Home
Compare Rocks


Pumice and Dacite


Dacite and Pumice


Definition

Definition
Pumice is a volcanic rock that consists of highly vesicular rough textured volcanic glass, which may or may not contain crystals  
Dacite is a volcanic igneous rock which is rintermediate in composition between andesite and rhyolite  

History
  
  

Origin
Spain  
Romania and Moldova, Europe  

Discoverer
Unknown  
Unknown  

Etymology
From Old French pomis, from a Latin dialect variant of pumex  
From Dacia, a province of the Roman Empire which lay between the Danube River and Carpathian Mountains where the rock was first described  

Class
Igneous Rocks  
Igneous Rocks  

Sub-Class
Durable Rock, Medium Hardness Rock  
Durable Rock, Soft Rock  

Family
  
  

Group
Volcanic  
Volcanic  

Other Categories
Fine Grained Rock, Opaque Rock  
Fine Grained Rock, Medium Grained Rock, Opaque Rock  

Texture

Texture
Vesicular  
Aphanitic to Porphyritic  

Color
Beige, Grey, Light Green, Light Grey, Pink, White, Yellow- grey  
Bluish - Grey, Brown, Grey, Light to Dark Grey  

Maintenance
Less  
Less  

Durability
Durable  
Durable  

Water Resistant
Yes  
No  

Scratch Resistant
Yes  
No  

Stain Resistant
Yes  
No  

Wind Resistant
No  
No  

Acid Resistant
Yes  
No  

Appearance
Vesicular  
Vesicular  

Uses

Architecture
  
  

Interior Uses
Decorative Aggregates, Flooring, Homes, Interior Decoration  
Decorative Aggregates, Entryways, Interior Decoration  

Exterior Uses
As Building Stone, As Facing Stone, Garden Decoration, Paving Stone  
As Building Stone, Paving Stone, Garden Decoration  

Other Architectural Uses
Curbing, Powder  
Curbing  

Industry
  
  

Construction Industry
As Dimension Stone, Cement Manufacture, for Road Aggregate, In landscaping and horticulture, Making natural cement, Production of lightweight concrete blocks  
As Dimension Stone, Construction Aggregate, for Road Aggregate, Landscaping  

Medical Industry
As an abrasive in skin exfoliating products, In Chemical and Pharmaceutical Industry, Medicines and Cosmetics  
-  

Antiquity Uses
Artifacts  
Artifacts  

Other Uses
  
  

Commercial Uses
As a traction material on snow-covered roads, As an abrasive in pencil erasers, Fine abrasive used for polishing, Manufacture of Soap, Solvents, Dyes, Plastics and Fibres, Used in aquariums  
Commemorative Tablets, Creating Artwork  

Types

Types
Scoria  
Footwall Dacite, Hanging wall Dacite, Tuff and Biotite Dacite  

Features
Host Rock for Lead  
Host Rock for Lead, Is one of the oldest rock  

Archaeological Significance
  
  

Monuments
-  
-  

Famous Monuments
-  
-  

Sculpture
-  
-  

Famous Sculptures
-  
-  

Pictographs
-  
-  

Petroglyphs
-  
-  

Figurines
-  
-  

Fossils
Absent  
Absent  

Formation

Formation
Pumice rock forms when the magma cools so quickly that atoms in the melt are not able to arrange themselves into a crystalline structure.  
Dacitic magma is formed by the subduction of young oceanic crust under a thick felsic continental plate. Further, the Oceanic crust is hydrothermally altered as quartz and sodium are added.   

Composition
  
  

Mineral Content
Aluminum Oxides, Calcite, Carbonate, Iron Oxides, Silica  
Amphibole, Apatite, Biotite, Feldspar, Garnet, Hornblade, Magnetite, Plagioclase, Pyroxene, Quartz, Zircon  

Compound Content
Al, Aluminium Oxide, CaO, Carbon Dioxide, MgO, Silicon Dioxide  
Ca, Fe, Potassium Oxide, Mg, Potassium, Silicon Dioxide  

Transformation
  
  

Metamorphism
Yes  
Yes  

Types of Metamorphism
Burial Metamorphism, Impact Metamorphism  
Burial Metamorphism, Cataclastic Metamorphism  

Weathering
Yes  
Yes  

Types of Weathering
Biological Weathering, Chemical Weathering, Mechanical Weathering  
Biological Weathering, Chemical Weathering, Mechanical Weathering  

Erosion
Yes  
Yes  

Types of Erosion
Chemical Erosion, Coastal Erosion, Glacier Erosion, Sea Erosion, Water Erosion, Wind Erosion  
Chemical Erosion  

Properties

Physical Properties
  
  

Hardness
6  
2-2.25  

Grain Size
Fine Grained  
Medium to Fine Coarse Grained  

Fracture
Planar  
Conchoidal  

Streak
White, Greenish White or Grey  
White  

Porosity
Highly Porous  
Less Porous  

Luster
Earthy  
Subvitreous to Dull  

Compressive Strength
51.20 N/mm2  
38
70.00 N/mm2  
35

Cleavage
Perfect  
Perfect  

Toughness
3  
-  

Specific Gravity
2.86  
2.86-2.87  

Transparency
Opaque  
Translucent  

Density
0.25-0.3 g/cm3  
2.77-2.771 g/cm3  

Thermal Properties
  
  

Specific Heat Capacity
0.87 kJ/Kg K  
14
0.92 kJ/Kg K  
10

Resistance
Impact Resistant, Pressure Resistant  
Heat Resistant, Impact Resistant, Pressure Resistant, Wear Resistant  

Reserves

Deposits in Eastern Continents
  
  

Asia
Afghanistan, Indonesia, Japan, Russia  
-  

Africa
Ethiopia, Kenya, Tanzania  
-  

Europe
Greece, Hungary, Iceland, Italy, Turkey  
France, Greece, Romania, Scotland, Spain  

Others
-  
-  

Deposits in Western Continents
  
  

North America
Bahamas, Barbados, Canada, Costa Rica, Cuba, Jamaica, Mexico, USA  
USA  

South America
Argentina, Chile, Ecuador, Peru  
Argentina, Bolivia, Chile, Colombia, Ecuador, Peru, Venezuela  

Deposits in Oceania Continent
  
  

Australia
New Zealand, Western Australia  
New Zealand, South Australia, Western Australia  

Summary >>
<< Reserves

All about Pumice and Dacite Properties

Know all about Pumice and Dacite properties here. All properties of rocks are important as they define the type of rock and its application. Pumice and Dacite belong to Igneous Rocks.Texture of Pumice is Vesicular whereas that of Dacite is Aphanitic to Porphyritic. Pumice appears Vesicular and Dacite appears Vesicular. The luster of Pumice is earthy while that of Dacite is subvitreous to dull. Pumice is available in beige, grey, light green, light grey, pink, white, yellow- grey colors whereas Dacite is available in bluish - grey, brown, grey, light to dark grey colors. The commercial uses of Pumice are as a traction material on snow-covered roads, as an abrasive in pencil erasers, fine abrasive used for polishing, manufacture of soap, solvents, dyes, plastics and fibres, used in aquariums and that of Dacite are commemorative tablets, creating artwork.

Compare Igneous Rocks

Igneous Rocks

Igneous Rocks

» More Igneous Rocks

Compare Igneous Rocks

» More Compare Igneous Rocks