Definition
Sovite is a coarse-grained variety of carbonatite which belongs to intrusive igneous rock
Pumice is a volcanic rock that consists of highly vesicular rough textured volcanic glass, which may or may not contain crystals
Discoverer
Unknown
Unknown
Etymology
-
From Old French pomis, from a Latin dialect variant of pumex
Class
Igneous Rocks
Igneous Rocks
Sub-Class
Durable Rock, Soft Rock
Durable Rock, Medium Hardness Rock
Other Categories
Coarse Grained Rock, Fine Grained Rock, Medium Grained Rock, Opaque Rock
Fine Grained Rock, Opaque Rock
Texture
Granular, Poikiloblastic
Vesicular
Color
Black, Brown, Green, Grey, Pink, White
Beige, Grey, Light Green, Light Grey, Pink, White, Yellow- grey
Durability
Durable
Durable
Scratch Resistant
Yes
Yes
Appearance
Dull, Banded and Foilated
Vesicular
Interior Uses
Decorative Aggregates, Homes
Decorative Aggregates, Flooring, Homes, Interior Decoration
Exterior Uses
As Building Stone, Garden Decoration, Office Buildings
As Building Stone, As Facing Stone, Garden Decoration, Paving Stone
Other Architectural Uses
Curbing
Curbing, Powder
Construction Industry
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
As Dimension Stone, Cement Manufacture, for Road Aggregate, In landscaping and horticulture, Making natural cement, Production of lightweight concrete blocks
Medical Industry
Taken as a Supplement for Calcium or Magnesium
As an abrasive in skin exfoliating products, In Chemical and Pharmaceutical Industry, Medicines and Cosmetics
Antiquity Uses
Artifacts
Artifacts
Commercial Uses
An Oil and Gas Reservoir, As a Feed Additive for Livestock, Creating Artwork, Gemstone, Metallurgical Flux, Production of Lime, Soil Conditioner, Source of Magnesia (MgO)
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
Features
Available in lots of colors, Generally rough to touch, Is one of the oldest rock
Host Rock for Lead
Archaeological Significance
Formation
Sovites are formed due to low degrees of partial melting of rocks.
Pumice rock forms when the magma cools so quickly that atoms in the melt are not able to arrange themselves into a crystalline structure.
Mineral Content
Ancylite, Apatite, Barite, Fluorite, Magnetite, Natrolite, Sodalite
Aluminum Oxides, Calcite, Carbonate, Iron Oxides, Silica
Compound Content
CaO, Carbon Dioxide, Sodium Oxide
Al, Aluminium Oxide, CaO, Carbon Dioxide, MgO, Silicon Dioxide
Types of Metamorphism
Burial Metamorphism, Cataclastic Metamorphism, Contact Metamorphism, Hydrothermal Metamorphism, Impact Metamorphism, Regional Metamorphism
Burial Metamorphism, Impact Metamorphism
Types of Weathering
Biological Weathering, Chemical Weathering, Mechanical Weathering
Biological Weathering, Chemical Weathering, Mechanical Weathering
Types of Erosion
Chemical Erosion, Coastal Erosion, Glacier Erosion, Sea Erosion, Water Erosion, Wind Erosion
Chemical Erosion, Coastal Erosion, Glacier Erosion, Sea Erosion, Water Erosion, Wind Erosion
Grain Size
Medium to Fine Coarse Grained
Fine Grained
Fracture
Conchoidal
Planar
Streak
White
White, Greenish White or Grey
Porosity
Less Porous
Highly Porous
Luster
Subvitreous to Dull
Earthy
Specific Gravity
2.86-2.87
2.86
Transparency
Opaque
Opaque
Density
2.84-2.86 g/cm3
0.25-0.3 g/cm3
Resistance
Heat Resistant, Pressure Resistant
Impact Resistant, Pressure Resistant
Deposits in Eastern Continents
Asia
China, India, Kazakhstan, Mongolia, Russia, Uzbekistan
Afghanistan, Indonesia, Japan, Russia
Africa
Namibia, Nigeria, South Africa
Ethiopia, Kenya, Tanzania
Europe
Austria, Denmark, Germany, Great Britain, Netherlands, Norway, Poland, Sweden, Switzerland, United Kingdom
Greece, Hungary, Iceland, Italy, Turkey
Deposits in Western Continents
North America
Canada, USA
Bahamas, Barbados, Canada, Costa Rica, Cuba, Jamaica, Mexico, USA
South America
Brazil
Argentina, Chile, Ecuador, Peru
Deposits in Oceania Continent
Australia
New South Wales, New Zealand
New Zealand, Western Australia
Sovite vs Pumice 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. Sovite vs Pumice characteristics assist us to distinguish and recognize rocks. Also you can check about Properties of Sovite and Properties of Pumice. Learn more about Sovite vs Pumice in the next section. The interior uses of Sovite include Decorative aggregates and Homes whereas the interior uses of Pumice include Decorative aggregates, Flooring, Homes and Interior decoration. Due to some exceptional properties of Sovite and Pumice, they have various applications in construction industry. The uses of Sovite in construction industry include 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 and that of Pumice include As dimension stone, Cement manufacture, For road aggregate, In landscaping and horticulture, Making natural cement, Production of lightweight concrete blocks.
More about Sovite and Pumice
Here you can know more about Sovite and Pumice. The life cycle of a rock consists of formation of rock, composition of rock and transformation of rock. The composition of Sovite and Pumice consists of mineral content and compound content. The mineral content of Sovite includes Ancylite, Apatite, Barite, Fluorite, Magnetite, Natrolite, Sodalite and mineral content of Pumice includes Aluminum Oxides, Calcite, Carbonate, Iron Oxides, Silica. You can also check out the list of all Igneous Rocks. When we have to compare Sovite vs Pumice, the texture, color and appearance plays an important role in determining the type of rock. Sovite is available in black, brown, green, grey, pink, white colors whereas, Pumice is available in beige, grey, light green, light grey, pink, white, yellow- grey colors. Appearance of Sovite is Dull, Banded and Foilated and that of Pumice is Vesicular. Properties of rock is another aspect for Sovite vs Pumice. The hardness of Sovite is 3 and that of Pumice is 6. The types of Sovite are Carbonatite whereas types of Pumice are Scoria. Streak of rock is the color of powder produced when it is dragged across an unweathered surface. The streak of Sovite is white while that of Pumice is white, greenish white or grey. The specific heat capacity of Sovite is 0.84 kJ/Kg K and that of Pumice is 0.87 kJ/Kg K. Depending on the properties like hardness, toughness, specific heat capacity, porosity etc., rocks are resistant to heat, wear, impact, etc.Sovite is heat resistant, pressure resistant whereas Pumice is impact resistant, pressure resistant.