Definition
Pyroxenite is a dark, greenish, granular intrusive igneous rock consisting mainly of pyroxenes and olivine
Pantellerite is a peralkaline rhyolite. It has a higher iron and lower aluminium composition than comendite
Origin
Unknown
Strait of sicily
Discoverer
Unknown
Unknown
Etymology
From pyro- fire + Greek xenos stranger as the mineral group was new to igneous rocks
From Pantelleria, a volcanic island in the Strait of Sicily
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
Eutaxitic
Color
Black to Grey, Bluish - Grey, Dark Greenish - Grey, Green, Light Greenish Grey
Dark Greenish - Grey
Durability
Durable
Durable
Scratch Resistant
Yes
Yes
Appearance
Layered, Banded, Veined and Shiny
Layered and Foliated
Interior Uses
Countertops, Decorative Aggregates, Interior Decoration, Kitchens
Not Yet Used
Exterior Uses
As Building Stone, As Facing Stone
Not Yet Used
Other Architectural Uses
Curbing
Not Yet Used
Construction Industry
As Dimension Stone, Building houses or walls, Cement Manufacture, Construction Aggregate, for Road Aggregate
NA
Medical Industry
Not Yet Used
Not Yet Used
Antiquity Uses
Artifacts
Artifacts, Sculpture
Commercial Uses
Cemetery Markers, Commemorative Tablets, Laboratory bench tops, Jewelry, Sea Defence, Tombstones
Creating Artwork
Types
Clinopyroxenites, Orthopyroxenites and Websterites
Pantelleritic Ignimbrite
Features
Generally rough to touch, Host rock for Diamond, Is one of the oldest rock
High Fe content
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.
Pantellerite 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
Amphibole, Augite, Bronzite, Chromite, Diopside, Enstatite, Garnet, Hornblende, Hypersthene, Magnetite, Pyroxene
Amphibole, Feldspar, Ilmenite
Compound Content
Aluminium Oxide, CaO, Chromium(III) Oxide, Iron(III) Oxide, Potassium Oxide, MgO, Sodium Oxide, Silicon Dioxide, Sulfur Trioxide
Al, Fe
Types of Metamorphism
Burial Metamorphism, Impact Metamorphism, Regional Metamorphism
Burial Metamorphism, Cataclastic Metamorphism
Types of Weathering
Biological Weathering, Chemical Weathering, Mechanical Weathering
Biological Weathering, Chemical Weathering
Types of Erosion
Chemical Erosion, Coastal Erosion, Water Erosion
Chemical Erosion, Coastal Erosion, Glacier Erosion, Sea Erosion, Water Erosion, Wind Erosion
Grain Size
Coarse Grained
Fine Grained
Fracture
Uneven
Sub-conchoidal
Streak
White, Greenish White or Grey
Unknown
Porosity
Less Porous
Less Porous
Luster
Dull to Vitreous to Submetallic
Earthy
Cleavage
Irregular
Conchoidal
Toughness
Not Available
2
Specific Gravity
3.2-3.5
Not Available
Transparency
Opaque
Translucent to Opaque
Density
3.1-3.6 g/cm3
Not Available
Resistance
Impact Resistant, Pressure Resistant, Wear Resistant
Heat Resistant
Deposits in Eastern Continents
Asia
India, Russia
China, India
Africa
South Africa
Angola, Egypt, Madagascar, Namibia, Nigeria
Europe
Germany, Greece, Italy, Scotland, Turkey
Germany, Iceland, Ireland, Italy, Spain, United Kingdom
Others
Greenland
Not Yet Found
Deposits in Western Continents
North America
Canada, USA
Canada, USA
South America
Brazil, Colombia, Venezuela
Argentina, Bolivia, Brazil, Colombia, Ecuador
Deposits in Oceania Continent
Australia
New Zealand, Queensland
Central Australia, Queensland, Western Australia
Pyroxenite vs Pantellerite 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. Pyroxenite vs Pantellerite characteristics assist us to distinguish and recognize rocks. Also you can check about Properties of Pyroxenite and Properties of Pantellerite. Learn more about Pyroxenite vs Pantellerite in the next section. The interior uses of Pyroxenite include Countertops, Decorative aggregates, Interior decoration and Kitchens whereas the interior uses of Pantellerite include Not yet used. Due to some exceptional properties of Pyroxenite and Pantellerite, they have various applications in construction industry. The uses of Pyroxenite in construction industry include As dimension stone, Building houses or walls, Cement manufacture, Construction aggregate, For road aggregate and that of Pantellerite include Na.
More about Pyroxenite and Pantellerite
Here you can know more about Pyroxenite and Pantellerite. The life cycle of a rock consists of formation of rock, composition of rock and transformation of rock. The composition of Pyroxenite and Pantellerite consists of mineral content and compound content. The mineral content of Pyroxenite includes Amphibole, Augite, Bronzite, Chromite, Diopside, Enstatite, Garnet, Hornblende, Hypersthene, Magnetite, Pyroxene and mineral content of Pantellerite includes Amphibole, Feldspar, Ilmenite. You can also check out the list of all Igneous Rocks. When we have to compare Pyroxenite vs Pantellerite, the texture, color and appearance plays an important role in determining the type of rock. Pyroxenite is available in black to grey, bluish - grey, dark greenish - grey, green, light greenish grey colors whereas, Pantellerite is available in dark greenish - grey colors. Appearance of Pyroxenite is Layered, Banded, Veined and Shiny and that of Pantellerite is Layered and Foliated. Properties of rock is another aspect for Pyroxenite vs Pantellerite. The hardness of Pyroxenite is 7 and that of Pantellerite is 6-7. The types of Pyroxenite are Clinopyroxenites, Orthopyroxenites and Websterites whereas types of Pantellerite are Pantelleritic Ignimbrite. Streak of rock is the color of powder produced when it is dragged across an unweathered surface. The streak of Pyroxenite is white, greenish white or grey while that of Pantellerite is unknown. The specific heat capacity of Pyroxenite is Not Available and that of Pantellerite is Not Available. Depending on the properties like hardness, toughness, specific heat capacity, porosity etc., rocks are resistant to heat, wear, impact, etc.Pyroxenite is impact resistant, pressure resistant, wear resistant whereas Pantellerite is heat resistant.