Picrite

Hornfels

Picrite and Hornfels

Picrite

Hornfels

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Definition

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

Hornfels is a metamorphic rock formed by the contact between mudstone or other clay rich rock, and a hot igneous body, and represents a heat altered equivalent of the original rock

History

Origin

Hawaii Islands

New Zealand

Discoverer

Unknown

Etymology

From Greek pikros bitter + -ite, 19th century

From German which means hornstone

Class

Igneous Rocks

Metamorphic Rocks

Sub-Class

Durable Rock, Hard Rock

Durable Rock, Soft Rock

Family

Group

Volcanic

Other Categories

Fine Grained Rock, Opaque Rock

Texture

Earthy, Rough

Granular, Platy

Color

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

Brown, Dark Greenish - Grey, Green, Reddish Brown

Maintenance

Less

Durability

Durable

Water Resistant

✔ ✘

Scratch Resistant

✔ ✘

Stain Resistant

✔ ✘

Wind Resistant

✔ ✘

Acid Resistant

✔ ✘

Appearance

Rough and Shiny

Dull

Uses

Architecture

Interior Uses

Countertops, Decorative Aggregates, Homes, Interior Decoration

Decorative Aggregates, Flooring, Homes, Interior Decoration

Exterior Uses

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

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

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.

for Road Aggregate, Roadstone

Medical Industry

Antiquity Uses

Artifacts, Monuments, Sculpture

Artifacts, Monuments

Other Uses

Commercial Uses

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

Cemetery Markers, Commemorative Tablets, Creating Artwork

Types

Oceanite

Biotite hornfels

Features

Host Rock for Lead

Smooth to touch

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.

Due to change in environmental conditions, rocks are heated and pressurized deep inside the Earth's surface. Hornfels is formed from the extreme heat caused by magma or by the intense collisions and friction of tectonic plates.

Composition

Mineral Content

Biotite, Olivine, Plagioclase, Pyrrhotite

Andalusite

Compound Content

Al, CaO, Carbon Dioxide, Mg, MgO

Fe, Mg

Transformation

Metamorphism

✔ ✘

Types of Metamorphism

Burial Metamorphism, Cataclastic Metamorphism, Impact Metamorphism, Regional 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, Glacier Erosion, Sea Erosion, Water Erosion, Wind Erosion

Properties

Physical Properties

Hardness

6.82-3

1 7

👆🏻

Grain Size

Fine Grained

Fracture

Uneven

Conchoidal

Streak

White, Greenish White or Grey

Porosity

Less Porous

Highly Porous

Luster

Subvitreous to Dull

Shiny

Compressive Strength

189.00 N/mm²5.80 N/mm²

0.15 450

👆🏻

Cleavage

Perfect

Toughness

2.1

Specific Gravity

2.75-2.923.4-3.9

0 8.4

👆🏻

Transparency

Opaque

Density

1.5-2.5 g/cm³0.25-0.30 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

Reserves

Deposits in Eastern Continents

Asia

India, Russia

Bangladesh, Bhutan, China, India, North Korea, Qatar, Russia, Saudi Arabia, South Korea, Thailand

Africa

South Africa

Cameroon, East Africa, Tanzania, Western Africa

Europe

Iceland

United Kingdom

Others

Deposits in Western Continents

North America

Canada, USA

South America

Brazil

Bolivia, Brazil, Colombia, Ecuador

Deposits in Oceania Continent

Australia

New South Wales, New Zealand, Queensland, Western Australia

All about Picrite and Hornfels Properties

Know all about Picrite and Hornfels properties here. All properties of rocks are important as they define the type of rock and its application. Picrite belongs to Igneous Rocks while Hornfels belongs to Metamorphic Rocks.Texture of Picrite is Earthy, Rough whereas that of Hornfels is Granular, Platy. Picrite appears Rough and Shiny and Hornfels appears Dull. The luster of Picrite is subvitreous to dull while that of Hornfels is shiny. Picrite is available in black, brown, green, grey, pink, white, yellow colors whereas Hornfels is available in brown, dark greenish - grey, green, reddish brown 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 Hornfels are cemetery markers, commemorative tablets, creating artwork.