Definition
Flint is a hard type of sedimentary rock that produces a small piece of burning material when hit by steel
Harzburgite is a plutonic rock of the peridotite group consisting largely of orthopyroxene and olivine
Discoverer
Unknown
Unknown
Etymology
From Old English flint - a type of rock mainly known for high hardness and for giving off sparks when struck
From the name of a town in Harzburg, Germany
Class
Sedimentary Rocks
Igneous Rocks
Sub-Class
Durable Rock, Hard Rock
Durable Rock, Medium Hardness Rock
Other Categories
Fine Grained Rock, Opaque Rock
Coarse Grained Rock, Opaque Rock
Texture
Banded, Rough
Phaneritic
Color
Black, Brown, Green, Grey, Red, White
Dark Greenish - Grey
Durability
Durable
Durable
Scratch Resistant
Yes
Yes
Appearance
Glassy or Pearly
Rough and Shiny
Interior Uses
Decorative Aggregates, Homes, Interior Decoration
Decorative Aggregates, Homes, Interior Decoration
Exterior Uses
As Building Stone, As Facing Stone, Garden Decoration, Office Buildings, Paving Stone
As Building Stone, As Facing Stone, Garden Decoration, Office Buildings, Paving Stone
Other Architectural Uses
Curbing
Curbing
Construction Industry
Arrowheads, Cutting Tool, Spear Points
As Dimension Stone, Cobblestones
Antiquity Uses
Artifacts
Artifacts, Monuments, Sculpture, Small Figurines
Commercial Uses
Creating Artwork, Gemstone, In fire-starting tools, Manufacture of tools, Metallurgical Flux, Jewelry, To ignite fire, Used in flintlock firearms
Creating Artwork, Gemstone, Jewelry, Source of Chromite, Platinum, Nickel and Garnet, Source of Diamonds
Types
Chert and Jasper
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
Formation
Flint is formed by the decomposition and compaction of various organisms such as sponges and diatoms under the water.
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.
Mineral Content
Silicon
Amphibole, Chromite, Garnet, Magnesium, Olivine, Phlogopite, Plagioclase, Pyroxene
Compound Content
Silicon Dioxide
Ca, Fe, Mg, Potassium, Silicon Dioxide, Sodium, Titanium Dioxide
Types of Metamorphism
-
Impact Metamorphism
Types of Weathering
-
Chemical Weathering, Mechanical Weathering
Types of Erosion
Chemical Erosion, Coastal Erosion, Water Erosion
Chemical Erosion, Sea Erosion
Grain Size
Very fine-grained
Coarse Grained
Fracture
Conchoidal
Irregular
Porosity
Highly Porous
Less Porous
Specific Gravity
2.5-2.8
3-3.01
Transparency
Translucent to Opaque
Translucent to Opaque
Density
2.7-2.71 g/cm3
3.1-3.4 g/cm3
Resistance
Heat Resistant, Impact Resistant, Pressure Resistant, Wear Resistant
Heat Resistant, Pressure Resistant, Wear Resistant
Deposits in Eastern Continents
Asia
Azerbaijan, China, Russia
Japan, Oman
Europe
Austria, Belgium, Cyprus, Denmark, France, Germany, Italy, Malta, Netherlands, Poland, Portugal, Romania, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland, Turkey, Ukraine, United Kingdom
France, Germany, Italy
Others
-
Hawaii Islands, Mid-Atlantic Ridge
Deposits in Western Continents
North America
USA
Canada, USA
Deposits in Oceania Continent
Australia
New Zealand, South Australia
-
Flint vs Harzburgite 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. Flint vs Harzburgite characteristics assist us to distinguish and recognize rocks. Also you can check about Properties of Flint and Properties of Harzburgite. Learn more about Flint vs Harzburgite in the next section. The interior uses of Flint include Decorative aggregates, Homes and Interior decoration whereas the interior uses of Harzburgite include Decorative aggregates, Homes and Interior decoration. Due to some exceptional properties of Flint and Harzburgite, they have various applications in construction industry. The uses of Flint in construction industry include Arrowheads, Cutting tool, Spear points and that of Harzburgite include As dimension stone, Cobblestones.
More about Flint and Harzburgite
Here you can know more about Flint and Harzburgite. The life cycle of a rock consists of formation of rock, composition of rock and transformation of rock. The composition of Flint and Harzburgite consists of mineral content and compound content. The mineral content of Flint includes Silicon and mineral content of Harzburgite includes Amphibole, Chromite, Garnet, Magnesium, Olivine, Phlogopite, Plagioclase, Pyroxene. You can also check out the list of all Sedimentary Rocks. When we have to compare Flint vs Harzburgite, the texture, color and appearance plays an important role in determining the type of rock. Flint is available in black, brown, green, grey, red, white colors whereas, Harzburgite is available in dark greenish - grey colors. Appearance of Flint is Glassy or Pearly and that of Harzburgite is Rough and Shiny. Properties of rock is another aspect for Flint vs Harzburgite. The hardness of Flint is 7 and that of Harzburgite is 5.5-6. The types of Flint are Chert and Jasper whereas types of Harzburgite are Ultramafic rock. Streak of rock is the color of powder produced when it is dragged across an unweathered surface. The streak of Flint and Harzburgite is white. The specific heat capacity of Flint is 0.74 kJ/Kg K and that of Harzburgite is 1.25 kJ/Kg K. Depending on the properties like hardness, toughness, specific heat capacity, porosity etc., rocks are resistant to heat, wear, impact, etc.Flint is heat resistant, impact resistant, pressure resistant, wear resistant whereas Harzburgite is heat resistant, pressure resistant, wear resistant.