Definition
Diabase is a fine-grained igneous rock which is composed mostly of pyroxene and feldspar
Harzburgite is a plutonic rock of the peridotite group consisting largely of orthopyroxene and olivine
History
Origin
Germany
Germany
Discoverer
Christian Leopold von Buch
Unknown
Etymology
From Greek di + base
From the name of a town in Harzburg, Germany
Class
Igneous Rocks
Igneous Rocks
Sub-Class
Durable Rock, Hard Rock
Durable Rock, Medium Hardness Rock
Family
Group
Volcanic
Plutonic
Other Categories
Fine Grained Rock, Medium Grained Rock, Opaque Rock
Coarse Grained Rock, Opaque Rock
Texture
Aphanitic, Granular
Phaneritic
Color
Dark Grey to Black
Dark Greenish - Grey
Maintenance
Less
Less
Durability
Durable
Durable
Water Resistant
✔
✘
✔
✘
Scratch Resistant
✔
✘
✔
✘
Stain Resistant
✔
✘
✔
✘
Wind Resistant
✔
✘
✔
✘
Acid Resistant
✔
✘
✔
✘
Appearance
Vesicular
Rough and Shiny
Architecture
Interior Uses
Countertops, Decorative Aggregates, Homes, Interior Decoration, Kitchens
Decorative Aggregates, Homes, Interior Decoration
Exterior Uses
As Building Stone, As Facing Stone, Paving Stone, Garden Decoration, Office Buildings
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, Monuments, Sculpture, Small Figurines
Artifacts, Monuments, Sculpture, Small Figurines
Other Uses
Commercial Uses
An Oil and Gas Reservoir, Cemetery Markers, Commemorative Tablets, Laboratory bench tops, Jewelry, Sea Defence, Tombstones
Creating Artwork, Gemstone, Jewelry, Source of Chromite, Platinum, Nickel and Garnet, Source of Diamonds
Types
Dolerite
Ultramafic rock
Features
Smooth to touch
Constitutes upper part of the Earth's mantle, Generally rough to touch, Is one of the oldest rock
Archaeological Significance
Monuments
-
-
Famous Monuments
Stonehenge in English county of Wiltshire
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Sculpture
-
-
Famous Sculptures
-
-
Pictographs
-
-
Petroglyphs
-
-
Figurines
-
-
Fossils
Absent
Absent
Formation
Diabase forms when molten igneous rock is squeezed up into a vertical crack in other rocks, the crack is usually forced apart and the molten rock cools in the space to form a tabular igneous intrusion cutting across the surrounding rocks and is known as a dike.
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
Augite, Chlorite, Olivine, Plagioclase, Pyroxene, Pyrrhotite, Serpentine
Amphibole, Chromite, Garnet, Magnesium, Olivine, Phlogopite, Plagioclase, Pyroxene
Compound Content
Aluminium Oxide, CaO, Chromium(III) Oxide, Iron(III) Oxide, Potassium Oxide, MgO, Sodium Oxide, Silicon Dioxide, Sulfur Trioxide
Ca, Fe, Mg, Potassium, Silicon Dioxide, Sodium, Titanium Dioxide
Transformation
Metamorphism
✔
✘
✔
✘
Types of Metamorphism
Burial Metamorphism, Cataclastic Metamorphism, Contact Metamorphism, Regional Metamorphism
Impact Metamorphism
Weathering
✔
✘
✔
✘
Types of Weathering
Biological Weathering, Chemical Weathering
Chemical Weathering, Mechanical Weathering
Erosion
✔
✘
✔
✘
Types of Erosion
Chemical Erosion, Coastal Erosion, Water Erosion
Chemical Erosion, Sea Erosion
Physical Properties
Hardness
75.5-6
1
7
👆🏻
Grain Size
Fine to Medium Grained
Coarse Grained
Fracture
Conchoidal
Irregular
Streak
Black
White
Porosity
Highly Porous
Less Porous
Luster
-
Shiny
Compressive Strength
225.00 N/mm2150.00 N/mm2
0.15
450
👆🏻
Cleavage
-
-
Toughness
1.6
2.1
Specific Gravity
2.86-2.873-3.01
0
8.4
👆🏻
Transparency
Opaque
Translucent to Opaque
Density
2.7-3.3 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, Wear Resistant
Heat Resistant, Pressure Resistant, Wear Resistant
Deposits in Eastern Continents
Asia
India
Japan, Oman
Africa
South Africa, Tanzania
South Africa
Europe
Germany, Greece, Italy, Scotland, Turkey
France, Germany, Italy
Others
Antarctica, Greenland
Hawaii Islands, Mid-Atlantic Ridge
Deposits in Western Continents
North America
Canada, USA
Canada, USA
South America
Argentina, Brazil, Colombia, Venezuela
-
Deposits in Oceania Continent
Australia
Central Australia, New Zealand, Queensland, Western Australia
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