Definition
Pumice is a volcanic rock that consists of highly vesicular rough textured volcanic glass, which may or may not contain crystals
Picrite is a variety of high-magnesium olivine basalt that is very rich in the mineral olivine
Origin
Spain
Hawaii Islands
Discoverer
Unknown
Unknown
Etymology
From Old French pomis, from a Latin dialect variant of pumex
From Greek pikros bitter + -ite, 19th century
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
Earthy, Rough
Color
Beige, Grey, Light Green, Light Grey, Pink, White, Yellow- grey
Black, Brown, Green, Grey, Pink, White, Yellow
Durability
Durable
Durable
Scratch Resistant
Yes
Yes
Appearance
Vesicular
Rough and Shiny
Interior Uses
Decorative Aggregates, Flooring, Homes, Interior Decoration
Countertops, 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, 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 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.
Medical Industry
As an abrasive in skin exfoliating products, In Chemical and Pharmaceutical Industry, Medicines and Cosmetics
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Antiquity Uses
Artifacts
Artifacts, Monuments, Sculpture
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
As a Feed Additive for Livestock, As armour rock for sea walls, Metallurgical Flux, Pottery, Source of Magnesia (MgO)
Features
Host Rock for Lead
Host Rock for Lead
Archaeological Significance
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.
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.
Mineral Content
Aluminum Oxides, Calcite, Carbonate, Iron Oxides, Silica
Biotite, Olivine, Plagioclase, Pyrrhotite
Compound Content
Al, Aluminium Oxide, CaO, Carbon Dioxide, MgO, Silicon Dioxide
Al, CaO, Carbon Dioxide, Mg, MgO
Types of Metamorphism
Burial Metamorphism, Impact Metamorphism
Burial Metamorphism, Cataclastic Metamorphism, Impact 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, Glacier Erosion, Sea Erosion, Water Erosion, Wind Erosion
Grain Size
Fine Grained
Fine Grained
Streak
White, Greenish White or Grey
White, Greenish White or Grey
Porosity
Highly Porous
Less Porous
Luster
Earthy
Subvitreous to Dull
Specific Gravity
2.86
2.75-2.92
Transparency
Opaque
Opaque
Density
0.25-0.3 g/cm3
1.5-2.5 g/cm3
Resistance
Impact Resistant, Pressure Resistant
Heat Resistant
Deposits in Eastern Continents
Asia
Afghanistan, Indonesia, Japan, Russia
India, Russia
Africa
Ethiopia, Kenya, Tanzania
South Africa
Europe
Greece, Hungary, Iceland, Italy, Turkey
Iceland
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
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Pumice vs Picrite 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 Picrite characteristics assist us to distinguish and recognize rocks. Also you can check about Properties of Pumice and Properties of Picrite. Learn more about Pumice vs Picrite in the next section. The interior uses of Pumice include Decorative aggregates, Flooring, Homes and Interior decoration whereas the interior uses of Picrite include Countertops, Decorative aggregates, Homes and Interior decoration. Due to some exceptional properties of Pumice and Picrite, 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 Picrite include 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..
More about Pumice and Picrite
Here you can know more about Pumice and Picrite. The life cycle of a rock consists of formation of rock, composition of rock and transformation of rock. The composition of Pumice and Picrite consists of mineral content and compound content. The mineral content of Pumice includes Aluminum Oxides, Calcite, Carbonate, Iron Oxides, Silica and mineral content of Picrite includes Biotite, Olivine, Plagioclase, Pyrrhotite. You can also check out the list of all Igneous Rocks. When we have to compare Pumice vs Picrite, the texture, color and appearance plays an important role in determining the type of rock. Pumice is available in beige, grey, light green, light grey, pink, white, yellow- grey colors whereas, Picrite is available in black, brown, green, grey, pink, white, yellow colors. Appearance of Pumice is Vesicular and that of Picrite is Rough and Shiny. Properties of rock is another aspect for Pumice vs Picrite. The hardness of Pumice is 6 and that of Picrite is 6.8. The types of Pumice are Scoria whereas types of Picrite are Oceanite. Streak of rock is the color of powder produced when it is dragged across an unweathered surface. The streak of Pumice and Picrite is white, greenish white or grey. The specific heat capacity of Pumice is 0.87 kJ/Kg K and that of Picrite 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 Picrite is heat resistant.