Definition
Pumice is a volcanic rock that consists of highly vesicular rough textured volcanic glass, which may or may not contain crystals
Pyrolite is an igneous rock consisting of about three parts of peridotite and one part of basalt
Origin
Spain
Pike County, U.S
Discoverer
Unknown
Unknown
Etymology
From Old French pomis, from a Latin dialect variant of pumex
From the chemical and mineralogical composition of the upper mantle of the Earth
Class
Igneous Rocks
Igneous Rocks
Sub-Class
Durable Rock, Medium Hardness Rock
Durable Rock, Medium Hardness Rock
Other Categories
Fine Grained Rock, Opaque Rock
Coarse Grained Rock, Opaque Rock
Texture
Vesicular
Phaneritic
Color
Beige, Colourless, Grey, Light Green, Light Grey, Pink, White, Yellow- grey
Dark Greenish - Grey
Durability
Durable
Durable
Scratch Resistant
Yes
Yes
Appearance
Vesicular
Rough and Shiny
Interior Uses
Decorative Aggregates, Flooring, Homes, Interior Decoration
Decorative Aggregates, 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 Dimension Stone, Cobblestones
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
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, Gemstone, Jewelry, Source of Chromite, Platinum, Nickel and Garnet, Source of Diamonds
Types
Scoria
Dunite, Wehrlite, Harzburgite, Lherzolite
Features
Host Rock for Lead
Constitutes upper part of the Earth's mantle, Generally rough to touch, Is one of the oldest rock
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
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.
Pyrolite 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
Amphibole, Chromite, Garnet, Magnesium, Olivine, Phlogopite, Plagioclase, Pyroxene
Compound Content
Al, Aluminium Oxide, CaO, Carbon Dioxide, MgO, Silicon Dioxide
Ca, Fe, Mg, Potassium, Silicon Dioxide, Sodium, Titanium Dioxide
Types of Metamorphism
Burial Metamorphism, Impact Metamorphism
Burial Metamorphism, Cataclastic Metamorphism, Contact Metamorphism, Hydrothermal Metamorphism, Impact Metamorphism, Regional 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, Coastal Erosion, Glacier Erosion, Sea Erosion, Water Erosion, Wind Erosion
Grain Size
Fine Grained
Coarse Grained
Fracture
Planar
Irregular
Streak
White, Greenish White or Grey
White
Porosity
Highly Porous
Less Porous
Cleavage
Perfect
Imperfect
Specific Gravity
2.86
3-3.01
Transparency
Opaque
Translucent to Opaque
Density
0.25-0.3 g/cm3
3.1-3.4 g/cm3
Resistance
Impact Resistant, Pressure Resistant
Heat Resistant, Pressure Resistant, Wear Resistant
Deposits in Eastern Continents
Asia
Afghanistan, Indonesia, Japan, Russia
China, India, Indonesia, Kazakhstan, Russia, South Korea, Thailand, Turkey
Africa
Ethiopia, Kenya, Tanzania
Morocco, South Africa
Europe
Greece, Hungary, Iceland, Italy, Turkey
Finland, France, Georgia, Germany, Great Britain, Italy, Kazakhstan, Netherlands, Norway, Spain, Switzerland, Venezuela
Others
Not Yet Found
Not Yet Found
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 Zealand, Western Australia
Pumice vs Pyrolite 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 Pyrolite characteristics assist us to distinguish and recognize rocks. Also you can check about Properties of Pumice and Properties of Pyrolite. Learn more about Pumice vs Pyrolite in the next section. The interior uses of Pumice include Decorative aggregates, Flooring, Homes and Interior decoration whereas the interior uses of Pyrolite include Decorative aggregates and Interior decoration. Due to some exceptional properties of Pumice and Pyrolite, 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 Pyrolite include As dimension stone, Cobblestones.
More about Pumice and Pyrolite
Here you can know more about Pumice and Pyrolite. The life cycle of a rock consists of formation of rock, composition of rock and transformation of rock. The composition of Pumice and Pyrolite consists of mineral content and compound content. The mineral content of Pumice includes Aluminum Oxides, Calcite, Carbonate, Iron Oxides, Silica and mineral content of Pyrolite includes Amphibole, Chromite, Garnet, Magnesium, Olivine, Phlogopite, Plagioclase, Pyroxene. You can also check out the list of all . When we have to compare Pumice vs Pyrolite, 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, Pyrolite is available in dark greenish - grey colors. Appearance of Pumice is Vesicular and that of Pyrolite is Rough and Shiny. Properties of rock is another aspect for Pumice vs Pyrolite. The hardness of Pumice is 6 and that of Pyrolite is 5.5-6. The types of Pumice are Scoria whereas types of Pyrolite are Dunite, Wehrlite, Harzburgite, Lherzolite. Streak of rock is the color of powder produced when it is dragged across an unweathered surface. The streak of Pumice and Pyrolite is white, greenish white or grey. The specific heat capacity of Pumice is 0.87 kJ/Kg K and that of Pyrolite is 1.25 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 Pyrolite is heat resistant, pressure resistant, wear resistant.