Definition
Pyroxenite is a dark, greenish, granular intrusive igneous rock consisting mainly of pyroxenes and olivine
Boninite is a mafic extrusive rock which is high in magnesium and silica content, formed in fore-arc environments, typically during the early stages of subduction
Discoverer
Unknown
Unknown
Etymology
From pyro- fire + Greek xenos stranger as the mineral group was new to igneous rocks
From its occurrence in the Izu-Bonin arc south of Japan
Class
Igneous Rocks
Igneous Rocks
Sub-Class
Durable Rock, Hard Rock
Durable Rock, Hard Rock
Other Categories
Coarse Grained Rock, Opaque Rock
Fine Grained Rock, Opaque Rock
Texture
Clastic, Granular, Phaneritic, Porphyritic
Aphanitic to Porphyritic
Color
Black to Grey, Bluish - Grey, Dark Greenish - Grey, Green, Light Greenish Grey
Bluish - Grey, Brown, Colourless, Green, Grey
Durability
Durable
Durable
Scratch Resistant
Yes
Yes
Appearance
Layered, Banded, Veined and Shiny
Dull and Soft
Interior Uses
Countertops, Decorative Aggregates, Interior Decoration, Kitchens
Decorative Aggregates, Homes, Kitchens
Exterior Uses
As Building Stone, As Facing Stone
Garden Decoration, Office Buildings
Other Architectural Uses
Curbing
Not Yet Used
Construction Industry
As Dimension Stone, Building houses or walls, Cement Manufacture, Construction Aggregate, for Road Aggregate
As a Flux in the Production of Steel and Pig Iron, As a Sintering Agent in Steel Industry to process Iron Ore, As Dimension Stone, Cement Manufacture, for Road Aggregate, Making natural cement, Manufacture of Magnesium and Dolomite Refractories
Medical Industry
Not Yet Used
Not Yet Used
Antiquity Uses
Artifacts
Artifacts
Commercial Uses
Cemetery Markers, Commemorative Tablets, Laboratory bench tops, Jewelry, Sea Defence, Tombstones
An Oil and Gas Reservoir, Cemetery Markers, Creating Artwork, Soil Conditioner, Source of Magnesia (MgO)
Types
Clinopyroxenites, Orthopyroxenites and Websterites
Not Available
Features
Generally rough to touch, Host rock for Diamond, Is one of the oldest rock
Available in Lots of Colors and Patterns, High Mg content, Is one of the oldest rock
Archaeological Significance
Monuments
Not Yet Used
Not Yet Used
Famous Monuments
Not Applicable
Not Applicable
Sculpture
Not Yet Used
Not Yet Used
Famous Sculptures
Not Applicable
Not Applicable
Pictographs
Not Used
Not Used
Petroglyphs
Not Used
Not Used
Figurines
Not Yet Used
Not Yet Used
Formation
Pyroxenites are ultramafic igneous rocks which are made up of minerals of the pyroxene group, such as augite and diopside, hypersthene, bronzite or enstatite.
Boninite is a type of Igneous rock which is formed through the cooling and solidification of lava or existing rocks.
Mineral Content
Amphibole, Augite, Bronzite, Chromite, Diopside, Enstatite, Garnet, Hornblende, Hypersthene, Magnetite, Pyroxene
Amphibole, Apatite, Biotite, Feldspar, Garnet, Hornblade, Ilmenite
Compound Content
Aluminium Oxide, CaO, Chromium(III) Oxide, Iron(III) Oxide, Potassium Oxide, MgO, Sodium Oxide, Silicon Dioxide, Sulfur Trioxide
Silicon Dioxide
Types of Metamorphism
Burial Metamorphism, Impact Metamorphism, Regional Metamorphism
Burial Metamorphism, Cataclastic Metamorphism, Contact Metamorphism, Regional Metamorphism
Types of Weathering
Biological Weathering, Chemical Weathering, Mechanical Weathering
Biological Weathering
Types of Erosion
Chemical Erosion, Coastal Erosion, Water Erosion
Chemical Erosion, Coastal Erosion, Wind Erosion
Grain Size
Coarse Grained
Fine Grained
Streak
White, Greenish White or Grey
White
Porosity
Less Porous
Less Porous
Luster
Dull to Vitreous to Submetallic
Vitreous
Cleavage
Irregular
Not Available
Toughness
Not Available
1.1
Specific Gravity
3.2-3.5
2.5-2.8
Transparency
Opaque
Opaque
Density
3.1-3.6 g/cm3
Not Available
Resistance
Impact Resistant, Pressure Resistant, Wear Resistant
Heat Resistant, Impact Resistant, Pressure Resistant, Wear Resistant
Deposits in Eastern Continents
Asia
India, Russia
Not Available
Africa
South Africa
South Africa
Europe
Germany, Greece, Italy, Scotland, Turkey
England, Finland, United Kingdom
Others
Greenland
Antarctica, Greenland
Deposits in Western Continents
North America
Canada, USA
USA
South America
Brazil, Colombia, Venezuela
Colombia, Uruguay
Deposits in Oceania Continent
Australia
New Zealand, Queensland
New Zealand, Western Australia
All about Pyroxenite and Boninite Properties
Know all about Pyroxenite and Boninite properties here. All properties of rocks are important as they define the type of rock and its application. Pyroxenite and Boninite belong to Igneous Rocks.Texture of Pyroxenite is Clastic, Granular, Phaneritic, Porphyritic whereas that of Boninite is Aphanitic to Porphyritic. Pyroxenite appears Layered, Banded, Veined and Shiny and Boninite appears Dull and Soft. The luster of Pyroxenite is dull to vitreous to submetallic while that of Boninite is vitreous. Pyroxenite is available in black to grey, bluish - grey, dark greenish - grey, green, light greenish grey colors whereas Boninite is available in bluish - grey, brown, colourless, green, grey colors. The commercial uses of Pyroxenite are cemetery markers, commemorative tablets, laboratory bench tops, jewelry, sea defence, tombstones and that of Boninite are an oil and gas reservoir, cemetery markers, creating artwork, soil conditioner, source of magnesia (mgo).