(III) Oxide, Potassium Oxide, MgO, Sodium Oxide, Silicon Dioxide, Sulfur Trioxide

Al, CaO, Carbon Dioxide, Mg, MgO

Transformation

Metamorphism

✔ ✘

Types of Metamorphism

Burial Metamorphism, Cataclastic Metamorphism, Contact Metamorphism, Regional Metamorphism

Burial Metamorphism, Cataclastic Metamorphism, Impact Metamorphism, Regional Metamorphism

Weathering

✔ ✘

Types of Weathering

Biological Weathering, Chemical Weathering

Biological Weathering

Erosion

✔ ✘

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

76.8

1 7

👆🏻

Grain Size

Fine to Medium Grained

Fine Grained

Fracture

Conchoidal

Uneven

Streak

Black

White, Greenish White or Grey

Porosity

Highly Porous

Less Porous

Luster

Subvitreous to Dull

Compressive Strength

225.00 N/mm²189.00 N/mm²

0.15 450

👆🏻

Cleavage

Toughness

1.6

2.1

Specific Gravity

2.86-2.872.75-2.92

0 8.4

👆🏻

Transparency

Opaque

Density

2.7-3.3 g/cm³1.5-2.5 g/cm³

0 1400

👆🏻

Thermal Properties

Specific Heat Capacity

0.84 kJ/Kg K0.88 kJ/Kg K

0.14 3.2

👆🏻

Resistance

Heat Resistant, Impact Resistant, Pressure Resistant, Wear Resistant

Heat Resistant

Reserves

Deposits in Eastern Continents

Asia

India

India, Russia

Africa

South Africa, Tanzania

South Africa

Europe

Germany, Greece, Italy, Scotland, Turkey

Iceland

Others

Antarctica, Greenland

Deposits in Western Continents

North America

Canada, USA

South America

Argentina, Brazil, Colombia, Venezuela

Brazil

Deposits in Oceania Continent

Australia

Central Australia, New Zealand, Queensland, Western Australia

Diabase 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 Diabase and Picrite Reserves. Diabase is a fine-grained igneous rock which is composed mostly of pyroxene and feldspar. 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 Diabase vs Picrite information and Diabase vs Picrite characteristics in the upcoming sections.

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Diabase 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. Diabase vs Picrite characteristics assist us to distinguish and recognize rocks. Also you can check about Properties of Diabase and Properties of Picrite. Learn more about Diabase vs Picrite in the next section. The interior uses of Diabase include Countertops, Decorative aggregates, Homes, Interior decoration and Kitchens whereas the interior uses of Picrite include Countertops, Decorative aggregates, Homes and Interior decoration. Due to some exceptional properties of Diabase and Picrite, they have various applications in construction industry. The uses of Diabase in construction industry include As dimension stone, Building houses or walls, Cement manufacture, Construction aggregate, For road aggregate 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 Diabase and Picrite

Here you can know more about Diabase and Picrite. The life cycle of a rock consists of formation of rock, composition of rock and transformation of rock. The composition of Diabase and Picrite consists of mineral content and compound content. The mineral content of Diabase includes Augite, Chlorite, Olivine, Plagioclase, Pyroxene, Pyrrhotite, Serpentine 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 Diabase vs Picrite, the texture, color and appearance plays an important role in determining the type of rock. Diabase is available in dark grey to black colors whereas, Picrite is available in black, brown, green, grey, pink, white, yellow colors. Appearance of Diabase is Vesicular and that of Picrite is Rough and Shiny. Properties of rock is another aspect for Diabase vs Picrite. The hardness of Diabase is 7 and that of Picrite is 6.8. The types of Diabase are Dolerite 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 Diabase is black while that of Picrite is white, greenish white or grey. The specific heat capacity of Diabase 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.Diabase is heat resistant, impact resistant, pressure resistant, wear resistant whereas Picrite is heat resistant.