Definition
Picrite is a variety of high-magnesium olivine basalt that is very rich in the mineral olivine
Granulite is fine to medium grained metamorphic rock with a granular of polygonal crystals.
Origin
Hawaii Islands
Central Europe
Discoverer
Unknown
Unknown
Etymology
From Greek pikros bitter + -ite, 19th century
From Latin granulum, a little grain or fine grained
Class
Igneous Rocks
Metamorphic Rocks
Sub-Class
Durable Rock, Hard Rock
Durable Rock, Hard Rock
Other Categories
Fine Grained Rock, Opaque Rock
Coarse Grained Rock, Medium Grained Rock, Opaque Rock
Texture
Earthy, Rough
Granoblastic
Color
Black, Brown, Green, Grey, Pink, White, Yellow
Black, Brown
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, Flooring, Homes, Hotels, Interior Decoration, Kitchens, Stair Treads
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
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, Building houses or walls
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)
Curling, Gemstone, Laboratory bench tops, Soil Conditioner, Tombstones
Types
Oceanite
Metamorphic rock
Features
Host Rock for Lead
Clasts are smooth to touch
Archaeological Significance
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.
Granulite is a fine-grained granular metamorphic rock in which the main component minerals are feldspars and quartz and forms at high temperature and pressure conditions.
Mineral Content
Biotite, Olivine, Plagioclase, Pyrrhotite
Amphibole, Biotite, Feldspar, Hornblade, Micas, Muscovite or Illite, Plagioclase, Quartz
Compound Content
Al, CaO, Carbon Dioxide, Mg, MgO
Aluminium Oxide, CaO, Carbon Dioxide, Iron(III) Oxide, FeO, Potassium Oxide, MgO, MnO, Sodium Oxide, Phosphorus Pentoxide, Sulfur Dioxide, Titanium Dioxide
Types of Metamorphism
Burial Metamorphism, Cataclastic Metamorphism, Impact Metamorphism, Regional Metamorphism
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Types of Weathering
Biological Weathering
Biological Weathering, Chemical Weathering
Types of Erosion
Chemical Erosion, Coastal Erosion, Glacier Erosion, Sea Erosion, Water Erosion, Wind Erosion
Chemical Erosion, Water Erosion, Wind Erosion
Grain Size
Fine Grained
Medium to Coarse Grained
Streak
White, Greenish White or Grey
White
Porosity
Less Porous
Very Less Porous
Luster
Subvitreous to Dull
Vitreous
Specific Gravity
2.75-2.92
2.8-3.0
Transparency
Opaque
Opaque
Density
1.5-2.5 g/cm3
3.06-3.33 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, Nigeria, South Africa
Europe
Iceland
Austria, Belgium, Finland, France, Germany, Italy, Norway, Sardinia, Spain, Switzerland, The Czech Republic
Deposits in Western Continents
North America
Canada, USA
Canada, USA
Deposits in Oceania Continent
Picrite vs Granulite 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 Granulite characteristics assist us to distinguish and recognize rocks. Also you can check about Properties of Picrite and Properties of Granulite. Learn more about Picrite vs Granulite in the next section. The interior uses of Picrite include Countertops, Decorative aggregates, Homes and Interior decoration whereas the interior uses of Granulite include Bathrooms, Countertops, Decorative aggregates, Entryways, Flooring, Homes, Hotels, Interior decoration, Kitchens and Stair treads. Due to some exceptional properties of Picrite and Granulite, 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 Granulite include As dimension stone, Building houses or walls.
More about Picrite and Granulite
Here you can know more about Picrite and Granulite. The life cycle of a rock consists of formation of rock, composition of rock and transformation of rock. The composition of Picrite and Granulite consists of mineral content and compound content. The mineral content of Picrite includes Biotite, Olivine, Plagioclase, Pyrrhotite and mineral content of Granulite includes Amphibole, Biotite, Feldspar, Hornblade, Micas, Muscovite or Illite, Plagioclase, Quartz. You can also check out the list of all Igneous Rocks. When we have to compare Picrite vs Granulite, the texture, color and appearance plays an important role in determining the type of rock. Picrite is available in black, brown, green, grey, pink, white, yellow colors whereas, Granulite is available in black, brown colors. Appearance of Picrite is Rough and Shiny and that of Granulite is Veined or Pebbled. Properties of rock is another aspect for Picrite vs Granulite. The hardness of Picrite is 6.8 and that of Granulite is 6-7. The types of Picrite are Oceanite whereas types of Granulite are Metamorphic rock. Streak of rock is the color of powder produced when it is dragged across an unweathered surface. The streak of Picrite and Granulite is white, greenish white or grey. The specific heat capacity of Picrite is 0.88 kJ/Kg K and that of Granulite is 0.14 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 Granulite is heat resistant, wear resistant.