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
Lherzolite is a type of ultramafic igneous rock which contains essential olivine and clinopyroxene and orthopyroxene in equal proportions
History
Origin
Swiss Alps, Europe
France
Discoverer
Michael Tellinger
Unknown
Etymology
From the Italian word cataclasi
From the Lherz Massif, an alpine peridotite complex, at Étang de Lers, near Massat in the French Pyrenees; Lherz is the archaic spelling of this location
Class
Metamorphic Rocks
Igneous Rocks
Sub-Class
Durable Rock, Medium Hardness Rock
Durable Rock, Hard Rock
Family
Group
-
Plutonic
Other Categories
Fine Grained Rock, Opaque Rock
Fine Grained Rock, Opaque Rock
Texture
Clastic
Grenue
Color
Brown, Green, White, Yellow
Black, Dark Greenish - Grey, Green, Pink, Purple
Maintenance
Less
Less
Durability
Durable
Durable
Water Resistant
✔
✘
✔
✘
Scratch Resistant
✔
✘
✔
✘
Stain Resistant
✔
✘
✔
✘
Wind Resistant
✔
✘
✔
✘
Acid Resistant
✔
✘
✔
✘
Appearance
Dull and Banded
Glassy, Vesicular and Foilated
Architecture
Interior Uses
Decorative Aggregates, Homes
Decorative Aggregates, Entryways, Homes, Interior Decoration
Exterior Uses
As Building Stone, As Facing Stone, Paving Stone
As Building Stone, As Facing Stone, Office Buildings
Other Architectural Uses
Curbing
Curbing
Industry
Construction Industry
As Dimension Stone, Building houses or walls, Cement Manufacture, Construction Aggregate, for Road Aggregate
Landscaping, Manufacture of Magnesium and Dolomite Refractories, Used for flooring, stair treads, borders and window sills.
Medical Industry
-
-
Antiquity Uses
Artifacts
Artifacts, Sculpture
Other Uses
Commercial Uses
Commemorative Tablets, Creating Artwork
As armour rock for sea walls, Source of Magnesia (MgO), Used in aquariums
Types
Protocataclasite, Mesocataclasite, Ultracataclasite and Foliated cataclasite
Garnet Lherzolite
Features
Easily splits into thin plates, Is one of the oldest rock
Host Rock for Lead
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.
Lherzolite 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
Harzburgite, Olivine, Pyroxene, Pyrrhotite
Compound Content
Silicon Dioxide
CaO, Cr, Chromium(III) Oxide, MgO
Transformation
Metamorphism
✔
✘
✔
✘
Types of Metamorphism
-
Cataclastic Metamorphism, Contact Metamorphism
Weathering
✔
✘
✔
✘
Types of Weathering
Mechanical Weathering
Biological Weathering, Chemical Weathering, Mechanical Weathering
Erosion
✔
✘
✔
✘
Types of Erosion
Coastal Erosion, Wind Erosion
Chemical Erosion, Water Erosion, Wind Erosion
Physical Properties
Hardness
3-46.5
1
7
👆🏻
Grain Size
Fine Grained
Fine Grained
Fracture
-
Conchoidal
Streak
Black
White
Porosity
Less Porous
Less Porous
Luster
Vitreous
Subvitreous to Dull
Compressive Strength
50.00 N/mm2290.00 N/mm2
0.15
450
👆🏻
Cleavage
-
Perfect
Toughness
-
2.7
Specific Gravity
2.12.86
0
8.4
👆🏻
Transparency
Translucent to Opaque
Opaque
Density
2.9-3.1 g/cm32.8-2.9 g/cm3
0
1400
👆🏻
Thermal Properties
Specific Heat Capacity
0.84 kJ/Kg K0.95 kJ/Kg K
0.14
3.2
👆🏻
Resistance
Heat Resistant, Impact Resistant, Pressure Resistant
Heat Resistant, Impact Resistant, Pressure Resistant, Wear Resistant
Deposits in Eastern Continents
Asia
China, India, Russia, Saudi Arabia, South Korea
Russia, South Korea
Africa
Egypt, Ethiopia, Kenya, Madagascar, Morocco, South Africa
Western Africa
Europe
England, Finland, France, Spain, United Kingdom
United Kingdom
Others
-
-
Deposits in Western Continents
North America
Canada, USA
USA
South America
Argentina, Colombia
-
Deposits in Oceania Continent
Australia
Central Australia, Western Australia
Central Australia, Western Australia