Kimberlite

Picrite

Kimberlite and Picrite

Kimberlite

Picrite

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Definition

Kimberlite is a rare, blue-tinged, coarse-grained intrusive igneous rock, which sometimes contains diamonds and is mostly found in South Africa and Siberia.

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

History

Origin

Kimberley, South Africa

Hawaii Islands

Discoverer

John W. Judd

Unknown

Etymology

From Kimberley +‎ -ite, from the name of the South African town of Kimberley where the rock was first found.

From Greek pikros bitter + -ite, 19th century

Class

Igneous Rocks

Sub-Class

Durable Rock, Hard Rock

Family

Group

Volcanic

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

Maintenance

Less

Durability

Durable

Water Resistant

✔ ✘

Scratch Resistant

✔ ✘

Stain Resistant

✔ ✘

Wind Resistant

✔ ✘

Acid Resistant

✔ ✘

Appearance

Dull and Banded

Rough and Shiny

Uses

Architecture

Interior Uses

Countertops, Decorative Aggregates, Homes, Interior Decoration

Exterior Uses

As Building Stone, Paving Stone, Garden Decoration

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

Other Architectural Uses

Curbing

Industry

Construction Industry

As a Flux in the Production of Steel and Pig Iron, As a Sintering Agent in Steel Industry to process Iron Ore, 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

Antiquity Uses

Artifacts, Monuments, Sculpture, Small Figurines

Artifacts, Monuments, Sculpture

Other Uses

Commercial Uses

An Oil and Gas Reservoir, As a Feed Additive for Livestock, Gemstone, Metallurgical Flux, Production of Lime, Soil Conditioner, Source of Magnesia (MgO)

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

Types

Basaltic Kimberlites and Micaceous Kimberlites

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

Monuments

Famous Monuments

Sculpture

Famous Sculptures

Pictographs

Petroglyphs

Figurines

Fossils

Absent

Formation

Kimberlite is an igneous rock and is the main source of diamonds. Its formation takes place deep beneath the Earth’s surface between 150 to 450 kilometres, 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.

Composition

Mineral Content

Garnet, 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

Transformation

Metamorphism

✔ ✘

Types of Metamorphism

Burial Metamorphism, Cataclastic Metamorphism, Contact Metamorphism, Hydrothermal Metamorphism, Impact Metamorphism, Regional Metamorphism

Burial Metamorphism, Cataclastic Metamorphism, Impact Metamorphism, Regional Metamorphism

Weathering

✔ ✘

Types of Weathering

Biological Weathering, Chemical Weathering, Mechanical Weathering

Biological Weathering

Erosion

✔ ✘

Types of Erosion

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

Properties

Physical Properties

Hardness

6-76.8

1 7

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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

Compressive Strength

260.00 N/mm²189.00 N/mm²

0.15 450

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Cleavage

Conchoidal

Toughness

2.1

Specific Gravity

2.86-2.872.75-2.92

0 8.4

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Transparency

Translucent to Opaque

Opaque

Density

2.95-2.96 g/cm³1.5-2.5 g/cm³

0 1400

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Thermal Properties

Specific Heat Capacity

0.92 kJ/Kg K0.88 kJ/Kg K

0.14 3.2

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Resistance

Heat Resistant, Impact Resistant

Heat Resistant

Reserves

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

Deposits in Western Continents

North America

Canada, USA

South America

Argentina, Colombia, Ecuador

Brazil

Deposits in Oceania Continent

Australia

New South Wales, New Zealand, South Australia, Western Australia

All about Kimberlite and Picrite Properties

Know all about Kimberlite and Picrite properties here. All properties of rocks are important as they define the type of rock and its application. Kimberlite and Picrite belong to Igneous Rocks.Texture of Kimberlite is Porphyritic whereas that of Picrite is Earthy, Rough. Kimberlite appears Dull and Banded and Picrite appears Rough and Shiny. The luster of Kimberlite and Picrite is subvitreous to dull. Kimberlite 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. The commercial uses of Kimberlite are an oil and gas reservoir, as a feed additive for livestock, gemstone, metallurgical flux, production of lime, soil conditioner, source of magnesia (mgo) and that of Picrite are as a feed additive for livestock, as armour rock for sea walls, metallurgical flux, pottery, source of magnesia (mgo).