Definition
Picrite is a variety of high-magnesium olivine basalt that is very rich in the mineral olivine
Argillites are highly compact sedimentary or slightly metamorphosed rocks that consist largely or wholly of particles of clay or silt but lack the fissility of shale or the cleavage characteristic of slate
Origin
Hawaii Islands
Unknown
Discoverer
Unknown
Unknown
Etymology
From Greek pikros bitter + -ite, 19th century
From Latin Argilla (clay) and -ite in English which became agrilla+ -ite = Argillite
Class
Igneous Rocks
Sedimentary Rocks
Sub-Class
Durable Rock, Hard Rock
Durable Rock, Soft Rock
Group
Volcanic
Not Applicable
Other Categories
Fine Grained Rock, Opaque Rock
Fine Grained Rock, Opaque Rock
Texture
Earthy, Rough
Clastic, Polished
Color
Black, Brown, Colourless, Green, Grey, Pink, White, Yellow
Dark Grey to Black, Pink, Red, White
Durability
Durable
Durable
Scratch Resistant
Yes
Yes
Appearance
Rough and Shiny
Rough and Dull
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
As Building Stone, Garden Decoration, Office Buildings
Other Architectural Uses
Curbing
Curbing, Whetstones
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.
Used for flooring, stair treads, borders and window sills.
Medical Industry
Not Yet Used
Not Yet Used
Antiquity Uses
Artifacts, Monuments, Sculpture
Artifacts, Monuments, Sculpture
Commercial Uses
As a Feed Additive for Livestock, As armour rock for sea walls, Metallurgical Flux, Pottery, Source of Magnesia (MgO)
Fire resistant, Used to manufracture paperweights and bookends
Types
Oceanite
Not Available
Features
Host Rock for Lead
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
Used
Petroglyphs
Not Used
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.
An argillite is a fine-grained sedimentary rock mainly composed of clay particles which forms from lithified muds which contain variable amounts of silt-sized particles.
Mineral Content
Biotite, Olivine, Plagioclase, Pyrrhotite
Biotite, Chlorite, Feldspar, Micas, Muscovite or Illite, Plagioclase, Pyrite, Quartz
Compound Content
Al, CaO, Carbon Dioxide, Mg, MgO
Iron(III) Oxide, Potassium Oxide, MgO, Silicon Dioxide
Types of Metamorphism
Burial Metamorphism, Cataclastic Metamorphism, Impact Metamorphism, Regional Metamorphism
Not Applicable
Types of Weathering
Biological Weathering
Biological Weathering
Types of Erosion
Chemical Erosion, Coastal Erosion, Glacier Erosion, Sea Erosion, Water Erosion, Wind Erosion
Chemical Erosion
Grain Size
Fine Grained
Fine Grained
Fracture
Uneven
Conchoidal to Uneven
Streak
White, Greenish White or Grey
White to Grey
Porosity
Less Porous
Highly Porous
Luster
Subvitreous to Dull
Waxy and Dull
Compressive Strength
Not Available
Specific Gravity
2.75-2.92
2.56-2.68
Transparency
Opaque
Opaque
Density
1.5-2.5 g/cm3
2.54-2.66 g/cm3
Resistance
Heat Resistant
Heat Resistant, Impact Resistant
Deposits in Eastern Continents
Asia
India, Russia
Bangladesh, China, India, Russia
Africa
South Africa
Ethiopia, Kenya, Morocco, South Africa, Tanzania
Europe
Iceland
Austria, France, Germany, Greece, Italy, Romania, Scotland, Spain, Switzerland
Others
Not Yet Found
Not Yet Found
Deposits in Western Continents
North America
Canada, USA
USA
South America
Brazil
Bolivia, Chile, Colombia, Ecuador, Peru, Venezuela
Deposits in Oceania Continent
Australia
Not Yet Found
New South Wales, New Zealand, Queensland, Victoria, Western Australia
Picrite vs Argillite 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 Argillite characteristics assist us to distinguish and recognize rocks. Also you can check about Properties of Picrite and Properties of Argillite. Learn more about Picrite vs Argillite in the next section. The interior uses of Picrite include Countertops, Decorative aggregates, Homes and Interior decoration whereas the interior uses of Argillite include Decorative aggregates, Homes and Interior decoration. Due to some exceptional properties of Picrite and Argillite, 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 Argillite include Used for flooring, stair treads, borders and window sills..
More about Picrite and Argillite
Here you can know more about Picrite and Argillite. The life cycle of a rock consists of formation of rock, composition of rock and transformation of rock. The composition of Picrite and Argillite consists of mineral content and compound content. The mineral content of Picrite includes Biotite, Olivine, Plagioclase, Pyrrhotite and mineral content of Argillite includes Biotite, Chlorite, Feldspar, Micas, Muscovite or Illite, Plagioclase, Pyrite, Quartz. You can also check out the list of all Igneous Rocks. When we have to compare Picrite vs Argillite, 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, Argillite is available in dark grey to black, pink, red, white colors. Appearance of Picrite is Rough and Shiny and that of Argillite is Rough and Dull. Properties of rock is another aspect for Picrite vs Argillite. The hardness of Picrite is 6.8 and that of Argillite is 2-3. The types of Picrite are Oceanite whereas types of Argillite are Not Available. Streak of rock is the color of powder produced when it is dragged across an unweathered surface. The streak of Picrite is white, greenish white or grey while that of Argillite is white to grey. The specific heat capacity of Picrite is 0.88 kJ/Kg K and that of Argillite is 0.87 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 Argillite is heat resistant, impact resistant.