Definition
Picrite is a variety of high-magnesium olivine basalt that is very rich in the mineral olivine
Rhyolite is a fine-grained igneous rock which is rich in silica
History
Origin
Hawaii Islands
North America
Discoverer
Unknown
Ferdinand von Richthofen
Etymology
From Greek pikros bitter + -ite, 19th century
From German Rhyolit, from Greek rhuax lava stream + lithos stone
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
Coarse Grained Rock, Opaque Rock
Texture
Earthy, Rough
Aphanitic, Glassy, Porphyritic
Color
Black, Brown, Green, Grey, Pink, White, Yellow
Grey, White, Light Black
Maintenance
Less
More
Durability
Durable
Durable
Water Resistant
✔
✘
✔
✘
Scratch Resistant
✔
✘
✔
✘
Stain Resistant
✔
✘
✔
✘
Wind Resistant
✔
✘
✔
✘
Acid Resistant
✔
✘
✔
✘
Appearance
Rough and Shiny
Banded
Architecture
Interior Uses
Countertops, Decorative Aggregates, Homes, Interior Decoration
Decorative Aggregates, Homes, Hotels, Interior Decoration, Kitchens
Exterior Uses
As Building Stone, As Facing Stone, Garden Decoration, Paving Stone
As Building Stone, As Facing Stone, Paving Stone, Office Buildings
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.
Arrowheads, As Dimension Stone, Building houses or walls, Construction Aggregate, Cutting Tool, for Road Aggregate, Knives
Medical Industry
-
-
Antiquity Uses
Artifacts, Monuments, Sculpture
Artifacts
Other Uses
Commercial Uses
As a Feed Additive for Livestock, As armour rock for sea walls, Metallurgical Flux, Pottery, Source of Magnesia (MgO)
Gemstone, Laboratory bench tops, Jewelry
Types
Oceanite
Pumice Rocks, Obsidian Rocks, Perlite Rocks, Porphyritic Rocks.
Features
Host Rock for Lead
Acidic in nature, Available in lots of colors
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.
Rhyolite is a felsic extrusive rock and due to its high silica content, rhyolite lava is very viscous and is volcanic equivalent of granite.
Composition
Mineral Content
Biotite, Olivine, Plagioclase, Pyrrhotite
Biotite, Feldspar, Hornblade, Plagioclase, Pyroxene, Quartz
Compound Content
Al, CaO, Carbon Dioxide, Mg, MgO
Ca, Fe, Potassium Oxide, Mg, Potassium, Silicon Dioxide, Sodium
Transformation
Metamorphism
✔
✘
✔
✘
Types of Metamorphism
Burial Metamorphism, Cataclastic Metamorphism, Impact Metamorphism, Regional Metamorphism
Burial Metamorphism, Cataclastic Metamorphism, Regional Metamorphism
Weathering
✔
✘
✔
✘
Types of Weathering
Biological Weathering
Biological Weathering, Chemical Weathering, Mechanical Weathering
Erosion
✔
✘
✔
✘
Types of Erosion
Chemical Erosion, Coastal Erosion, Glacier Erosion, Sea Erosion, Water Erosion, Wind Erosion
Chemical Erosion, Sea Erosion, Water Erosion, Wind Erosion
Physical Properties
Hardness
6.86-7
1
7
👆🏻
Grain Size
Fine Grained
Large and Coarse Grained
Fracture
Uneven
Sub-conchoidal
Streak
White, Greenish White or Grey
-
Porosity
Less Porous
Highly Porous
Luster
Subvitreous to Dull
Earthy
Compressive Strength
189.00 N/mm2140.00 N/mm2
0.15
450
👆🏻
Cleavage
-
-
Toughness
2.1
2
Specific Gravity
2.75-2.922.65-2.67
0
8.4
👆🏻
Transparency
Opaque
Opaque
Density
1.5-2.5 g/cm32.4-2.6 g/cm3
0
1400
👆🏻
Thermal Properties
Specific Heat Capacity
0.88 kJ/Kg K0.71 kJ/Kg K
0.14
3.2
👆🏻
Resistance
Heat Resistant
Heat Resistant, Wear Resistant
Deposits in Eastern Continents
Asia
India, Russia
China, India
Africa
South Africa
Angola, Egypt, Madagascar, Namibia, Nigeria, South Africa
Europe
Iceland
Germany, Iceland, Ireland, Italy, Spain
Others
-
-
Deposits in Western Continents
North America
Canada, USA
Canada, USA
South America
Brazil
Argentina, Bolivia, Chile, Colombia, Ecuador, Peru, Venezuela
Deposits in Oceania Continent
Australia
-
New Zealand, Queensland, Western Australia