Definition
Picrite is a variety of high-magnesium olivine basalt that is very rich in the mineral olivine
Aplite is a fine-grained granite composed mainly of feldspar and quartz
Origin
Hawaii Islands
Iran
Discoverer
Unknown
Unknown
Etymology
From Greek pikros bitter + -ite, 19th century
From German Aplit, from Greek haploos simple + -ite
Class
Igneous Rocks
Igneous Rocks
Sub-Class
Durable Rock, Hard Rock
Durable Rock, Hard Rock
Other Categories
Fine Grained Rock, Opaque Rock
Fine Grained Rock, Opaque Rock
Texture
Earthy, Rough
Granular, Graphic
Color
Black, Brown, Colourless, Green, Grey, Pink, White, Yellow
Black, Grey, Orange, Pink, White
Durability
Durable
Durable
Scratch Resistant
Yes
Yes
Appearance
Rough and Shiny
Veined or Pebbled
Interior Uses
Countertops, Decorative Aggregates, Homes, Interior Decoration
Bathrooms, Countertops, Decorative Aggregates, Entryways, Floor Tiles, Homes, Hotels, Kitchens, Stair Treads
Exterior Uses
As Building Stone, As Facing Stone, Garden Decoration, Paving Stone
As Building Stone, As Facing Stone, Bridges, Paving Stone, Near Swimming Pools, Office Buildings, Resorts
Other Architectural Uses
Curbing
Curbing
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
Medical Industry
Not Yet Used
Not Yet Used
Antiquity Uses
Artifacts, Monuments, Sculpture
Artifacts, Monuments, Sculpture, Small Figurines
Commercial Uses
As a Feed Additive for Livestock, As armour rock for sea walls, Metallurgical Flux, Pottery, Source of Magnesia (MgO)
Curling, Gemstone, Laboratory bench tops, Small Sculptures, Tombstones
Types
Oceanite
Not Available
Features
Host Rock for Lead
Available in lots of colors, Available in Lots of Colors and Patterns, Is one of the oldest rock
Archaeological Significance
Famous Monuments
Data Not Available
Data Not Available
Famous Sculptures
Data Not Available
Data Not Available
Pictographs
Not Used
Not Used
Petroglyphs
Not Used
Not Used
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.
Aplites belong to intrusive igneous rocks which are mostly quart and alkali feldspar and are formed from residual eutectic granitic liquids and represent the final crystallization products of magma.
Mineral Content
Biotite, Olivine, Plagioclase, Pyrrhotite
Amphibole, Biotite, Feldspar, Hornblade, Micas, Muscovite or Illite, Plagioclase, Pyroxene, Quartz
Compound Content
Al, CaO, Carbon Dioxide, Mg, MgO
Aluminium Oxide, CaO, Iron(III) Oxide, FeO, Potassium Oxide, MgO, MnO, Sodium Oxide, Phosphorus Pentoxide, Silicon Dioxide, Titanium Dioxide
Types of Metamorphism
Burial Metamorphism, Cataclastic Metamorphism, Impact Metamorphism, Regional Metamorphism
Burial Metamorphism, Cataclastic Metamorphism, Hydrothermal Metamorphism, Regional Metamorphism
Types of Weathering
Biological Weathering
Chemical Weathering, Mechanical Weathering
Types of Erosion
Chemical Erosion, Coastal Erosion, Glacier Erosion, Sea Erosion, Water Erosion, Wind Erosion
Chemical Erosion, Coastal Erosion, Wind Erosion
Grain Size
Fine Grained
Very fine-grained
Fracture
Uneven
Not Available
Streak
White, Greenish White or Grey
White
Porosity
Less Porous
Less Porous
Luster
Subvitreous to Dull
Dull to Pearly to Subvitreous
Cleavage
Imperfect
Not Available
Toughness
2.1
Not Available
Specific Gravity
2.75-2.92
2.6
Transparency
Opaque
Opaque
Density
1.5-2.5 g/cm3
2.6 g/cm3
Resistance
Heat Resistant
Heat Resistant, Wear Resistant
Deposits in Eastern Continents
Asia
India, Russia
China, India, Iran, Saudi Arabia, Sri Lanka, Taiwan, Thailand, Turkey, Vietnam
Africa
South Africa
Angola, Egypt, Madagascar, Namibia, Nigeria, South Africa
Europe
Iceland
Austria, Belgium, Finland, France, Germany, Italy, Norway, Sardinia, Spain, Switzerland, The Czech Republic, Venezuela
Others
Not Yet Found
Not Yet Found
Deposits in Western Continents
North America
Canada, USA
Canada, USA
South America
Brazil
Not Yet Found
Deposits in Oceania Continent
Australia
Not Yet Found
Not Yet Found
Picrite vs Aplite 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. Picrite vs Aplite characteristics assist us to distinguish and recognize rocks. Also you can check about Properties of Picrite and Properties of Aplite. Learn more about Picrite vs Aplite in the next section. The interior uses of Picrite include Countertops, Decorative aggregates, Homes and Interior decoration whereas the interior uses of Aplite include Bathrooms, Countertops, Decorative aggregates, Entryways, Floor tiles, Homes, Hotels, Kitchens and Stair treads. Due to some exceptional properties of Picrite and Aplite, they have various applications in construction industry. The uses of Picrite in construction industry 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. and that of Aplite include As dimension stone.
More about Picrite and Aplite
Here you can know more about Picrite and Aplite. The life cycle of a rock consists of formation of rock, composition of rock and transformation of rock. The composition of Picrite and Aplite consists of mineral content and compound content. The mineral content of Picrite includes Biotite, Olivine, Plagioclase, Pyrrhotite and mineral content of Aplite includes Amphibole, Biotite, Feldspar, Hornblade, Micas, Muscovite or Illite, Plagioclase, Pyroxene, Quartz. You can also check out the list of all Igneous Rocks. When we have to compare Picrite vs Aplite, the texture, color and appearance plays an important role in determining the type of rock. Picrite is available in black, brown, colourless, green, grey, pink, white, yellow colors whereas, Aplite is available in black, grey, orange, pink, white colors. Appearance of Picrite is Rough and Shiny and that of Aplite is Veined or Pebbled. Properties of rock is another aspect for Picrite vs Aplite. The hardness of Picrite is 6.8 and that of Aplite is 6.5. The types of Picrite are Oceanite whereas types of Aplite are Not Available. Streak of rock is the color of powder produced when it is dragged across an unweathered surface. The streak of Picrite and Aplite is white, greenish white or grey. The specific heat capacity of Picrite is 0.88 kJ/Kg K and that of Aplite is 0.79 kJ/Kg K. Depending on the properties like hardness, toughness, specific heat capacity, porosity etc., rocks are resistant to heat, wear, impact, etc.Picrite is heat resistant whereas Aplite is heat resistant, wear resistant.