Home
Compare Rocks


Serpentinite and Pumice


Pumice and Serpentinite


Definition

Definition
A hydration and metamorphic transformation of ultramafic rock from the Earth's mantle is called as serpentinization, a group of minerals is formed by serpentinization compose rock 'serpentinite'.  
Pumice is a volcanic rock that consists of highly vesicular rough textured volcanic glass, which may or may not contain crystals  

History
  
  

Origin
USA  
Spain  

Discoverer
Unknown  
Unknown  

Etymology
From English word serpentinization.  
From Old French pomis, from a Latin dialect variant of pumex  

Class
Metamorphic Rocks  
Igneous Rocks  

Sub-Class
Durable Rock, Medium Hardness Rock  
Durable Rock, Medium Hardness Rock  

Family
  
  

Group
-  
Volcanic  

Other Categories
Fine Grained Rock, Opaque Rock  
Fine Grained Rock, Opaque Rock  

Texture

Texture
Earthy  
Vesicular  

Color
Black, Brown, Green, Grey, White  
Beige, Grey, Light Green, Light Grey, Pink, White, Yellow- grey  

Maintenance
Less  
Less  

Durability
Durable  
Durable  

Water Resistant
Yes  
Yes  

Scratch Resistant
No  
Yes  

Stain Resistant
Yes  
Yes  

Wind Resistant
No  
No  

Acid Resistant
No  
Yes  

Appearance
Rough and Dull  
Vesicular  

Uses

Architecture
  
  

Interior Uses
Decorative Aggregates, Interior Decoration  
Decorative Aggregates, Flooring, Homes, Interior Decoration  

Exterior Uses
As Building Stone, Paving Stone, Garden Decoration, Office Buildings  
As Building Stone, As Facing Stone, Garden Decoration, Paving Stone  

Other Architectural Uses
Curbing  
Curbing, Powder  

Industry
  
  

Construction Industry
As Dimension Stone, Cement Manufacture, for Road Aggregate, Making natural cement  
As Dimension Stone, Cement Manufacture, for Road Aggregate, In landscaping and horticulture, Making natural cement, Production of lightweight concrete blocks  

Medical Industry
-  
As an abrasive in skin exfoliating products, In Chemical and Pharmaceutical Industry, Medicines and Cosmetics  

Antiquity Uses
Artifacts, Jewellery, Monuments, Sculpture  
Artifacts  

Other Uses
  
  

Commercial Uses
Commemorative Tablets, Creating Artwork  
As a traction material on snow-covered roads, As an abrasive in pencil erasers, Fine abrasive used for polishing, Manufacture of Soap, Solvents, Dyes, Plastics and Fibres, Used in aquariums  

Types

Types
Jadeitite  
Scoria  

Features
Host Rock for Lead  
Host Rock for Lead  

Archaeological Significance
  
  

Monuments
-  
-  

Famous Monuments
-  
-  

Sculpture
-  
-  

Famous Sculptures
-  
-  

Pictographs
-  
-  

Petroglyphs
-  
-  

Figurines
-  
-  

Fossils
Absent  
Absent  

Formation

Formation
Due to change in environmental conditions, rocks are heated and pressurized deep inside the Earth's surface. Serpentinite is formed from the extreme heat caused by magma or by the intense collisions and friction of tectonic plates.  
Pumice rock forms when the magma cools so quickly that atoms in the melt are not able to arrange themselves into a crystalline structure.  

Composition
  
  

Mineral Content
Carbonate, Magnetite, Pyrrhotite, Serpentine, Sulfides  
Aluminum Oxides, Calcite, Carbonate, Iron Oxides, Silica  

Compound Content
Ca, CaO, Carbon Dioxide, KCl, MgO, Sulfur Dioxide, Sulphur  
Al, Aluminium Oxide, CaO, Carbon Dioxide, MgO, Silicon Dioxide  

Transformation
  
  

Metamorphism
Yes  
Yes  

Types of Metamorphism
Burial Metamorphism, Cataclastic Metamorphism, Contact Metamorphism, Hydrothermal Metamorphism, Impact Metamorphism  
Burial Metamorphism, Impact Metamorphism  

Weathering
No  
Yes  

Types of Weathering
-  
Biological Weathering, Chemical Weathering, Mechanical Weathering  

Erosion
Yes  
Yes  

Types of Erosion
Chemical Erosion, Coastal Erosion, Glacier Erosion, Sea Erosion, Wind Erosion  
Chemical Erosion, Coastal Erosion, Glacier Erosion, Sea Erosion, Water Erosion, Wind Erosion  

Properties

Physical Properties
  
  

Hardness
3-5  
6  

Grain Size
Very fine-grained  
Fine Grained  

Fracture
Uneven  
Planar  

Streak
White, Greenish White or Grey  
White, Greenish White or Grey  

Porosity
Less Porous  
Highly Porous  

Luster
Waxy and Dull  
Earthy  

Compressive Strength
310.00 N/mm2  
2
51.20 N/mm2  
38

Cleavage
-  
Perfect  

Toughness
7  
3  

Specific Gravity
2.79-3  
2.86  

Transparency
Opaque  
Opaque  

Density
2.5-3 g/cm3  
0.25-0.3 g/cm3  

Thermal Properties
  
  

Specific Heat Capacity
0.95 kJ/Kg K  
9
0.87 kJ/Kg K  
14

Resistance
Heat Resistant  
Impact Resistant, Pressure Resistant  

Reserves

Deposits in Eastern Continents
  
  

Asia
India, Saudi Arabia, Singapore, South Korea  
Afghanistan, Indonesia, Japan, Russia  

Africa
Ethiopia, Western Africa  
Ethiopia, Kenya, Tanzania  

Europe
England, Georgia, Switzerland, United Kingdom  
Greece, Hungary, Iceland, Italy, Turkey  

Others
-  
-  

Deposits in Western Continents
  
  

North America
Canada  
Bahamas, Barbados, Canada, Costa Rica, Cuba, Jamaica, Mexico, USA  

South America
Colombia  
Argentina, Chile, Ecuador, Peru  

Deposits in Oceania Continent
  
  

Australia
Central Australia, New South Wales, New Zealand, Western Australia  
New Zealand, Western Australia  

Summary >>
<< Reserves

All about Serpentinite and Pumice Properties

Know all about Serpentinite and Pumice properties here. All properties of rocks are important as they define the type of rock and its application. Serpentinite belongs to Metamorphic Rocks while Pumice belongs to Igneous Rocks.Texture of Serpentinite is Earthy whereas that of Pumice is Vesicular. Serpentinite appears Rough and Dull and Pumice appears Vesicular. The luster of Serpentinite is waxy and dull while that of Pumice is earthy. Serpentinite is available in black, brown, green, grey, white colors whereas Pumice is available in beige, grey, light green, light grey, pink, white, yellow- grey colors. The commercial uses of Serpentinite are commemorative tablets, creating artwork and that of Pumice are as a traction material on snow-covered roads, as an abrasive in pencil erasers, fine abrasive used for polishing, manufacture of soap, solvents, dyes, plastics and fibres, used in aquariums.

Compare Metamorphic Rocks

Metamorphic Rocks

Metamorphic Rocks

» More Metamorphic Rocks

Compare Metamorphic Rocks

» More Compare Metamorphic Rocks