Definition
Picrite is a variety of high-magnesium olivine basalt that is very rich in the mineral olivine
Very fine grained fault rock which is composed of glassy matrix that often contains inclusions of wall-rock fragments.
Origin
Hawaii Islands
USA
Discoverer
Unknown
Unknown
Etymology
From Greek pikros bitter + -ite, 19th century
From pseudo- + tachylite, a glassy rock generated by frictional heat within faults.
Class
Igneous Rocks
Metamorphic Rocks
Sub-Class
Durable Rock, Hard Rock
Durable Rock, Hard Rock
Group
Volcanic
Not Applicable
Other Categories
Fine Grained Rock, Opaque Rock
Fine Grained Rock, Opaque Rock
Texture
Earthy, Rough
Quench
Color
Black, Brown, Colourless, Green, Grey, Pink, White, Yellow
Black, Brown, Colourless, Green, Grey, Pink, White
Durability
Durable
Durable
Scratch Resistant
Yes
Yes
Appearance
Rough and Shiny
Dull and Soft
Interior Uses
Countertops, Decorative Aggregates, Homes, Interior Decoration
Decorative Aggregates, Entryways, Interior Decoration
Exterior Uses
As Building Stone, As Facing Stone, Garden Decoration, Paving Stone
As Building Stone, As Facing Stone, Garden Decoration
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, Cement Manufacture, for Road Aggregate, Making natural cement
Medical Industry
Not Yet Used
Not Yet Used
Antiquity Uses
Artifacts, Monuments, Sculpture
Artifacts, Monuments
Commercial Uses
As a Feed Additive for Livestock, As armour rock for sea walls, Metallurgical Flux, Pottery, Source of Magnesia (MgO)
Creating Artwork, Gemstone
Types
Oceanite
Not Available
Features
Host Rock for Lead
Host Rock for Lead
Archaeological Significance
Famous Monuments
Data Not Available
Data Not Available
Sculpture
Used
Not Yet Used
Famous Sculptures
Data Not Available
Not Applicable
Pictographs
Not Used
Not Used
Petroglyphs
Not Used
Not Used
Figurines
Used
Not Yet 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.
Due to change in environmental conditions, rocks are heated and pressurized deep inside the Earth's surface. Pseudotachylite is formed from the extreme heat caused by magma or by the intense collisions and friction of tectonic plates.
Mineral Content
Biotite, Olivine, Plagioclase, Pyrrhotite
Iron Oxides, Pyroxene, Quartz, Stishovite, Sulfides
Compound Content
Al, CaO, Carbon Dioxide, Mg, MgO
Carbon Dioxide, Silicon Dioxide, Sulfur Dioxide, Sulphur
Types of Metamorphism
Burial Metamorphism, Cataclastic Metamorphism, Impact Metamorphism, Regional Metamorphism
Burial Metamorphism, Cataclastic Metamorphism, Contact Metamorphism
Types of Weathering
Biological Weathering
Not Applicable
Types of Erosion
Chemical Erosion, Coastal Erosion, Glacier Erosion, Sea Erosion, Water Erosion, Wind Erosion
Not Applicable
Grain Size
Fine Grained
Very fine-grained
Streak
White, Greenish White or Grey
Light to dark brown
Porosity
Less Porous
Less Porous
Luster
Subvitreous to Dull
Vitreous
Cleavage
Imperfect
Irregular
Toughness
2.1
Not Available
Specific Gravity
2.75-2.92
2.46-2.86
Transparency
Opaque
Transparent to Translucent
Density
1.5-2.5 g/cm3
2.7-2.9 g/cm3
Resistance
Heat Resistant
Heat Resistant
Deposits in Eastern Continents
Asia
India, Russia
South Korea
Africa
South Africa
Western Africa
Europe
Iceland
Great Britain, Switzerland
Others
Not Yet Found
Not Yet Found
Deposits in Western Continents
North America
Canada, USA
Not Yet Found
South America
Brazil
Not Yet Found
Deposits in Oceania Continent
Australia
Not Yet Found
Central Australia, Western Australia
Picrite vs Pseudotachylite 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 Pseudotachylite characteristics assist us to distinguish and recognize rocks. Also you can check about Properties of Picrite and Properties of Pseudotachylite. Learn more about Picrite vs Pseudotachylite in the next section. The interior uses of Picrite include Countertops, Decorative aggregates, Homes and Interior decoration whereas the interior uses of Pseudotachylite include Decorative aggregates, Entryways and Interior decoration. Due to some exceptional properties of Picrite and Pseudotachylite, 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 Pseudotachylite include As dimension stone, Cement manufacture, For road aggregate, Making natural cement.
More about Picrite and Pseudotachylite
Here you can know more about Picrite and Pseudotachylite. The life cycle of a rock consists of formation of rock, composition of rock and transformation of rock. The composition of Picrite and Pseudotachylite consists of mineral content and compound content. The mineral content of Picrite includes Biotite, Olivine, Plagioclase, Pyrrhotite and mineral content of Pseudotachylite includes Iron Oxides, Pyroxene, Quartz, Stishovite, Sulfides. You can also check out the list of all . When we have to compare Picrite vs Pseudotachylite, 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, Pseudotachylite is available in black, brown, colourless, green, grey, pink, white colors. Appearance of Picrite is Rough and Shiny and that of Pseudotachylite is Dull and Soft. Properties of rock is another aspect for Picrite vs Pseudotachylite. The hardness of Picrite is 6.8 and that of Pseudotachylite is 7. The types of Picrite are Oceanite whereas types of Pseudotachylite 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 Pseudotachylite is light to dark brown. The specific heat capacity of Picrite is 0.88 kJ/Kg K and that of Pseudotachylite is 0.92 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 Pseudotachylite is heat resistant.