Definition
Pyrolite is an igneous rock consisting of about three parts of peridotite and one part of basalt
Gabbro is an intrusive igneous rock which is chemically equivalent to plutonic Basalt
Origin
Pike County, U.S
Germany
Discoverer
Unknown
Christian Leopold von Buch
Etymology
From the chemical and mineralogical composition of the upper mantle of the Earth
From Latin glaber bare, smooth, bald
Class
Igneous Rocks
Igneous Rocks
Sub-Class
Durable Rock, Medium Hardness Rock
Durable Rock, Hard Rock
Other Categories
Coarse Grained Rock, Opaque Rock
Coarse Grained Rock, Opaque Rock
Texture
Phaneritic
Phaneritic
Color
Dark Greenish - Grey
Dark Grey to Black
Durability
Durable
Durable
Scratch Resistant
Yes
Yes
Appearance
Rough and Shiny
Veined and Shiny
Interior Uses
Decorative Aggregates, 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, Office Buildings, Paving Stone
Other Architectural Uses
Curbing
Curbing
Construction Industry
As Dimension Stone, Cobblestones
As Dimension Stone, Building houses or walls, Cement Manufacture, Construction Aggregate, for Road Aggregate
Medical Industry
Not Yet Used
Not Yet Used
Antiquity Uses
Artifacts, Monuments, Sculpture
Artifacts, Monuments, Sculpture
Commercial Uses
Creating Artwork, Gemstone, Jewelry, Source of Chromite, Platinum, Nickel and Garnet, Source of Diamonds
Cemetery Markers, Commemorative Tablets, Laboratory bench tops, Jewelry, Sea Defence, Tombstones
Types
Dunite, Wehrlite, Harzburgite, Lherzolite
Not Available
Features
Constitutes upper part of the Earth's mantle, Generally rough to touch, Is one of the oldest rock
Smooth to touch
Archaeological Significance
Famous Monuments
Data Not Available
Data Not Available
Famous Sculptures
Data Not Available
Data Not Available
Pictographs
Used
Not Used
Petroglyphs
Used
Not Used
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.
Gabbro, a mafic rock, forms due to cooling and crystallization of magma underneath Earth's surface.
Mineral Content
Amphibole, Chromite, Garnet, Magnesium, Olivine, Phlogopite, Plagioclase, Pyroxene
Augite, Olivine, Plagioclase, Pyroxene
Compound Content
Ca, Fe, Mg, Potassium, Silicon Dioxide, Sodium, Titanium Dioxide
Aluminium Oxide, CaO, Chromium(III) Oxide, Iron(III) Oxide, Potassium Oxide, MgO, Sodium Oxide, Silicon Dioxide, Sulfur Trioxide
Types of Metamorphism
Burial Metamorphism, Cataclastic Metamorphism, Contact Metamorphism, Hydrothermal Metamorphism, Impact Metamorphism, Regional Metamorphism
Impact Metamorphism
Types of Weathering
Biological Weathering, Chemical Weathering, Mechanical Weathering
Chemical Weathering
Types of Erosion
Chemical Erosion, Coastal Erosion, Glacier Erosion, Sea Erosion, Water Erosion, Wind Erosion
Coastal Erosion
Grain Size
Coarse Grained
Coarse Grained
Fracture
Irregular
Conchoidal
Porosity
Less Porous
Highly Porous
Luster
Shiny
Not Available
Cleavage
Imperfect
Not Available
Specific Gravity
3-3.01
2.86-2.87
Transparency
Translucent to Opaque
Opaque
Density
3.1-3.4 g/cm3
2.7-3.3 g/cm3
Specific Heat Capacity
Not Available
Resistance
Heat Resistant, Pressure Resistant, Wear Resistant
Impact Resistant, Pressure Resistant, Wear Resistant
Deposits in Eastern Continents
Asia
China, India, Indonesia, Kazakhstan, Russia, South Korea, Thailand, Turkey
India, Russia
Africa
Morocco, South Africa
South Africa
Europe
Finland, France, Georgia, Germany, Great Britain, Italy, Kazakhstan, Netherlands, Norway, Spain, Switzerland, Venezuela
Germany, Greece, Italy, Scotland, Turkey
Others
Not Yet Found
Greenland
Deposits in Western Continents
North America
Canada, USA
Canada, USA
South America
Brazil
Brazil, Colombia, Venezuela
Deposits in Oceania Continent
Australia
New Zealand, Western Australia
New Zealand, Queensland
Pyrolite vs Gabbro 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. Pyrolite vs Gabbro characteristics assist us to distinguish and recognize rocks. Also you can check about Properties of Pyrolite and Properties of Gabbro. Learn more about Pyrolite vs Gabbro in the next section. The interior uses of Pyrolite include Decorative aggregates and Interior decoration whereas the interior uses of Gabbro include Countertops, Decorative aggregates, Homes and Interior decoration. Due to some exceptional properties of Pyrolite and Gabbro, they have various applications in construction industry. The uses of Pyrolite in construction industry include As dimension stone, Cobblestones and that of Gabbro include As dimension stone, Building houses or walls, Cement manufacture, Construction aggregate, For road aggregate.
More about Pyrolite and Gabbro
Here you can know more about Pyrolite and Gabbro. The life cycle of a rock consists of formation of rock, composition of rock and transformation of rock. The composition of Pyrolite and Gabbro consists of mineral content and compound content. The mineral content of Pyrolite includes Amphibole, Chromite, Garnet, Magnesium, Olivine, Phlogopite, Plagioclase, Pyroxene and mineral content of Gabbro includes Augite, Olivine, Plagioclase, Pyroxene. You can also check out the list of all Igneous Rocks. When we have to compare Pyrolite vs Gabbro, the texture, color and appearance plays an important role in determining the type of rock. Pyrolite is available in dark greenish - grey colors whereas, Gabbro is available in dark grey to black colors. Appearance of Pyrolite is Rough and Shiny and that of Gabbro is Veined and Shiny. Properties of rock is another aspect for Pyrolite vs Gabbro. The hardness of Pyrolite is 5.5-6 and that of Gabbro is 7. The types of Pyrolite are Dunite, Wehrlite, Harzburgite, Lherzolite whereas types of Gabbro are Not Available. Streak of rock is the color of powder produced when it is dragged across an unweathered surface. The streak of Pyrolite is white while that of Gabbro is black. The specific heat capacity of Pyrolite is 1.25 kJ/Kg K and that of Gabbro is Not Available. Depending on the properties like hardness, toughness, specific heat capacity, porosity etc., rocks are resistant to heat, wear, impact, etc.Pyrolite is heat resistant, pressure resistant, wear resistant whereas Gabbro is impact resistant, pressure resistant, wear resistant.