Definition
Pumice is a volcanic rock that consists of highly vesicular rough textured volcanic glass, which may or may not contain crystals
Arkose is a sedimentary rock, specifically a type of sandstone containing at least 25% feldspar
Discoverer
Unknown
Alexandre Brongniart
Etymology
From Old French pomis, from a Latin dialect variant of pumex
From Auvergne region of France used by a French geologist Alexandre Brongniart in 1826 who applied this term to some feldspathic sandstones
Class
Igneous Rocks
Sedimentary Rocks
Sub-Class
Durable Rock, Medium Hardness Rock
Durable Rock, Hard Rock
Group
Volcanic
Not Applicable
Other Categories
Fine Grained Rock, Opaque Rock
Coarse Grained Rock, Opaque Rock
Texture
Vesicular
Clastic
Color
Beige, Colourless, Grey, Light Green, Light Grey, Pink, White, Yellow- grey
Reddish Brown
Durability
Durable
Durable
Scratch Resistant
Yes
Yes
Appearance
Vesicular
Rough and Dull
Interior Uses
Decorative Aggregates, Flooring, Homes, Interior Decoration
Decorative Aggregates, Homes, Interior Decoration
Exterior Uses
As Building Stone, As Facing Stone, Garden Decoration, Paving Stone
Paving Stone, Office Buildings
Other Architectural Uses
Curbing, Powder
Whetstones
Construction Industry
As Dimension Stone, Cement Manufacture, for Road Aggregate, In landscaping and horticulture, Making natural cement, Production of lightweight concrete blocks
Cement Manufacture, Construction Aggregate, for Road Aggregate, Production of Glass and Ceramics, Raw material for the manufacture of mortar
Medical Industry
As an abrasive in skin exfoliating products, In Chemical and Pharmaceutical Industry, Medicines and Cosmetics
Not Yet Used
Antiquity Uses
Artifacts
Artifacts, Sculpture, Small Figurines
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
In aquifers, Soil Conditioner, Source of Magnesia (MgO), Tombstones
Types
Scoria
Not Available
Features
Host Rock for Lead
Available in Lots of Colors and Patterns, Generally rough to touch, Is one of the oldest rock
Archaeological Significance
Monuments
Not Yet Used
Not Yet Used
Famous Monuments
Not Applicable
Not Applicable
Sculpture
Not Yet Used
Used
Famous Sculptures
Not Applicable
Data Not Available
Pictographs
Used
Not Used
Petroglyphs
Used
Not Used
Figurines
Not Yet Used
Used
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.
Arkose rock forms from the weathering of feldspar-rich igneous or metamorphic rock, most commonly granitic rocks, which are primarily composed of quartz and feldspar.
Mineral Content
Aluminum Oxides, Calcite, Carbonate, Iron Oxides, Silica
Calcite, Clay, Clay Minerals, Feldspar, Micas, Quartz
Compound Content
Al, Aluminium Oxide, CaO, Carbon Dioxide, MgO, Silicon Dioxide
Aluminium Oxide, CaO, Iron(III) Oxide, Potassium Oxide, MgO, Sodium Oxide, Silicon Dioxide
Types of Metamorphism
Burial Metamorphism, Impact Metamorphism
Not Applicable
Types of Weathering
Biological Weathering, Chemical Weathering, Mechanical Weathering
Biological Weathering, Chemical Weathering, Mechanical Weathering
Types of Erosion
Chemical Erosion, Coastal Erosion, Glacier Erosion, Sea Erosion, Water Erosion, Wind Erosion
Coastal Erosion, Glacier Erosion, Water Erosion, Wind Erosion
Grain Size
Fine Grained
Coarse Grained
Fracture
Planar
Conchoidal
Streak
White, Greenish White or Grey
White
Porosity
Highly Porous
Highly Porous
Compressive Strength
Not Available
Cleavage
Perfect
Not Available
Toughness
3
Not Available
Transparency
Opaque
Opaque
Density
0.25-0.3 g/cm3
Not Available
Specific Heat Capacity
Not Available
Resistance
Impact Resistant, Pressure Resistant
Heat Resistant, Impact Resistant, Pressure Resistant
Deposits in Eastern Continents
Asia
Afghanistan, Indonesia, Japan, Russia
China, India, Kazakhstan, Mongolia, Russia, Uzbekistan
Africa
Ethiopia, Kenya, Tanzania
Namibia, Nigeria, South Africa
Europe
Greece, Hungary, Iceland, Italy, Turkey
Austria, Denmark, Germany, Great Britain, Netherlands, Norway, Poland, Sweden, Switzerland, United Kingdom
Others
Not Yet Found
Greenland
Deposits in Western Continents
North America
Bahamas, Barbados, Canada, Costa Rica, Cuba, Jamaica, Mexico, USA
Canada, USA
South America
Argentina, Chile, Ecuador, Peru
Brazil
Deposits in Oceania Continent
Australia
New Zealand, Western Australia
New South Wales, New Zealand
Pumice vs Arkose 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. Pumice vs Arkose characteristics assist us to distinguish and recognize rocks. Also you can check about Properties of Pumice and Properties of Arkose. Learn more about Pumice vs Arkose in the next section. The interior uses of Pumice include Decorative aggregates, Flooring, Homes and Interior decoration whereas the interior uses of Arkose include Decorative aggregates, Homes and Interior decoration. Due to some exceptional properties of Pumice and Arkose, they have various applications in construction industry. The uses of Pumice in construction industry include As dimension stone, Cement manufacture, For road aggregate, In landscaping and horticulture, Making natural cement, Production of lightweight concrete blocks and that of Arkose include Cement manufacture, Construction aggregate, For road aggregate, Production of glass and ceramics, Raw material for the manufacture of mortar.
More about Pumice and Arkose
Here you can know more about Pumice and Arkose. The life cycle of a rock consists of formation of rock, composition of rock and transformation of rock. The composition of Pumice and Arkose consists of mineral content and compound content. The mineral content of Pumice includes Aluminum Oxides, Calcite, Carbonate, Iron Oxides, Silica and mineral content of Arkose includes Calcite, Clay, Clay Minerals, Feldspar, Micas, Quartz. You can also check out the list of all Igneous Rocks. When we have to compare Pumice vs Arkose, the texture, color and appearance plays an important role in determining the type of rock. Pumice is available in beige, colourless, grey, light green, light grey, pink, white, yellow- grey colors whereas, Arkose is available in reddish brown colors. Appearance of Pumice is Vesicular and that of Arkose is Rough and Dull. Properties of rock is another aspect for Pumice vs Arkose. The hardness of Pumice is 6 and that of Arkose is 6-7. The types of Pumice are Scoria whereas types of Arkose are Not Available. Streak of rock is the color of powder produced when it is dragged across an unweathered surface. The streak of Pumice and Arkose is white, greenish white or grey. The specific heat capacity of Pumice is 0.87 kJ/Kg K and that of Arkose is Not Available. Depending on the properties like hardness, toughness, specific heat capacity, porosity etc., rocks are resistant to heat, wear, impact, etc.Pumice is impact resistant, pressure resistant whereas Arkose is heat resistant, impact resistant, pressure resistant.