Home
Compare Rocks


Limestone vs Picrite


Picrite vs Limestone


Definition

Definition
Limestone is a sedimentary rock composed mostly of calcite and aragonite, which are different crystal forms of calcium carbonate  
Picrite is a variety of high-magnesium olivine basalt that is very rich in the mineral olivine  

History
  
  

Origin
New Zealand  
Hawaii Islands  

Discoverer
Belsazar Hacquet  
Unknown  

Etymology
From lime and stone in late 14th Century  
From Greek pikros bitter + -ite, 19th century  

Class
Sedimentary Rocks  
Igneous Rocks  

Sub-Class
Durable Rock, Medium Hardness Rock  
Durable Rock, Hard Rock  

Family
  
  

Group
-  
Volcanic  

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

Texture

Texture
Clastic or Non-Clastic  
Earthy, Rough  

Color
Beige, Black, Blue, Brown, Cream, Gold, Green, Grey, Light Green, Light Grey, Linen, Pink, Red, Rust, Silver, White, Yellow  
Black, Brown, Green, Grey, Pink, White, Yellow  

Maintenance
More  
Less  

Durability
Durable  
Durable  

Water Resistant
No  
Yes  

Scratch Resistant
Yes  
Yes  

Stain Resistant
Yes  
Yes  

Wind Resistant
No  
Yes  

Acid Resistant
No  
Yes  

Appearance
Rough and Banded  
Rough and Shiny  

Uses

Architecture
  
  

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

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

Other Architectural Uses
Curbing  
Curbing  

Industry
  
  

Construction Industry
Cement Manufacture, Cobblestones, for Road Aggregate, Production of Glass and Ceramics, Raw material for the manufacture of mortar, Roadstone, 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
In Chemical and Pharmaceutical Industry, Medicines and Cosmetics  
-  

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

Other Uses
  
  

Commercial Uses
Animal feed filler, As a Feed Additive for Livestock, Paper Industry, Raw material for manufacture of quicklime, slaked lime, Soil Conditioner, Used in aquariums, 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
Chalk, Coquina, Fossiliferous Limestone, Lithographic Limestone, Oolitic Limestone, Travertine, Tufa  
Oceanite  

Features
Host Rock for Lead, Stalactites and stalagmites are formed from this rock, Zinc and Copper Deposits  
Host Rock for Lead  

Archaeological Significance
  
  

Monuments
-  
-  

Famous Monuments
Acropolis of Athens in Greece, Agia Sophia in Istanbul, Turkey, Al Aqsa Mosque in Jerusalem, Angkor Wat in Cambodia, Big Ben in London, Charminar in Hyderabad, India, Chhatrapati Shivaji Terminus in Maharashtra, India, Chichen Itza in Mexico, Empire State Building in New York, Khajuraho Temples, India, Kremlin in Moscow, Louvre in Paris, France, Neuschwanstein in Bavaria, Potala Palace in Lahasa, Tibet, Wailing Wall in Jerusalem  
-  

Sculpture
-  
-  

Famous Sculptures
Ajanta Caves in Maharashtra, India, Elephanta Caves in Maharashtra, India  
-  

Pictographs
-  
-  

Petroglyphs
-  
-  

Figurines
-  
-  

Fossils
Present  
Absent  

Formation

Formation
Limestone is a sedimentary rock which is mainly made up of calcium carbonate.  
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, Chert, Clay, Dolomite, Quartz, Sand, Silt  
Biotite, Olivine, Plagioclase, Pyrrhotite  

Compound Content
Aluminium Oxide, NaCl, CaO, Iron(III) Oxide, FeO, MgO  
Al, CaO, Carbon Dioxide, Mg, MgO  

Transformation
  
  

Metamorphism
No  
Yes  

Types of Metamorphism
-  
Burial Metamorphism, Cataclastic Metamorphism, Impact Metamorphism, Regional Metamorphism  

Weathering
Yes  
Yes  

Types of Weathering
Biological Weathering, Chemical Weathering, Mechanical Weathering  
Biological Weathering  

Erosion
Yes  
Yes  

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

Properties

Physical Properties
  
  

Hardness
3-4  
6.8  

Grain Size
Fine Grained  
Fine Grained  

Fracture
Splintery  
Uneven  

Streak
White  
White, Greenish White or Grey  

Porosity
Less Porous  
Less Porous  

Luster
Dull to Pearly  
Subvitreous to Dull  

Compressive Strength
115.00 N/mm2  
27
189.00 N/mm2  
16

Cleavage
-  
-  

Toughness
1  
2.1  

Specific Gravity
2.3-2.7  
2.75-2.92  

Transparency
Opaque  
Opaque  

Density
2.3-2.7 g/cm3  
1.5-2.5 g/cm3  

Thermal Properties
  
  

Specific Heat Capacity
0.91 kJ/Kg K  
11
0.88 kJ/Kg K  
13

Resistance
Pressure 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
United Kingdom  
Iceland  

Others
-  
-  

Deposits in Western Continents
  
  

North America
USA  
Canada, USA  

South America
Colombia  
Brazil  

Deposits in Oceania Continent
  
  

Australia
Adelaide, New Zealand, Queensland, Victoria, Yorke Peninsula  
-  

Definition >>
<< All

Limestone 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 Limestone and Picrite Reserves. Limestone is a sedimentary rock composed mostly of calcite and aragonite, which are different crystal forms of calcium carbonate. 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 Limestone vs Picrite information and Limestone vs Picrite characteristics in the upcoming sections.

Compare Sedimentary Rocks

Limestone 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. Limestone vs Picrite characteristics assist us to distinguish and recognize rocks. Also you can check about Properties of Limestone and Properties of Picrite. Learn more about Limestone vs Picrite in the next section. The interior uses of Limestone include Decorative aggregates and Interior decoration whereas the interior uses of Picrite include Countertops, Decorative aggregates, Homes and Interior decoration. Due to some exceptional properties of Limestone and Picrite, they have various applications in construction industry. The uses of Limestone in construction industry include Cement manufacture, Cobblestones, For road aggregate, Production of glass and ceramics, Raw material for the manufacture of mortar, Roadstone, 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 Limestone and Picrite

Here you can know more about Limestone and Picrite. The life cycle of a rock consists of formation of rock, composition of rock and transformation of rock. The composition of Limestone and Picrite consists of mineral content and compound content. The mineral content of Limestone includes Calcite, Chert, Clay, Dolomite, Quartz, Sand, Silt 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 Limestone vs Picrite, the texture, color and appearance plays an important role in determining the type of rock. Limestone is available in beige, black, blue, brown, cream, gold, green, grey, light green, light grey, linen, pink, red, rust, silver, white, yellow colors whereas, Picrite is available in black, brown, green, grey, pink, white, yellow colors. Appearance of Limestone is Rough and Banded and that of Picrite is Rough and Shiny. Properties of rock is another aspect for Limestone vs Picrite. The hardness of Limestone is 3-4 and that of Picrite is 6.8. The types of Limestone are Chalk, Coquina, Fossiliferous Limestone, Lithographic Limestone, Oolitic Limestone, Travertine, Tufa 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 Limestone is white while that of Picrite is white, greenish white or grey. The specific heat capacity of Limestone is 0.91 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.Limestone is pressure resistant whereas Picrite is heat resistant.

Sedimentary Rocks

Sedimentary Rocks

» More Sedimentary Rocks

Compare Sedimentary Rocks

» More Compare Sedimentary Rocks