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Shonkinite and Pyrolite


Pyrolite and Shonkinite


Definition

Definition
Shonkinite is a rare, dark-coloured and intrusive igneous rock which contains augite and orthoclase feldspar as its primary constituents  
Pyrolite is an igneous rock consisting of about three parts of peridotite and one part of basalt  

History
  
  

Origin
USA  
Pike County, U.S  

Discoverer
Unknown  
Unknown  

Etymology
From the name of Shonkin Sag ranges in the Highwood Mountains of north-central Montana, US  
From the chemical and mineralogical composition of the upper mantle of the Earth  

Class
Igneous Rocks  
Igneous Rocks  

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

Family
  
  

Group
Not Applicable  
Plutonic  

Other Categories
Coarse Grained Rock, Fine Grained Rock, Medium Grained Rock, Opaque Rock  
Coarse Grained Rock, Opaque Rock  

Texture

Texture
Earthy  
Phaneritic  

Color
Brown, Buff, Cream, Green, Grey, Pink, White  
Dark Greenish - Grey  

Maintenance
Less  
Less  

Durability
Durable  
Durable  

Water Resistant
No  
Yes  

Scratch Resistant
Yes  
Yes  

Stain Resistant
Yes  
No  

Wind Resistant
No  
No  

Acid Resistant
No  
Yes  

Appearance
Banded and Foilated  
Rough and Shiny  

Uses

Architecture
  
  

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

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

Other Architectural Uses
Curbing  
Curbing  

Industry
  
  

Construction Industry
As Dimension Stone, Cement Manufacture, Construction Aggregate, for Road Aggregate, Landscaping, Making natural cement, Manufacture of Magnesium and Dolomite Refractories  
As Dimension Stone, Cobblestones  

Medical Industry
Not Available  
Not Available  

Antiquity Uses
Artifacts, Monuments, Sculpture  
Artifacts, Monuments, Sculpture  

Other Uses
  
  

Commercial Uses
Cemetery Markers, Creating Artwork  
Creating Artwork, Gemstone, Jewelry, Source of Chromite, Platinum, Nickel and Garnet, Source of Diamonds  

Types

Types
Not Available  
Dunite, Wehrlite, Harzburgite, Lherzolite  

Features
Available in Lots of Colors and Patterns, Is one of the oldest rock, Matrix variable  
Constitutes upper part of the Earth's mantle, Generally rough to touch, Is one of the oldest rock  

Archaeological Significance
  
  

Monuments
Used  
Used  

Famous Monuments
Not Available  
Not Available  

Sculpture
Used  
Used  

Famous Sculptures
Not Available  
Not Available  

Pictographs
Used  
Used  

Petroglyphs
Used  
Used  

Figurines
Used  
Used  

Fossils
Absent  
Absent  

Formation

Formation
Shonkinites are formed due to alkaline igneous activities and are generally formed in thick continental crustal areas or in Cordilleran subduction zones.   
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.  

Composition
  
  

Mineral Content
Amphibole, Biotite, Feldspar, Hornblade, Micas, Muscovite or Illite, Plagioclase, Pyroxene, Quartz  
Amphibole, Chromite, Garnet, Magnesium, Olivine, Phlogopite, Plagioclase, Pyroxene  

Compound Content
Aluminium Oxide, CaO, Iron(III) Oxide, FeO, Potassium Oxide, MgO, MnO, Sodium Oxide, Phosphorus Pentoxide, Silicon Dioxide, Titanium Dioxide  
Ca, Fe, Mg, Potassium, Silicon Dioxide, Sodium, Titanium Dioxide  

Transformation
  
  

Metamorphism
Yes  
Yes  

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

Weathering
Yes  
Yes  

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

Erosion
Yes  
Yes  

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

Properties

Physical Properties
  
  

Hardness
5.5-6  
5.5-6  

Grain Size
Medium to Fine Coarse Grained  
Coarse Grained  

Fracture
Not Available  
Irregular  

Streak
White  
White  

Porosity
Less Porous  
Less Porous  

Luster
Subvitreous to Dull  
Shiny  

Compressive Strength
150.00 N/mm2  
14
107.55 N/mm2  
19

Cleavage
Perfect  
Not Available  

Toughness
Not Available  
2.1  

Specific Gravity
2.6-2.7  
3-3.01  

Transparency
Opaque  
Translucent to Opaque  

Density
2.6-2.8 g/cm3  
3.1-3.4 g/cm3  

Thermal Properties
  
  

Specific Heat Capacity
0.92 kJ/Kg K  
10
1.25 kJ/Kg K  
6

Resistance
Heat Resistant, Impact Resistant, Wear Resistant  
Heat Resistant, Pressure Resistant, Wear Resistant  

Reserves

Deposits in Eastern Continents
  
  

Asia
China, India, Iran, Saudi Arabia, Sri Lanka, Taiwan, Thailand, Turkey, Vietnam  
China, India, Indonesia, Kazakhstan, Russia, South Korea, Thailand, Turkey  

Africa
Angola, Egypt, Madagascar, Namibia, Nigeria, South Africa  
Morocco, South Africa  

Europe
Bulgaria, England, Germany, Norway, Romania, Switzerland  
Finland, France, Georgia, Germany, Great Britain, Italy, Kazakhstan, Netherlands, Norway, Spain, Switzerland  

Others
Not Available  
Not Available  

Deposits in Western Continents
  
  

North America
USA  
Canada, USA  

South America
Brazil, Chile  
Brazil  

Deposits in Oceania Continent
  
  

Australia
New Zealand, Queensland, South Australia, Western Australia  
New Zealand, Western Australia  

Summary >>
<< Reserves

All about Shonkinite and Pyrolite Properties

Know all about Shonkinite and Pyrolite properties here. All properties of rocks are important as they define the type of rock and its application. Shonkinite and Pyrolite belong to Igneous Rocks.Texture of Shonkinite is Earthy whereas that of Pyrolite is Phaneritic. Shonkinite appears Banded and Foilated and Pyrolite appears Rough and Shiny. The luster of Shonkinite is subvitreous to dull while that of Pyrolite is shiny. Shonkinite is available in brown, buff, cream, green, grey, pink, white colors whereas Pyrolite is available in dark greenish - grey colors. The commercial uses of Shonkinite are cemetery markers, creating artwork and that of Pyrolite are creating artwork, gemstone, jewelry, source of chromite, platinum, nickel and garnet, source of diamonds.

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