Definition
Cataclasite is a type of cataclastic rock that is formed by fracturing and comminution during faulting. It is normally cohesive and non-foliated, consisting of angular clasts in a finer-grained matrix
Harzburgite is a plutonic rock of the peridotite group consisting largely of orthopyroxene and olivine
History
Origin
Swiss Alps, Europe
Germany
Discoverer
Michael Tellinger
Unknown
Etymology
From the Italian word cataclasi
From the name of a town in Harzburg, Germany
Class
Metamorphic Rocks
Igneous Rocks
Sub-Class
Durable Rock, Medium Hardness Rock
Durable Rock, Medium Hardness Rock
Family
Group
-
Plutonic
Other Categories
Fine Grained Rock, Opaque Rock
Coarse Grained Rock, Opaque Rock
Texture
Clastic
Phaneritic
Color
Brown, Green, White, Yellow
Dark Greenish - Grey
Maintenance
Less
Less
Durability
Durable
Durable
Water Resistant
✔
✘
✔
✘
Scratch Resistant
✔
✘
✔
✘
Stain Resistant
✔
✘
✔
✘
Wind Resistant
✔
✘
✔
✘
Acid Resistant
✔
✘
✔
✘
Appearance
Dull and Banded
Rough and Shiny
Architecture
Interior Uses
Decorative Aggregates, Homes
Decorative Aggregates, Homes, Interior Decoration
Exterior Uses
As Building Stone, As Facing Stone, Paving Stone
As Building Stone, As Facing Stone, Garden Decoration, Office Buildings, Paving Stone
Other Architectural Uses
Curbing
Curbing
Industry
Construction Industry
As Dimension Stone, Building houses or walls, Cement Manufacture, Construction Aggregate, for Road Aggregate
As Dimension Stone, Cobblestones
Medical Industry
-
-
Antiquity Uses
Artifacts
Artifacts, Monuments, Sculpture, Small Figurines
Other Uses
Commercial Uses
Commemorative Tablets, Creating Artwork
Creating Artwork, Gemstone, Jewelry, Source of Chromite, Platinum, Nickel and Garnet, Source of Diamonds
Types
Protocataclasite, Mesocataclasite, Ultracataclasite and Foliated cataclasite
Ultramafic rock
Features
Easily splits into thin plates, Is one of the oldest rock
Constitutes upper part of the Earth's mantle, Generally rough to touch, Is one of the oldest rock
Archaeological Significance
Monuments
-
-
Famous Monuments
-
-
Sculpture
-
-
Famous Sculptures
-
-
Pictographs
-
-
Petroglyphs
-
-
Figurines
-
-
Fossils
Absent
Absent
Formation
Cataclasiste rocks mainly form by pressure deep under the Earth's surface, from the extreme heat caused by magma or by the intense collisions and friction of tectonic plates.
Harzburgite 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
Albite, Apatite, Augite, Biotite, Calcite, Enstatite, Epidote, Feldspar, Micas, Muscovite or Illite, Pyroxene, Quartz
Amphibole, Chromite, Garnet, Magnesium, Olivine, Phlogopite, Plagioclase, Pyroxene
Compound Content
Silicon Dioxide
Ca, Fe, Mg, Potassium, Silicon Dioxide, Sodium, Titanium Dioxide
Transformation
Metamorphism
✔
✘
✔
✘
Types of Metamorphism
-
Impact Metamorphism
Weathering
✔
✘
✔
✘
Types of Weathering
Mechanical Weathering
Chemical Weathering, Mechanical Weathering
Erosion
✔
✘
✔
✘
Types of Erosion
Coastal Erosion, Wind Erosion
Chemical Erosion, Sea Erosion
Physical Properties
Hardness
3-45.5-6
1
7
👆🏻
Grain Size
Fine Grained
Coarse Grained
Fracture
-
Irregular
Streak
Black
White
Porosity
Less Porous
Less Porous
Luster
Vitreous
Shiny
Compressive Strength
50.00 N/mm2150.00 N/mm2
0.15
450
👆🏻
Cleavage
-
-
Toughness
-
2.1
Specific Gravity
2.13-3.01
0
8.4
👆🏻
Transparency
Translucent to Opaque
Translucent to Opaque
Density
2.9-3.1 g/cm33.1-3.4 g/cm3
0
1400
👆🏻
Thermal Properties
Specific Heat Capacity
0.84 kJ/Kg K1.25 kJ/Kg K
0.14
3.2
👆🏻
Resistance
Heat Resistant, Impact Resistant, Pressure Resistant
Heat Resistant, Pressure Resistant, Wear Resistant
Deposits in Eastern Continents
Asia
China, India, Russia, Saudi Arabia, South Korea
Japan, Oman
Africa
Egypt, Ethiopia, Kenya, Madagascar, Morocco, South Africa
South Africa
Europe
England, Finland, France, Spain, United Kingdom
France, Germany, Italy
Others
-
Hawaii Islands, Mid-Atlantic Ridge
Deposits in Western Continents
North America
Canada, USA
Canada, USA
South America
Argentina, Colombia
-
Deposits in Oceania Continent
Australia
Central Australia, Western Australia
-