Definition
Picrite is a variety of high-magnesium olivine basalt that is very rich in the mineral olivine
Pantellerite is a peralkaline rhyolite. It has a higher iron and lower aluminium composition than comendite
History
Origin
Hawaii Islands
Strait of sicily
Discoverer
Unknown
Unknown
Etymology
From Greek pikros bitter + -ite, 19th century
From Pantelleria, a volcanic island in the Strait of Sicily
Class
Igneous Rocks
Igneous Rocks
Sub-Class
Durable Rock, Hard Rock
Durable Rock, Hard Rock
Family
Group
Volcanic
Volcanic
Other Categories
Fine Grained Rock, Opaque Rock
Fine Grained Rock, Opaque Rock
Texture
Earthy, Rough
Eutaxitic
Color
Black, Brown, Green, Grey, Pink, White, Yellow
Dark Greenish - Grey
Maintenance
Less
Less
Durability
Durable
Durable
Water Resistant
✔
✘
✔
✘
Scratch Resistant
✔
✘
✔
✘
Stain Resistant
✔
✘
✔
✘
Wind Resistant
✔
✘
✔
✘
Acid Resistant
✔
✘
✔
✘
Appearance
Rough and Shiny
Layered and Foliated
Architecture
Interior Uses
Countertops, Decorative Aggregates, Homes, Interior Decoration
-
Exterior Uses
As Building Stone, As Facing Stone, Garden Decoration, 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.
-
Medical Industry
-
-
Antiquity Uses
Artifacts, Monuments, Sculpture
Artifacts, Sculpture
Other Uses
Commercial Uses
As a Feed Additive for Livestock, As armour rock for sea walls, Metallurgical Flux, Pottery, Source of Magnesia (MgO)
Creating Artwork
Types
Oceanite
Pantelleritic Ignimbrite
Features
Host Rock for Lead
High Fe content
Archaeological Significance
Monuments
-
-
Famous Monuments
-
-
Sculpture
-
-
Famous Sculptures
-
-
Pictographs
-
-
Petroglyphs
-
-
Figurines
-
-
Fossils
Absent
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.
Pantellerite 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.
Composition
Mineral Content
Biotite, Olivine, Plagioclase, Pyrrhotite
Amphibole, Feldspar, Ilmenite
Compound Content
Al, CaO, Carbon Dioxide, Mg, MgO
Al, Fe
Transformation
Metamorphism
✔
✘
✔
✘
Types of Metamorphism
Burial Metamorphism, Cataclastic Metamorphism, Impact Metamorphism, Regional Metamorphism
Burial Metamorphism, Cataclastic Metamorphism
Weathering
✔
✘
✔
✘
Types of Weathering
Biological Weathering
Biological Weathering, Chemical Weathering
Erosion
✔
✘
✔
✘
Types of Erosion
Chemical Erosion, Coastal Erosion, Glacier Erosion, Sea Erosion, Water Erosion, Wind Erosion
Chemical Erosion, Coastal Erosion, Glacier Erosion, Sea Erosion, Water Erosion, Wind Erosion
Physical Properties
Hardness
6.86-7
1
7
👆🏻
Grain Size
Fine Grained
Fine Grained
Fracture
Uneven
Sub-conchoidal
Streak
White, Greenish White or Grey
-
Porosity
Less Porous
Less Porous
Luster
Subvitreous to Dull
Earthy
Compressive Strength
189.00 N/mm2210.00 N/mm2
0.15
450
👆🏻
Cleavage
-
Conchoidal
Toughness
2.1
2
Specific Gravity
2.75-2.92-9999
0
8.4
👆🏻
Transparency
Opaque
Translucent to Opaque
Density
1.5-2.5 g/cm3-9999 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
Deposits in Eastern Continents
Asia
India, Russia
China, India
Africa
South Africa
Angola, Egypt, Madagascar, Namibia, Nigeria
Europe
Iceland
Germany, Iceland, Ireland, Italy, Spain, United Kingdom
Others
-
-
Deposits in Western Continents
North America
Canada, USA
Canada, USA
South America
Brazil
Argentina, Bolivia, Brazil, Colombia, Ecuador
Deposits in Oceania Continent
Australia
-
Central Australia, Queensland, Western Australia