Definition
Diatomite is a fine-grained sedimentary rock which is formed from consolidated diatomaceous earth
Lherzolite is a type of ultramafic igneous rock which contains essential olivine and clinopyroxene and orthopyroxene in equal proportions
History
Origin
Germany
France
Discoverer
Unknown
Unknown
Etymology
From diatom + -ite1
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
Sedimentary Rocks
Igneous Rocks
Sub-Class
Durable Rock, Soft Rock
Durable Rock, Hard Rock
Family
Group
-
Plutonic
Other Categories
Fine Grained Rock, Opaque Rock
Fine Grained Rock, Opaque Rock
Texture
Clastic or Non-Clastic
Grenue
Color
Grey, White, Yellow
Black, Dark Greenish - Grey, Green, Pink, Purple
Maintenance
Less
Less
Durability
Non-Durable
Durable
Water Resistant
✔
✘
✔
✘
Scratch Resistant
✔
✘
✔
✘
Stain Resistant
✔
✘
✔
✘
Wind Resistant
✔
✘
✔
✘
Acid Resistant
✔
✘
✔
✘
Appearance
Soft
Glassy, Vesicular and Foilated
Architecture
Interior Uses
Decorative Aggregates, Homes, Interior Decoration
Decorative Aggregates, Entryways, Homes, Interior Decoration
Exterior Uses
Garden Decoration, Paving Stone
As Building Stone, As Facing Stone, Office Buildings
Other Architectural Uses
Curbing
Curbing
Industry
Construction Industry
As Dimension Stone, Cement Manufacture, Construction Aggregate, for Road Aggregate, Landscaping, Making natural cement, Source of calcium
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
Alumina Refineries, Animal feed filler, As a Feed Additive for Livestock, Creating Artwork, Drawing on blackboards, Fire resistant, Gymnasts, athletes and mountain climbers use for grip, In aquifers, Soil Conditioner, To ignite fire, Used as a filter medium, Used as an insecticide, Whiting material in toothpaste, paint and paper
As armour rock for sea walls, Source of Magnesia (MgO), Used in aquariums
Types
Diatomite
Garnet Lherzolite
Features
Clasts are smooth to touch, Is one of the oldest rock, Smooth to touch, Very fine grained rock
Host Rock for Lead
Archaeological Significance
Monuments
-
-
Famous Monuments
-
-
Sculpture
-
-
Famous Sculptures
-
-
Pictographs
-
-
Petroglyphs
-
-
Figurines
-
-
Fossils
Present
Absent
Formation
Diatomite rock formed from the skeletal remains of single celled plants called diatoms. When diatoms die, their skeletal remains sink to the bottom of lakes and oceans etc. hence forming diatomite deposit.
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
Calcite, Clay, Clay Minerals, Quartz, Sand
Harzburgite, Olivine, Pyroxene, Pyrrhotite
Compound Content
Ca, NaCl, CaO
CaO, Cr, Chromium(III) Oxide, MgO
Transformation
Metamorphism
✔
✘
✔
✘
Types of Metamorphism
-
Cataclastic Metamorphism, Contact Metamorphism
Weathering
✔
✘
✔
✘
Types of Weathering
Biological Weathering, Chemical Weathering, Mechanical Weathering
Biological Weathering, Chemical Weathering, Mechanical Weathering
Erosion
✔
✘
✔
✘
Types of Erosion
Chemical Erosion, Coastal Erosion, Wind Erosion
Chemical Erosion, Water Erosion, Wind Erosion
Physical Properties
Hardness
16.5
1
7
👆🏻
Grain Size
Very fine-grained
Fine Grained
Fracture
-
Conchoidal
Streak
White
White
Porosity
Highly Porous
Less Porous
Luster
Dull
Subvitreous to Dull
Compressive Strength
-290.00 N/mm2
0.15
450
👆🏻
Cleavage
-
Perfect
Toughness
1
2.7
Specific Gravity
2.3-2.42.86
0
8.4
👆🏻
Transparency
Opaque
Opaque
Density
2.49-2.51 g/cm32.8-2.9 g/cm3
0
1400
👆🏻
Thermal Properties
Specific Heat Capacity
0.90 kJ/Kg K0.95 kJ/Kg K
0.14
3.2
👆🏻
Resistance
Heat Resistant
Heat Resistant, Impact Resistant, Pressure Resistant, Wear Resistant
Deposits in Eastern Continents
Asia
Brunei, India, Indonesia, Malaysia, Singapore, Thailand, Vietnam
Russia, South Korea
Africa
Cameroon, Chad, Ghana, Kenya, Malawi, Sudan, Tanzania, Togo, Zambia, Zimbabwe
Western Africa
Europe
England, France, Germany, Spain, United Kingdom
United Kingdom
Others
-
-
Deposits in Western Continents
North America
Canada, USA
USA
South America
Colombia
-
Deposits in Oceania Continent
Australia
Adelaide, New Zealand, Queensland, Victoria, Yorke Peninsula
Central Australia, Western Australia