Chert

Wehrlite

Chert and Wehrlite

Chert

Wehrlite

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Definition

Chert is a hard, dark, opaque sedimentary rock which is composed of silica with an amorphous fine-grained texture

Wehrlite is an ultramafic and ultrabasic rock that is a mixture of olivine and clinopyroxene. It is a subdivision of the peridotites

History

Origin

Egypt

Discoverer

Unknown

Alois Wehrle

Etymology

From flint-like quartz, 1670s, of unknown origin- a local term, which has been taken into geological use

From the name of a professor, Alois Wehrle

Class

Sedimentary Rocks

Igneous Rocks

Sub-Class

Durable Rock, Hard Rock

Durable Rock, Medium Hardness Rock

Family

Group

Plutonic

Other Categories

Fine Grained Rock, Opaque Rock

Coarse Grained Rock, Opaque Rock

Texture

Banded, Rough

Banded

Color

Black, Brown, Green, Grey, Red, White

Dark Greenish - Grey, Green

Maintenance

Less

Durability

Durable

Water Resistant

✔ ✘

Scratch Resistant

✔ ✘

Stain Resistant

✔ ✘

Wind Resistant

✔ ✘

Acid Resistant

✔ ✘

Appearance

Glassy or Pearly

Rough and Banded

Uses

Architecture

Interior Uses

Decorative Aggregates, Homes

Decorative Aggregates, Interior Decoration

Exterior Uses

As Building Stone, As Facing Stone, Garden Decoration, Office Buildings

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

Other Architectural Uses

Curbing

Industry

Construction Industry

Arrowheads, Construction Aggregate, Cutting Tool, Spear Points

As Dimension Stone, Cobblestones

Medical Industry

Antiquity Uses

Artifacts, Monuments

Artifacts, Monuments, Sculpture, Small Figurines

Other Uses

Commercial Uses

Creating Artwork, Gemstone, In fire-starting tools, Jewelry, To ignite fire, Used in flintlock firearms

Cemetery Markers, Creating Artwork, Gemstone, Jewelry

Types

Flint, Jasper, Radiolarite, Common Chert, Chalcedony, Agate, Onyx, Opal, Magadi-type Chert, Porcelanite, Siliceous Sinter

Ultramafic rock

Features

Clasts are smooth to touch, Easily splits into thin plates, Has High structural resistance against erosion and climate

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

Present

Absent

Formation

Chert forms when microcrystals of silicon dioxide grow within soft sediments that become limestone or chalk. The chert formation can be either of chemical or biological origin.

Wehrlite 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

Quartz, Silicon

Pyroxene

Compound Content

Silicon Dioxide

Aluminium Oxide, CaO, Carbon Dioxide, Iron(III) Oxide, FeO, Potassium Oxide, MgO, Sodium Oxide, Phosphorus Pentoxide, Silicon Dioxide, Titanium Dioxide

Transformation

Metamorphism

✔ ✘

Types of Metamorphism

Burial Metamorphism, Cataclastic Metamorphism, Contact Metamorphism, Impact Metamorphism, Regional Metamorphism

Weathering

✔ ✘

Types of Weathering

Biological Weathering, Chemical Weathering, Mechanical Weathering

Erosion

✔ ✘

Types of Erosion

Chemical Erosion

Chemical Erosion, Coastal Erosion, Water Erosion

Properties

Physical Properties

Hardness

6.5-75.5-6

1 7

👆🏻

Grain Size

Very fine-grained

Coarse Grained

Fracture

Uneven, Splintery or Conchoidal

Irregular

Streak

White

Porosity

Highly Porous

Less Porous

Luster

Waxy and Dull

Metallic

Compressive Strength

450.00 N/mm²100.00 N/mm²

0.15 450

👆🏻

Cleavage

Perfect

Toughness

1.5

2.1

Specific Gravity

2.5-2.88.4

0 8.4

👆🏻

Transparency

Translucent to Opaque

Opaque

Density

2.7 g/cm³2.6-3.7 g/cm³

0 1400

👆🏻

Thermal Properties

Specific Heat Capacity

0.74 kJ/Kg K0.63 kJ/Kg K

0.14 3.2

👆🏻

Resistance

Heat Resistant, Impact Resistant, Pressure Resistant, Wear Resistant

Heat Resistant, Impact Resistant, Pressure Resistant

Reserves

Deposits in Eastern Continents

Asia

China, India, Iran, Japan, Oman, Russia, Saudi Arabia, Taiwan, Thailand, Vietnam

China, India, Indonesia, Kazakhstan, Russia, South Korea, Thailand, Turkey

Africa

Kenya, Morocco, South Africa, Tanzania

Morocco, South Africa

Europe

Austria, France, Greece, Italy, Malta, Poland, Portugal, Serbia, Spain, Sweden, United Kingdom

Finland, France, Georgia, Germany, Great Britain, Italy, Kazakhstan, Netherlands, Norway, Spain, Switzerland

Others

Greenland, Mid-Atlantic Ridge

Deposits in Western Continents

North America

Canada, Mexico, USA

Canada, USA

South America

Bolivia, Brazil

Brazil

Deposits in Oceania Continent

Australia

New South Wales, Queensland, South Australia, Western Australia

New Zealand, Western Australia

All about Chert and Wehrlite Properties

Know all about Chert and Wehrlite properties here. All properties of rocks are important as they define the type of rock and its application. Chert belongs to Sedimentary Rocks while Wehrlite belongs to Igneous Rocks.Texture of Chert is Banded, Rough whereas that of Wehrlite is Banded. Chert appears Glassy or Pearly and Wehrlite appears Rough and Banded. The luster of Chert is waxy and dull while that of Wehrlite is metallic. Chert is available in black, brown, green, grey, red, white colors whereas Wehrlite is available in dark greenish - grey, green colors. The commercial uses of Chert are creating artwork, gemstone, in fire-starting tools, jewelry, to ignite fire, used in flintlock firearms and that of Wehrlite are cemetery markers, creating artwork, gemstone, jewelry.