Definition
Variolites are a group of dark green basic igneous rocks which exhibit pale colored spots, or spherules, especially on weathered surfaces, that give them a pockmarked appearance
Picrite is a variety of high-magnesium olivine basalt that is very rich in the mineral olivine
Origin
France
Hawaii Islands
Discoverer
Unknown
Unknown
Etymology
From Latin varius, speckled, variegated
From Greek pikros bitter + -ite, 19th century
Class
Igneous Rocks
Igneous Rocks
Sub-Class
Durable Rock, Hard Rock
Durable Rock, Hard Rock
Other Categories
Opaque Rock
Fine Grained Rock, Opaque Rock
Texture
Glassy, Massive, Porphyritic, Scoriaceous, Vesicular
Earthy, Rough
Color
Black, Brown, Light to Dark Grey
Black, Brown, Colourless, Green, Grey, Pink, White, Yellow
Durability
Durable
Durable
Scratch Resistant
Yes
Yes
Appearance
Dull and Soft
Rough and Shiny
Interior Uses
Floor Tiles, Flooring, Homes, Hotels, Kitchens
Countertops, Decorative Aggregates, Homes, Interior Decoration
Exterior Uses
Garden Decoration, Office Buildings
As Building Stone, As Facing Stone, Garden Decoration, Paving Stone
Other Architectural Uses
Curbing
Curbing
Construction Industry
As Dimension Stone, Cobblestones, Rail Track Ballast, Roadstone
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
Cemetery Markers, Creating Artwork
As a Feed Additive for Livestock, As armour rock for sea walls, Metallurgical Flux, Pottery, Source of Magnesia (MgO)
Types
Not Available
Oceanite
Features
Has High structural resistance against erosion and climate, Very fine grained rock
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
Variolites are a group of dark green basic igneous rocks that exhibit pale colored spots on weathered surfaces that give them a pockmarked appearance.
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
Olivine, Plagioclase, Pyroxene
Biotite, Olivine, Plagioclase, Pyrrhotite
Compound Content
Aluminium Oxide, CaO, Iron(III) Oxide, FeO, Potassium Oxide, MgO, MnO, Sodium Oxide, Phosphorus Pentoxide, Silicon Dioxide, Titanium Dioxide
Al, CaO, Carbon Dioxide, Mg, MgO
Types of Metamorphism
Burial Metamorphism, Cataclastic Metamorphism, Contact Metamorphism, Hydrothermal Metamorphism, Impact Metamorphism, Regional Metamorphism
Burial Metamorphism, Cataclastic Metamorphism, Impact Metamorphism, Regional Metamorphism
Types of Weathering
Biological Weathering, Chemical Weathering, Mechanical Weathering
Biological Weathering
Types of Erosion
Not Applicable
Chemical Erosion, Coastal Erosion, Glacier Erosion, Sea Erosion, Water Erosion, Wind Erosion
Grain Size
Not Applicable
Fine Grained
Fracture
Conchoidal
Uneven
Streak
White to Grey
White, Greenish White or Grey
Porosity
Less Porous
Less Porous
Luster
Not Available
Subvitreous to Dull
Cleavage
Not Available
Imperfect
Specific Gravity
2.8-3
2.75-2.92
Transparency
Opaque
Opaque
Density
2.9-3.1 g/cm3
1.5-2.5 g/cm3
Resistance
Heat Resistant, Pressure Resistant, Wear Resistant
Heat Resistant
Deposits in Eastern Continents
Asia
India, Russia
India, Russia
Africa
South Africa
South Africa
Others
Not Yet Found
Not Yet Found
Deposits in Western Continents
North America
Canada, USA
Canada, USA
South America
Brazil
Brazil
Deposits in Oceania Continent
Australia
Not Yet Found
Not Yet Found
Variolite 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. Variolite vs Picrite characteristics assist us to distinguish and recognize rocks. Also you can check about Properties of Variolite and Properties of Picrite. Learn more about Variolite vs Picrite in the next section. The interior uses of Variolite include Floor tiles, Flooring, Homes, Hotels and Kitchens whereas the interior uses of Picrite include Countertops, Decorative aggregates, Homes and Interior decoration. Due to some exceptional properties of Variolite and Picrite, they have various applications in construction industry. The uses of Variolite in construction industry include As dimension stone, Cobblestones, Rail track ballast, Roadstone 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 Variolite and Picrite
Here you can know more about Variolite and Picrite. The life cycle of a rock consists of formation of rock, composition of rock and transformation of rock. The composition of Variolite and Picrite consists of mineral content and compound content. The mineral content of Variolite includes Olivine, Plagioclase, Pyroxene 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 Variolite vs Picrite, the texture, color and appearance plays an important role in determining the type of rock. Variolite is available in black, brown, light to dark grey colors whereas, Picrite is available in black, brown, colourless, green, grey, pink, white, yellow colors. Appearance of Variolite is Dull and Soft and that of Picrite is Rough and Shiny. Properties of rock is another aspect for Variolite vs Picrite. The hardness of Variolite is 6 and that of Picrite is 6.8. The types of Variolite 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 Variolite is white to grey while that of Picrite is white, greenish white or grey. The specific heat capacity of Variolite is 0.84 kJ/Kg K 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.Variolite is heat resistant, pressure resistant, wear resistant whereas Picrite is heat resistant.