Picrite

Anorthosite

Picrite and Anorthosite

Picrite

Anorthosite

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Definition

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

Anorthosite is a granular igneous rock composed largely of labradorite or plagioclase

History

Origin

Hawaii Islands

Discoverer

Unknown

Etymology

From Greek pikros bitter + -ite, 19th century

From French anorthose plagioclase + -ite1

Class

Igneous Rocks

Sub-Class

Durable Rock, Hard Rock

Durable Rock, Medium Hardness Rock

Family

Group

Volcanic

Plutonic

Other Categories

Fine Grained Rock, Opaque Rock

Coarse Grained Rock, Opaque Rock

Texture

Earthy, Rough

Foliated, Glassy

Color

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

Black, Bluish - Grey, Brown, Green, Grey, Light Greenish Grey, Pink, White

Maintenance

Less

Durability

Durable

Water Resistant

✔ ✘

Scratch Resistant

✔ ✘

Stain Resistant

✔ ✘

Wind Resistant

✔ ✘

Acid Resistant

✔ ✘

Appearance

Rough and Shiny

Layered, Banded, Veined and Shiny

Uses

Architecture

Interior Uses

Countertops, Decorative Aggregates, Homes, Interior Decoration

Decorative Aggregates, Floor Tiles, Homes, Interior Decoration

Exterior Uses

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

As Building Stone, As Facing Stone, Garden Decoration

Other Architectural Uses

Curbing

Industry

Construction Industry

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.

As Dimension Stone, Cement Manufacture, for Road Aggregate

Medical Industry

Antiquity Uses

Artifacts, Monuments, Sculpture

Artifacts, Sculpture, Small Figurines

Other Uses

Commercial Uses

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

Creating Artwork, Curling

Types

Oceanite

Proterozoic Anorthosite and Archean Anorthosite

Features

Host Rock for Lead

Generally rough to touch, Is one of the oldest rock

Archaeological Significance

Monuments

Famous Monuments

Sculpture

Famous Sculptures

Pictographs

Petroglyphs

Figurines

Fossils

Absent

Formation

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.

Anorthosite is a phaneritic, intrusive igneous rock which is characterized by a predominance of plagioclase feldspar which is almost 90–100%, and a minimal mafic component.

Composition

Mineral Content

Biotite, Olivine, Plagioclase, Pyrrhotite

Amphibole, Clinopyroxene, Ilmenite, Magnetite, Olivine, Orthopyroxene

Compound Content

Al, CaO, Carbon Dioxide, Mg, MgO

Ca, CaO, Chromium(III) Oxide, MgO, Sulfur Trioxide

Transformation

Metamorphism

✔ ✘

Types of Metamorphism

Burial Metamorphism, Cataclastic Metamorphism, Impact Metamorphism, Regional Metamorphism

Cataclastic Metamorphism, Contact Metamorphism

Weathering

✔ ✘

Types of Weathering

Biological Weathering

Erosion

✔ ✘

Types of Erosion

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

Chemical Erosion, Wind Erosion

Properties

Physical Properties

Hardness

6.85-6

1 7

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Grain Size

Fine Grained

Coarse Grained

Fracture

Uneven

Irregular

Streak

White, Greenish White or Grey

White

Porosity

Less Porous

Luster

Subvitreous to Dull

Pearly to Subvitreous

Compressive Strength

189.00 N/mm²180.00 N/mm²

0.15 450

👆🏻

Cleavage

Toughness

2.1

Specific Gravity

2.75-2.922.62-2.82

0 8.4

👆🏻

Transparency

Opaque

Translucent

Density

1.5-2.5 g/cm³2.7-4 g/cm³

0 1400

👆🏻

Thermal Properties

Specific Heat Capacity

0.88 kJ/Kg K0.84 kJ/Kg K

0.14 3.2

👆🏻

Resistance

Heat Resistant

Heat Resistant, Impact Resistant, Pressure Resistant, Scratch Resistant, Wear Resistant

Reserves

Deposits in Eastern Continents

Asia

India, Russia

Africa

South Africa

Europe

Iceland

Bulgaria, France, Germany, Greece, Hungary, Italy, Latvia, Lithuania, Malta, Poland, Portugal, Romania, Slovenia, Spain, Sweden, The Czech Republic

Others

Deposits in Western Continents

North America

Canada, USA

Canada

South America

Brazil

Bolivia, Colombia

Deposits in Oceania Continent

Australia

Central Australia, South Australia, Western Australia

All about Picrite and Anorthosite Properties

Know all about Picrite and Anorthosite properties here. All properties of rocks are important as they define the type of rock and its application. Picrite and Anorthosite belong to Igneous Rocks.Texture of Picrite is Earthy, Rough whereas that of Anorthosite is Foliated, Glassy. Picrite appears Rough and Shiny and Anorthosite appears Layered, Banded, Veined and Shiny. The luster of Picrite is subvitreous to dull while that of Anorthosite is pearly to subvitreous. Picrite is available in black, brown, green, grey, pink, white, yellow colors whereas Anorthosite is available in black, bluish - grey, brown, green, grey, light greenish grey, pink, white colors. The commercial uses of Picrite are as a feed additive for livestock, as armour rock for sea walls, metallurgical flux, pottery, source of magnesia (mgo) and that of Anorthosite are creating artwork, curling.