Definition
Pumice is a volcanic rock that consists of highly vesicular rough textured volcanic glass, which may or may not contain crystals
Nephelinite is a fine-grained or aphanitic igneous rock made up almost entirely of nepheline and clinopyroxene (variety augite).
Discoverer
Unknown
Unknown
Etymology
From Old French pomis, from a Latin dialect variant of pumex
from French néphéline, from Greek nephelē
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
Color
Beige, Colourless, Grey, Light Green, Light Grey, Pink, White, Yellow- grey
Black, Brown, Colourless, Green, Grey, White
Durability
Durable
Durable
Scratch Resistant
Yes
Yes
Appearance
Vesicular
Skeletal
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
As Building Stone, As Facing Stone, Garden Decoration, Office Buildings, Paving Stone
Other Architectural Uses
Curbing, Powder
Curbing
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, Cement Manufacture, Construction Aggregate, for Road Aggregate
Medical Industry
As an abrasive in skin exfoliating products, In Chemical and Pharmaceutical Industry, Medicines and Cosmetics
Not Yet Used
Antiquity Uses
Artifacts
Artifacts, Monuments, 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
Creating Artwork, Soil Conditioner, Source of Magnesia (MgO)
Types
Scoria
Peralkaline Nephelinite
Features
Host Rock for Lead
Host Rock for Lead
Archaeological Significance
Monuments
Not Yet Used
Used
Famous Monuments
Not Applicable
Data Not Available
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.
Nephelinite 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.
Mineral Content
Aluminum Oxides, Calcite, Carbonate, Iron Oxides, Silica
Clinopyroxene, Nepheline, Plagioclase
Compound Content
Al, Aluminium Oxide, CaO, Carbon Dioxide, MgO, Silicon Dioxide
Ca, CaO, Carbon, Cl, MgO
Types of Metamorphism
Burial Metamorphism, Impact Metamorphism
Contact Metamorphism
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
Chemical Erosion, Water Erosion, Wind Erosion
Grain Size
Fine Grained
Fine Grained
Streak
White, Greenish White or Grey
White
Porosity
Highly Porous
Less Porous
Luster
Earthy
Vitreous to Metallic
Cleavage
Perfect
Imperfect
Specific Gravity
2.86
2.4-2.9
Transparency
Opaque
Opaque
Density
0.25-0.3 g/cm3
2.5-3 g/cm3
Resistance
Impact Resistant, Pressure Resistant
Heat Resistant
Deposits in Eastern Continents
Asia
Afghanistan, Indonesia, Japan, Russia
Japan
Africa
Ethiopia, Kenya, Tanzania
Rwanda, Tanzania
Europe
Greece, Hungary, Iceland, Italy, Turkey
Not Yet Found
Others
Not Yet Found
Hawaii Islands
Deposits in Western Continents
North America
Bahamas, Barbados, Canada, Costa Rica, Cuba, Jamaica, Mexico, USA
Canada, USA
South America
Argentina, Chile, Ecuador, Peru
Colombia
Deposits in Oceania Continent
Australia
New Zealand, Western Australia
Not Yet Found
Pumice vs Nephelinite 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 Nephelinite characteristics assist us to distinguish and recognize rocks. Also you can check about Properties of Pumice and Properties of Nephelinite. Learn more about Pumice vs Nephelinite in the next section. The interior uses of Pumice include Decorative aggregates, Flooring, Homes and Interior decoration whereas the interior uses of Nephelinite include Decorative aggregates, Homes and Interior decoration. Due to some exceptional properties of Pumice and Nephelinite, 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 Nephelinite include As dimension stone, Cement manufacture, Construction aggregate, For road aggregate.
More about Pumice and Nephelinite
Here you can know more about Pumice and Nephelinite. The life cycle of a rock consists of formation of rock, composition of rock and transformation of rock. The composition of Pumice and Nephelinite consists of mineral content and compound content. The mineral content of Pumice includes Aluminum Oxides, Calcite, Carbonate, Iron Oxides, Silica and mineral content of Nephelinite includes Clinopyroxene, Nepheline, Plagioclase. You can also check out the list of all Igneous Rocks. When we have to compare Pumice vs Nephelinite, 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, Nephelinite is available in black, brown, colourless, green, grey, white colors. Appearance of Pumice is Vesicular and that of Nephelinite is Skeletal. Properties of rock is another aspect for Pumice vs Nephelinite. The hardness of Pumice is 6 and that of Nephelinite is 6.5. The types of Pumice are Scoria whereas types of Nephelinite are Peralkaline Nephelinite. Streak of rock is the color of powder produced when it is dragged across an unweathered surface. The streak of Pumice and Nephelinite is white, greenish white or grey. The specific heat capacity of Pumice is 0.87 kJ/Kg K and that of Nephelinite is 0.88 kJ/Kg K. 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 Nephelinite is heat resistant.