Definition
Gabbro is an intrusive igneous rock which is chemically equivalent to plutonic Basalt
Harzburgite is a plutonic rock of the peridotite group consisting largely of orthopyroxene and olivine
Discoverer
Christian Leopold von Buch
Unknown
Etymology
From Latin glaber bare, smooth, bald
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
Other Categories
Coarse Grained Rock, Opaque Rock
Coarse Grained Rock, Opaque Rock
Texture
Phaneritic
Phaneritic
Color
Dark Grey to Black
Dark Greenish - Grey
Durability
Durable
Durable
Scratch Resistant
Yes
Yes
Appearance
Veined and Shiny
Rough and Shiny
Interior Uses
Countertops, 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
As Dimension Stone, Building houses or walls, Cement Manufacture, Construction Aggregate, for Road Aggregate
As Dimension Stone, Cobblestones
Antiquity Uses
Artifacts, Monuments, Sculpture
Artifacts, Monuments, Sculpture, Small Figurines
Commercial Uses
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
Anorthosite Gabbro and Norite Gabbro
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
Formation
Gabbro, a mafic rock, forms due to cooling and crystallization of magma underneath Earth's surface.
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
Augite, Olivine, Plagioclase, Pyroxene
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
Types of Metamorphism
Impact Metamorphism
Impact Metamorphism
Types of Weathering
Chemical Weathering
Chemical Weathering, Mechanical Weathering
Types of Erosion
Coastal Erosion
Chemical Erosion, Sea Erosion
Grain Size
Coarse Grained
Coarse Grained
Fracture
Conchoidal
Irregular
Porosity
Highly Porous
Less Porous
Specific Gravity
2.86-2.87
3-3.01
Transparency
Opaque
Translucent to Opaque
Density
2.7-3.3 g/cm3
3.1-3.4 g/cm3
Resistance
Impact Resistant, Pressure Resistant, Wear Resistant
Heat Resistant, Pressure Resistant, Wear Resistant
Deposits in Eastern Continents
Asia
India, Russia
Japan, Oman
Africa
South Africa
South Africa
Europe
Germany, Greece, Italy, Scotland, Turkey
France, Germany, Italy
Others
Greenland
Hawaii Islands, Mid-Atlantic Ridge
Deposits in Western Continents
North America
Canada, USA
Canada, USA
South America
Brazil, Colombia, Venezuela
-
Deposits in Oceania Continent
Australia
New Zealand, Queensland
-
Gabbro 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. Gabbro vs Harzburgite characteristics assist us to distinguish and recognize rocks. Also you can check about Properties of Gabbro and Properties of Harzburgite. Learn more about Gabbro vs Harzburgite in the next section. The interior uses of Gabbro include Countertops, 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 Gabbro and Harzburgite, they have various applications in construction industry. The uses of Gabbro in construction industry include As dimension stone, Building houses or walls, Cement manufacture, Construction aggregate, For road aggregate and that of Harzburgite include As dimension stone, Cobblestones.
More about Gabbro and Harzburgite
Here you can know more about Gabbro and Harzburgite. The life cycle of a rock consists of formation of rock, composition of rock and transformation of rock. The composition of Gabbro and Harzburgite consists of mineral content and compound content. The mineral content of Gabbro includes Augite, Olivine, Plagioclase, Pyroxene and mineral content of Harzburgite includes Amphibole, Chromite, Garnet, Magnesium, Olivine, Phlogopite, Plagioclase, Pyroxene. You can also check out the list of all Igneous Rocks. When we have to compare Gabbro vs Harzburgite, the texture, color and appearance plays an important role in determining the type of rock. Gabbro is available in dark grey to black colors whereas, Harzburgite is available in dark greenish - grey colors. Appearance of Gabbro is Veined and Shiny and that of Harzburgite is Rough and Shiny. Properties of rock is another aspect for Gabbro vs Harzburgite. The hardness of Gabbro is 7 and that of Harzburgite is 5.5-6. The types of Gabbro are Anorthosite Gabbro and Norite Gabbro 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 Gabbro is black while that of Harzburgite is white. The specific heat capacity of Gabbro is 0.71 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.Gabbro is impact resistant, pressure resistant, wear resistant whereas Harzburgite is heat resistant, pressure resistant, wear resistant.