Definition
Diorite is a grey to dark-grey intermediate intrusive igneous rock composed principally of plagioclase feldspar,biotite, hornblende, and pyroxene
Wehrlite is an ultramafic and ultrabasic rock that is a mixture of olivine and clinopyroxene. It is a subdivision of the peridotites
Discoverer
Unknown
Alois Wehrle
Etymology
From early 19th century coined in French, formed irregularly from Greek diorizein distinguish
From the name of a professor, Alois Wehrle
Class
Igneous Rocks
Igneous Rocks
Sub-Class
Durable Rock, Hard Rock
Durable Rock, Medium Hardness Rock
Other Categories
Coarse Grained Rock, Medium Grained Rock, Opaque Rock
Coarse Grained Rock, Opaque Rock
Texture
Phaneritic
Banded
Color
Black, Brown, Light to Dark Grey, White
Dark Greenish - Grey, Green
Durability
Durable
Durable
Appearance
Shiny
Rough and Banded
Interior Uses
Decorative Aggregates, Interior Decoration
Decorative Aggregates, Interior Decoration
Exterior Uses
As Building Stone, As Facing Stone, Garden Decoration
As Building Stone, As Facing Stone, Garden Decoration, Paving Stone
Other Architectural Uses
Curbing
Curbing
Construction Industry
As Dimension Stone, Cement Manufacture, Cobblestones, Construction Aggregate, for Road Aggregate
As Dimension Stone, Cobblestones
Antiquity Uses
Artifacts, Monuments, Sculpture, Small Figurines
Artifacts, Monuments, Sculpture, Small Figurines
Commercial Uses
Creating Artwork, Curling
Cemetery Markers, Creating Artwork, Gemstone, Jewelry
Types
Plagioclase Diorite and Quartz Diorite
Ultramafic rock
Features
Typically speckled black and white.
Constitutes upper part of the Earth's mantle, Generally rough to touch, Is one of the oldest rock
Archaeological Significance
Formation
Diorite is a coarse-grained intrusive igneous rock which contains large interlocking and randomly oriented crystals and forms when molten lava does not reach the Earth’s surface and cools down in the Earth’s crust.
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.
Mineral Content
Albite, Amphibole, Apatite, Biotite, Feldspar, Hornblade, Ilmenite, Magnetite, Muscovite or Illite, Olivine, Plagioclase, Pyroxene, Quartz, Sulfides, Titanite, Zircon
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
Types of Metamorphism
Cataclastic Metamorphism, Contact Metamorphism, Regional Metamorphism
Burial Metamorphism, Cataclastic Metamorphism, Contact Metamorphism, Impact Metamorphism, Regional Metamorphism
Types of Weathering
Biological Weathering, Chemical Weathering, Mechanical Weathering
Biological Weathering, Chemical Weathering, Mechanical Weathering
Types of Erosion
Chemical Erosion, Coastal Erosion, Water Erosion
Chemical Erosion, Coastal Erosion, Water Erosion
Grain Size
Medium to Coarse Grained
Coarse Grained
Streak
Bluish Black
White
Porosity
Very Less Porous
Less Porous
Specific Gravity
2.8-3
8.4
Transparency
Opaque
Opaque
Density
2.8-3 g/cm3
2.6-3.7 g/cm3
Resistance
Heat Resistant, Pressure Resistant, Wear Resistant
Heat Resistant, Impact Resistant, Pressure Resistant
Deposits in Eastern Continents
Asia
-
China, India, Indonesia, Kazakhstan, Russia, South Korea, Thailand, Turkey
Africa
Egypt
Morocco, South Africa
Europe
Finland, Germany, Italy, Romania, Sweden, Turkey, United Kingdom
Finland, France, Georgia, Germany, Great Britain, Italy, Kazakhstan, Netherlands, Norway, Spain, Switzerland
Deposits in Western Continents
North America
USA
Canada, USA
South America
Argentina, Bolivia, Chile, Colombia, Ecuador, Peru
Brazil
Deposits in Oceania Continent
Australia
New Zealand, Western Australia
New Zealand, Western Australia
Diorite vs Wehrlite Characteristics
Though some rocks look identical, they have certain characteristics which distinguish them from others. Characteristics of rocks include texture, appearance, color, fracture, streak, hardness etc. Diorite vs Wehrlite characteristics assist us to distinguish and recognize rocks. Also you can check about Properties of Diorite and Properties of Wehrlite. Learn more about Diorite vs Wehrlite in the next section. The interior uses of Diorite include Decorative aggregates and Interior decoration whereas the interior uses of Wehrlite include Decorative aggregates and Interior decoration. Due to some exceptional properties of Diorite and Wehrlite, they have various applications in construction industry. The uses of Diorite in construction industry include As dimension stone, Cement manufacture, Cobblestones, Construction aggregate, For road aggregate and that of Wehrlite include As dimension stone, Cobblestones.
More about Diorite and Wehrlite
Here you can know more about Diorite and Wehrlite. The life cycle of a rock consists of formation of rock, composition of rock and transformation of rock. The composition of Diorite and Wehrlite consists of mineral content and compound content. The mineral content of Diorite includes Albite, Amphibole, Apatite, Biotite, Feldspar, Hornblade, Ilmenite, Magnetite, Muscovite or Illite, Olivine, Plagioclase, Pyroxene, Quartz, Sulfides, Titanite, Zircon and mineral content of Wehrlite includes Pyroxene. You can also check out the list of all Igneous Rocks. When we have to compare Diorite vs Wehrlite, the texture, color and appearance plays an important role in determining the type of rock. Diorite is available in black, brown, light to dark grey, white colors whereas, Wehrlite is available in dark greenish - grey, green colors. Appearance of Diorite is Shiny and that of Wehrlite is Rough and Banded. Properties of rock is another aspect for Diorite vs Wehrlite. The hardness of Diorite is 6-7 and that of Wehrlite is 5.5-6. The types of Diorite are Plagioclase Diorite and Quartz Diorite whereas types of Wehrlite are Ultramafic rock. Streak of rock is the color of powder produced when it is dragged across an unweathered surface. The streak of Diorite is bluish black while that of Wehrlite is white. The specific heat capacity of Diorite is 0.84 kJ/Kg K and that of Wehrlite is 0.63 kJ/Kg K. Depending on the properties like hardness, toughness, specific heat capacity, porosity etc., rocks are resistant to heat, wear, impact, etc.Diorite is heat resistant, pressure resistant, wear resistant whereas Wehrlite is heat resistant, impact resistant, pressure resistant.