Definition
Scoria is a dark-colored extrusive igneous rock with abundant round bubble-like cavities
Picrite is a variety of high-magnesium olivine basalt that is very rich in the mineral olivine
Origin
Unknown
Hawaii Islands
Discoverer
Unknown
Unknown
Etymology
From late Middle English (denoting slag from molten metal), from Greek skōria refuse, from skōr dung
From Greek pikros bitter + -ite, 19th century
Class
Igneous Rocks
Igneous Rocks
Sub-Class
Durable Rock, Medium Hardness Rock
Durable Rock, Hard Rock
Other Categories
Fine Grained Rock, Opaque Rock
Fine Grained Rock, Opaque Rock
Texture
Vesicular
Earthy, Rough
Color
Black, Brown, Dark Grey to Black, Red
Black, Brown, Colourless, Green, Grey, Pink, White, Yellow
Durability
Durable
Durable
Scratch Resistant
Yes
Yes
Appearance
Glassy and Vesicular
Rough and Shiny
Interior Uses
Decorative Aggregates, Interior Decoration
Countertops, Decorative Aggregates, Homes, Interior Decoration
Exterior Uses
Garden Decoration, Paving Stone
As Building Stone, As Facing Stone, Garden Decoration, Paving Stone
Other Architectural Uses
Curbing
Curbing
Construction Industry
Cement Manufacture, Construction Aggregate, for Road Aggregate, In landscaping and drainage works
As a Sintering Agent in Steel Industry to process Iron Ore, Cement Manufacture, for Road Aggregate, Manufacture of Magnesium and Dolomite Refractories, Roadstone, Used for flooring, stair treads, borders and window sills.
Medical Industry
Not Yet Used
Not Yet Used
Antiquity Uses
Artifacts, Monuments, Sculpture
Artifacts, Monuments, Sculpture
Commercial Uses
As a traction material on snow-covered roads, Creating Artwork, High-temperature insulation, In gas barbecue grills
As a Feed Additive for Livestock, As armour rock for sea walls, Metallurgical Flux, Pottery, Source of Magnesia (MgO)
Types
Not Available
Oceanite
Features
Available in Lots of Colors and Patterns, Generally rough to touch, Surfaces are often shiny
Host Rock for Lead
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
Scoria forms when magma containing huge amount of dissolved gas flows from a volcano during an eruption.
Picrite 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
Apatite, Biotite, Calcite, Feldspar, Hematite, Hornblade, Ilmenite, Magnetite, Olivine, Pyroxene, Quartz, Silica
Biotite, Olivine, Plagioclase, Pyrrhotite
Compound Content
Ca, NaCl
Al, CaO, Carbon Dioxide, Mg, MgO
Types of Metamorphism
Burial Metamorphism, Cataclastic Metamorphism, Contact Metamorphism
Burial Metamorphism, Cataclastic Metamorphism, Impact Metamorphism, Regional Metamorphism
Types of Weathering
Biological Weathering, Chemical Weathering, Mechanical Weathering
Biological Weathering
Types of Erosion
Chemical Erosion, Coastal Erosion, Glacier Erosion
Chemical Erosion, Coastal Erosion, Glacier Erosion, Sea Erosion, Water Erosion, Wind Erosion
Grain Size
Fine Grained
Fine Grained
Fracture
Conchoidal
Uneven
Streak
White
White, Greenish White or Grey
Porosity
Highly Porous
Less Porous
Luster
Subvitreous to Dull
Subvitreous to Dull
Compressive Strength
Not Available
Cleavage
Perfect
Imperfect
Specific Gravity
Not Available
2.75-2.92
Transparency
Opaque
Opaque
Density
Not Available
1.5-2.5 g/cm3
Specific Heat Capacity
Not Available
Resistance
Heat Resistant, Impact Resistant, Pressure Resistant, Wear Resistant
Heat Resistant
Deposits in Eastern Continents
Asia
Afghanistan, Indonesia, Japan, Russia
India, Russia
Africa
Ethiopia, Kenya, Tanzania
South Africa
Europe
Greece, Hungary, Iceland, Italy, Turkey
Iceland
Others
Not Yet Found
Not Yet Found
Deposits in Western Continents
North America
Bahamas, Barbados, Canada, Costa Rica, Cuba, Jamaica, Mexico, USA
Canada, USA
South America
Argentina, Chile, Ecuador, Peru
Brazil
Deposits in Oceania Continent
Australia
New Zealand, Western Australia
Not Yet Found
Scoria vs Picrite 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. Scoria vs Picrite characteristics assist us to distinguish and recognize rocks. Also you can check about Properties of Scoria and Properties of Picrite. Learn more about Scoria vs Picrite in the next section. The interior uses of Scoria include Decorative aggregates and Interior decoration whereas the interior uses of Picrite include Countertops, Decorative aggregates, Homes and Interior decoration. Due to some exceptional properties of Scoria and Picrite, they have various applications in construction industry. The uses of Scoria in construction industry include Cement manufacture, Construction aggregate, For road aggregate, In landscaping and drainage works and that of Picrite include As a sintering agent in steel industry to process iron ore, Cement manufacture, For road aggregate, Manufacture of magnesium and dolomite refractories, Roadstone, Used for flooring, stair treads, borders and window sills..
More about Scoria and Picrite
Here you can know more about Scoria and Picrite. The life cycle of a rock consists of formation of rock, composition of rock and transformation of rock. The composition of Scoria and Picrite consists of mineral content and compound content. The mineral content of Scoria includes Apatite, Biotite, Calcite, Feldspar, Hematite, Hornblade, Ilmenite, Magnetite, Olivine, Pyroxene, Quartz, Silica and mineral content of Picrite includes Biotite, Olivine, Plagioclase, Pyrrhotite. You can also check out the list of all Igneous Rocks. When we have to compare Scoria vs Picrite, the texture, color and appearance plays an important role in determining the type of rock. Scoria is available in black, brown, dark grey to black, red colors whereas, Picrite is available in black, brown, colourless, green, grey, pink, white, yellow colors. Appearance of Scoria is Glassy and Vesicular and that of Picrite is Rough and Shiny. Properties of rock is another aspect for Scoria vs Picrite. The hardness of Scoria is 5-6 and that of Picrite is 6.8. The types of Scoria are Not Available whereas types of Picrite are Oceanite. Streak of rock is the color of powder produced when it is dragged across an unweathered surface. The streak of Scoria is white while that of Picrite is white, greenish white or grey. The specific heat capacity of Scoria is Not Available and that of Picrite is 0.88 kJ/Kg K. Depending on the properties like hardness, toughness, specific heat capacity, porosity etc., rocks are resistant to heat, wear, impact, etc.Scoria is heat resistant, impact resistant, pressure resistant, wear resistant whereas Picrite is heat resistant.