Definition
Pumice is a volcanic rock that consists of highly vesicular rough textured volcanic glass, which may or may not contain crystals
Boninite is a mafic extrusive rock which is high in magnesium and silica content, formed in fore-arc environments, typically during the early stages of subduction
Discoverer
Unknown
Unknown
Etymology
From Old French pomis, from a Latin dialect variant of pumex
From its occurrence in the Izu-Bonin arc south of Japan
Class
Igneous Rocks
Igneous Rocks
Sub-Class
Durable Rock, Medium Hardness Rock
Durable Rock, Hard Rock
Other Categories
Fine Grained Rock, Opaque Rock
Fine Grained Rock, Opaque Rock
Texture
Vesicular
Aphanitic to Porphyritic
Color
Beige, Colourless, Grey, Light Green, Light Grey, Pink, White, Yellow- grey
Bluish - Grey, Brown, Colourless, Green, Grey
Durability
Durable
Durable
Scratch Resistant
Yes
Yes
Appearance
Vesicular
Dull and Soft
Interior Uses
Decorative Aggregates, Flooring, Homes, Interior Decoration
Decorative Aggregates, Homes, Kitchens
Exterior Uses
As Building Stone, As Facing Stone, Garden Decoration, Paving Stone
Garden Decoration, Office Buildings
Other Architectural Uses
Curbing, Powder
Not Yet Used
Construction Industry
As Dimension Stone, Cement Manufacture, for Road Aggregate, In landscaping and horticulture, Making natural cement, Production of lightweight concrete blocks
As a Flux in the Production of Steel and Pig Iron, As a Sintering Agent in Steel Industry to process Iron Ore, As Dimension Stone, Cement Manufacture, for Road Aggregate, Making natural cement, Manufacture of Magnesium and Dolomite Refractories
Medical Industry
As an abrasive in skin exfoliating products, In Chemical and Pharmaceutical Industry, Medicines and Cosmetics
Not Yet Used
Antiquity Uses
Artifacts
Artifacts
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
An Oil and Gas Reservoir, Cemetery Markers, Creating Artwork, Soil Conditioner, Source of Magnesia (MgO)
Types
Scoria
Not Available
Features
Host Rock for Lead
Available in Lots of Colors and Patterns, High Mg content, 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
Not Yet Used
Famous Sculptures
Not Applicable
Not Applicable
Pictographs
Used
Not Used
Petroglyphs
Used
Not Used
Figurines
Not Yet Used
Not Yet 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.
Boninite is a type of Igneous rock which is formed through the cooling and solidification of lava or existing rocks.
Mineral Content
Aluminum Oxides, Calcite, Carbonate, Iron Oxides, Silica
Amphibole, Apatite, Biotite, Feldspar, Garnet, Hornblade, Ilmenite
Compound Content
Al, Aluminium Oxide, CaO, Carbon Dioxide, MgO, Silicon Dioxide
Silicon Dioxide
Types of Metamorphism
Burial Metamorphism, Impact Metamorphism
Burial Metamorphism, Cataclastic Metamorphism, Contact Metamorphism, Regional Metamorphism
Types of Weathering
Biological Weathering, Chemical Weathering, Mechanical Weathering
Biological Weathering
Types of Erosion
Chemical Erosion, Coastal Erosion, Glacier Erosion, Sea Erosion, Water Erosion, Wind Erosion
Chemical Erosion, Coastal Erosion, Wind Erosion
Grain Size
Fine Grained
Fine Grained
Streak
White, Greenish White or Grey
White
Porosity
Highly Porous
Less Porous
Compressive Strength
Not Available
Cleavage
Perfect
Not Available
Specific Gravity
2.86
2.5-2.8
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, Wear Resistant
Deposits in Eastern Continents
Asia
Afghanistan, Indonesia, Japan, Russia
Not Available
Africa
Ethiopia, Kenya, Tanzania
South Africa
Europe
Greece, Hungary, Iceland, Italy, Turkey
England, Finland, United Kingdom
Others
Not Yet Found
Antarctica, Greenland
Deposits in Western Continents
North America
Bahamas, Barbados, Canada, Costa Rica, Cuba, Jamaica, Mexico, USA
USA
South America
Argentina, Chile, Ecuador, Peru
Colombia, Uruguay
Deposits in Oceania Continent
Australia
New Zealand, Western Australia
New Zealand, Western Australia
Pumice vs Boninite 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 Boninite characteristics assist us to distinguish and recognize rocks. Also you can check about Properties of Pumice and Properties of Boninite. Learn more about Pumice vs Boninite in the next section. The interior uses of Pumice include Decorative aggregates, Flooring, Homes and Interior decoration whereas the interior uses of Boninite include Decorative aggregates, Homes and Kitchens. Due to some exceptional properties of Pumice and Boninite, 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 Boninite include As a flux in the production of steel and pig iron, As a sintering agent in steel industry to process iron ore, As dimension stone, Cement manufacture, For road aggregate, Making natural cement, Manufacture of magnesium and dolomite refractories.
More about Pumice and Boninite
Here you can know more about Pumice and Boninite. The life cycle of a rock consists of formation of rock, composition of rock and transformation of rock. The composition of Pumice and Boninite consists of mineral content and compound content. The mineral content of Pumice includes Aluminum Oxides, Calcite, Carbonate, Iron Oxides, Silica and mineral content of Boninite includes Amphibole, Apatite, Biotite, Feldspar, Garnet, Hornblade, Ilmenite. You can also check out the list of all Igneous Rocks. When we have to compare Pumice vs Boninite, 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, Boninite is available in bluish - grey, brown, colourless, green, grey colors. Appearance of Pumice is Vesicular and that of Boninite is Dull and Soft. Properties of rock is another aspect for Pumice vs Boninite. The hardness of Pumice is 6 and that of Boninite is 7. The types of Pumice are Scoria whereas types of Boninite 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 Boninite is white, greenish white or grey. The specific heat capacity of Pumice is 0.87 kJ/Kg K and that of Boninite 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 Boninite is heat resistant, impact resistant, pressure resistant, wear resistant.