Definition
Pyrolite is an igneous rock consisting of about three parts of peridotite and one part of basalt
Coal is a combustible black or brownish-black sedimentary rock usually occurring in rock strata in layers called coal beds
Origin
Pike County, U.S
USA
Discoverer
Unknown
John Peter Salley
Etymology
From the chemical and mineralogical composition of the upper mantle of the Earth
From the Old English term col, which has meant mineral of fossilized carbon since the 13th century
Class
Igneous Rocks
Sedimentary Rocks
Sub-Class
Durable Rock, Medium Hardness Rock
Durable Rock, Soft Rock
Other Categories
Coarse Grained Rock, Opaque Rock
Coarse Grained Rock, Fine Grained Rock, Medium Grained Rock, Opaque Rock
Texture
Phaneritic
Amorphous, Glassy
Color
Dark Greenish - Grey
Black, Brown, Dark Brown, Grey, Light to Dark Grey
Durability
Durable
Durable
Appearance
Rough and Shiny
Veined or Pebbled
Interior Uses
Decorative Aggregates, Interior Decoration
-
Exterior Uses
As Building Stone, As Facing Stone, Garden Decoration, Paving Stone
-
Other Architectural Uses
Curbing
-
Construction Industry
As Dimension Stone, Cobblestones
Cement Manufacture, for Road Aggregate, Making natural cement, Steel Production
Antiquity Uses
Artifacts, Monuments, Sculpture
Artifacts
Commercial Uses
Creating Artwork, Gemstone, Jewelry, Source of Chromite, Platinum, Nickel and Garnet, Source of Diamonds
Alumina Refineries, Electricity Generation, Liquid Fuel, Manufacture of Soap, Solvents, Dyes, Plastics and Fibres, Paper Industry
Types
Dunite, Wehrlite, Harzburgite, Lherzolite
Peat, Lignite, Sub-Bituminous Coal, Bituminous Coal, Anthracite, Graphite
Features
Constitutes upper part of the Earth's mantle, Generally rough to touch, Is one of the oldest rock
Helps in production of Heat and Electricity, Used as fossil fuel
Archaeological Significance
Formation
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.
Coal forms from the accumulation of plant debris in a swamp environment which is buried by sediments such as mud or sand and then compacted to form coal.
Mineral Content
Amphibole, Chromite, Garnet, Magnesium, Olivine, Phlogopite, Plagioclase, Pyroxene
Analcime, Apatite, Barite, Calcite, Chalcopyrite, Chlorite, Chromite, Clausthalite, Clay Minerals, Crandallite Group, Dolomite, Feldspar, Galena, Gypsum, Marcasite, Muscovite or Illite, Pyrite, Quartz, Siderite, Sphalerite, Zircon
Compound Content
Ca, Fe, Mg, Potassium, Silicon Dioxide, Sodium, Titanium Dioxide
Carbon, Hydrogen, Nitrogen, Oxygen, Sulphur
Types of Metamorphism
Burial Metamorphism, Cataclastic Metamorphism, Contact Metamorphism, Hydrothermal Metamorphism, Impact Metamorphism, Regional Metamorphism
Burial Metamorphism, Cataclastic Metamorphism, Regional Metamorphism
Types of Weathering
Biological Weathering, Chemical Weathering, Mechanical Weathering
-
Types of Erosion
Chemical Erosion, Coastal Erosion, Glacier Erosion, Sea Erosion, Water Erosion, Wind Erosion
-
Grain Size
Coarse Grained
Medium to Fine Coarse Grained
Fracture
Irregular
Conchoidal
Porosity
Less Porous
Less Porous
Luster
Shiny
Dull to Vitreous to Submetallic
Specific Gravity
3-3.01
1.1-1.4
Transparency
Translucent to Opaque
Opaque
Density
3.1-3.4 g/cm3
1100-1400 g/cm3
Resistance
Heat Resistant, Pressure Resistant, Wear Resistant
Heat Resistant
Deposits in Eastern Continents
Asia
China, India, Indonesia, Kazakhstan, Russia, South Korea, Thailand, Turkey
Bangladesh, Burma, Cambodia, China, India, Indonesia, Kazakhstan, Malaysia, Mongolia, Pakistan, Turkey, Vietnam
Africa
Morocco, South Africa
Botswana, Kenya, Morocco, Mozambique, South Africa, Tanzania
Europe
Finland, France, Georgia, Germany, Great Britain, Italy, Kazakhstan, Netherlands, Norway, Spain, Switzerland
Belgium, Bulgaria, England, France, Germany, Greece, Hungary, Kosovo, Netherlands, Norway, Poland, Romania, Serbia, Slovakia, Slovenia, The Czech Republic, Ukraine, United Kingdom
Deposits in Western Continents
North America
Canada, USA
Canada, Mexico, USA
South America
Brazil
Brazil, Chile, Colombia, Venezuela
Deposits in Oceania Continent
Australia
New Zealand, Western Australia
New South Wales, Queensland, Victoria