Home
Compare Rocks


Picrite and Dolomite


Dolomite and Picrite


Definition

Definition
Picrite is a variety of high-magnesium olivine basalt that is very rich in the mineral olivine  
Dolomite is a sedimentary rock containing more than 50 percent of the mineral dolomite by weight  

History
  
  

Origin
Hawaii Islands  
Southern Alps, France  

Discoverer
Unknown  
Dolomieu  

Etymology
From Greek pikros bitter + -ite, 19th century  
From French, from the name of Dolomieu (1750–1801), the French geologist who discovered the rock  

Class
Igneous Rocks  
Sedimentary Rocks  

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

Family
  
  

Group
Volcanic  
-  

Other Categories
Fine Grained Rock, Opaque Rock  
Coarse Grained Rock, Fine Grained Rock, Medium Grained Rock, Opaque Rock  

Texture

Texture
Earthy, Rough  
Earthy  

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

Maintenance
Less  
Less  

Durability
Durable  
Durable  

Water Resistant
Yes  
No  

Scratch Resistant
Yes  
Yes  

Stain Resistant
Yes  
No  

Wind Resistant
Yes  
No  

Acid Resistant
Yes  
No  

Appearance
Rough and Shiny  
Glassy or Pearly  

Uses

Architecture
  
  

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

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

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 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, Production of Glass and Ceramics, Serves as an Oil and Gas Reservoir rock  

Medical Industry
-  
Taken as a Supplement for Calcium or Magnesium  

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

Types

Types
Oceanite  
Boninite and Jasperoid  

Features
Host Rock for Lead  
Host Rock for Lead, Traps for subsurface fluids like Oil and Natural Gas., Zinc and Copper Deposits  

Archaeological Significance
  
  

Monuments
-  
-  

Famous Monuments
-  
-  

Sculpture
-  
-  

Famous Sculptures
-  
-  

Pictographs
-  
-  

Petroglyphs
-  
-  

Figurines
-  
-  

Fossils
Absent  
Present  

Formation

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.  
Dolomite rocks are originally deposited as calcite or aragonite rich limestone, but during diagenesis process, the calcite or aragonite is transformed into dolomite.  

Composition
  
  

Mineral Content
Biotite, Olivine, Plagioclase, Pyrrhotite  
Clay Minerals, Pyrite, Quartz, Sulfides  

Compound Content
Al, CaO, Carbon Dioxide, Mg, MgO  
NaCl, CaO, Carbon Dioxide, Magnesium Carbonate, MgO  

Transformation
  
  

Metamorphism
Yes  
Yes  

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

Weathering
Yes  
No  

Types of Weathering
Biological Weathering  
-  

Erosion
Yes  
No  

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

Properties

Physical Properties
  
  

Hardness
6.8  
3.5-4  

Grain Size
Fine Grained  
Medium to Fine Coarse Grained  

Fracture
Uneven  
Conchoidal  

Streak
White, Greenish White or Grey  
White  

Porosity
Less Porous  
Less Porous  

Luster
Subvitreous to Dull  
Vitreous and Pearly  

Compressive Strength
189.00 N/mm2  
16
140.00 N/mm2  
23

Cleavage
-  
Perfect  

Toughness
2.1  
1  

Specific Gravity
2.75-2.92  
2.8-3  

Transparency
Opaque  
Transparent to Translucent  

Density
1.5-2.5 g/cm3  
2.8-2.9 g/cm3  

Thermal Properties
  
  

Specific Heat Capacity
0.88 kJ/Kg K  
13
0.92 kJ/Kg K  
10

Resistance
Heat Resistant  
Heat Resistant, Pressure Resistant, Wear Resistant  

Reserves

Deposits in Eastern Continents
  
  

Asia
India, Russia  
China, India  

Africa
South Africa  
Morocco, Namibia  

Europe
Iceland  
Austria, Italy, Romania, Spain, Switzerland  

Others
-  
-  

Deposits in Western Continents
  
  

North America
Canada, USA  
Mexico, USA  

South America
Brazil  
Brazil, Colombia  

Deposits in Oceania Continent
  
  

Australia
-  
New South Wales, Queensland, Yorke Peninsula  

Summary >>
<< Reserves

All about Picrite and Dolomite Properties

Know all about Picrite and Dolomite properties here. All properties of rocks are important as they define the type of rock and its application. Picrite belongs to Igneous Rocks while Dolomite belongs to Sedimentary Rocks.Texture of Picrite is Earthy, Rough whereas that of Dolomite is Earthy. Picrite appears Rough and Shiny and Dolomite appears Glassy or Pearly. The luster of Picrite is subvitreous to dull while that of Dolomite is vitreous and pearly. Picrite and Dolomite are available in black, brown, green, grey, pink, white, yellow 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 Dolomite are an oil and gas reservoir, as a feed additive for livestock, gemstone, metallurgical flux, production of lime, soil conditioner, source of magnesia (mgo).

Compare Igneous Rocks

Igneous Rocks

Igneous Rocks

» More Igneous Rocks

Compare Igneous Rocks

» More Compare Igneous Rocks