Definition
Pyrolite is an igneous rock consisting of about three parts of peridotite and one part of basalt
Rhyolite is a fine-grained igneous rock which is rich in silica
Origin
Pike County, U.S
North America
Discoverer
Unknown
Ferdinand von Richthofen
Etymology
From the chemical and mineralogical composition of the upper mantle of the Earth
From German Rhyolit, from Greek rhuax lava stream + lithos stone
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
Aphanitic, Glassy, Porphyritic
Color
Dark Greenish - Grey
Grey, White, Light Black
Durability
Durable
Durable
Scratch Resistant
Yes
Yes
Appearance
Rough and Shiny
Banded
Interior Uses
Decorative Aggregates, Interior Decoration
Decorative Aggregates, Homes, Hotels, Interior Decoration, Kitchens
Exterior Uses
As Building Stone, As Facing Stone, Garden Decoration, Paving Stone
As Building Stone, As Facing Stone, Paving Stone, Office Buildings
Other Architectural Uses
Curbing
Not Yet Used
Construction Industry
As Dimension Stone, Cobblestones
Arrowheads, As Dimension Stone, Building houses or walls, Construction Aggregate, Cutting Tool, for Road Aggregate, Knives
Medical Industry
Not Yet Used
Not Yet Used
Antiquity Uses
Artifacts, Monuments, Sculpture
Artifacts
Commercial Uses
Creating Artwork, Gemstone, Jewelry, Source of Chromite, Platinum, Nickel and Garnet, Source of Diamonds
Gemstone, Laboratory bench tops, Jewelry
Types
Dunite, Wehrlite, Harzburgite, Lherzolite
Pumice Rocks, Obsidian Rocks, Perlite Rocks, Porphyritic Rocks.
Features
Constitutes upper part of the Earth's mantle, Generally rough to touch, Is one of the oldest rock
Acidic in nature, Available in lots of colors
Archaeological Significance
Monuments
Used
Not Yet Used
Famous Monuments
Data Not Available
Not Applicable
Sculpture
Used
Not Yet Used
Famous Sculptures
Data Not Available
Not Applicable
Pictographs
Used
Not Used
Petroglyphs
Used
Not Used
Figurines
Used
Not Yet 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.
Rhyolite is a felsic extrusive rock and due to its high silica content, rhyolite lava is very viscous and is volcanic equivalent of granite.
Mineral Content
Amphibole, Chromite, Garnet, Magnesium, Olivine, Phlogopite, Plagioclase, Pyroxene
Biotite, Feldspar, Hornblade, Plagioclase, Pyroxene, Quartz
Compound Content
Ca, Fe, Mg, Potassium, Silicon Dioxide, Sodium, Titanium Dioxide
Ca, Fe, Potassium Oxide, Mg, Potassium, Silicon Dioxide, Sodium
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
Biological Weathering, Chemical Weathering, Mechanical Weathering
Types of Erosion
Chemical Erosion, Coastal Erosion, Glacier Erosion, Sea Erosion, Water Erosion, Wind Erosion
Chemical Erosion, Sea Erosion, Water Erosion, Wind Erosion
Grain Size
Coarse Grained
Large and Coarse Grained
Fracture
Irregular
Sub-conchoidal
Porosity
Less Porous
Highly Porous
Cleavage
Imperfect
Not Available
Specific Gravity
3-3.01
2.65-2.67
Transparency
Translucent to Opaque
Opaque
Density
3.1-3.4 g/cm3
2.4-2.6 g/cm3
Specific Heat Capacity
Not Available
Resistance
Heat Resistant, Pressure Resistant, Wear Resistant
Heat Resistant, Wear Resistant
Deposits in Eastern Continents
Asia
China, India, Indonesia, Kazakhstan, Russia, South Korea, Thailand, Turkey
China, India
Africa
Morocco, South Africa
Angola, Egypt, Madagascar, Namibia, Nigeria, South Africa
Europe
Finland, France, Georgia, Germany, Great Britain, Italy, Kazakhstan, Netherlands, Norway, Spain, Switzerland, Venezuela
Germany, Iceland, Ireland, Italy, Spain
Others
Not Yet Found
Not Yet Found
Deposits in Western Continents
North America
Canada, USA
Canada, USA
South America
Brazil
Argentina, Bolivia, Chile, Colombia, Ecuador, Peru, Venezuela
Deposits in Oceania Continent
Australia
New Zealand, Western Australia
New Zealand, Queensland, Western Australia
Pyrolite vs Rhyolite 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 Rhyolite characteristics assist us to distinguish and recognize rocks. Also you can check about Properties of Pyrolite and Properties of Rhyolite. Learn more about Pyrolite vs Rhyolite in the next section. The interior uses of Pyrolite include Decorative aggregates and Interior decoration whereas the interior uses of Rhyolite include Decorative aggregates, Homes, Hotels, Interior decoration and Kitchens. Due to some exceptional properties of Pyrolite and Rhyolite, they have various applications in construction industry. The uses of Pyrolite in construction industry include As dimension stone, Cobblestones and that of Rhyolite include Arrowheads, As dimension stone, Building houses or walls, Construction aggregate, Cutting tool, For road aggregate, Knives.
More about Pyrolite and Rhyolite
Here you can know more about Pyrolite and Rhyolite. The life cycle of a rock consists of formation of rock, composition of rock and transformation of rock. The composition of Pyrolite and Rhyolite 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 Rhyolite includes Biotite, Feldspar, Hornblade, Plagioclase, Pyroxene, Quartz. You can also check out the list of all Igneous Rocks. When we have to compare Pyrolite vs Rhyolite, the texture, color and appearance plays an important role in determining the type of rock. Pyrolite is available in dark greenish - grey colors whereas, Rhyolite is available in grey, white, light black colors. Appearance of Pyrolite is Rough and Shiny and that of Rhyolite is Banded. Properties of rock is another aspect for Pyrolite vs Rhyolite. The hardness of Pyrolite is 5.5-6 and that of Rhyolite is 6-7. The types of Pyrolite are Dunite, Wehrlite, Harzburgite, Lherzolite whereas types of Rhyolite are Pumice Rocks, Obsidian Rocks, Perlite Rocks, Porphyritic Rocks.. 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 Rhyolite is colorless. The specific heat capacity of Pyrolite is 1.25 kJ/Kg K and that of Rhyolite 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 Rhyolite is heat resistant, wear resistant.