Definition
Gabbro is an intrusive igneous rock which is chemically equivalent to plutonic Basalt
  
Lherzolite is a type of ultramafic igneous rock which contains essential olivine and clinopyroxene and orthopyroxene in equal proportions
  
History
  
  
Origin
Germany
  
France
  
Discoverer
Christian Leopold von Buch
  
Unknown
  
Etymology
From Latin glaber bare, smooth, bald
  
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
Igneous Rocks
  
Igneous Rocks
  
Sub-Class
Durable Rock, Hard Rock
  
Durable Rock, Hard Rock
  
Family
  
  
Group
Plutonic
  
Plutonic
  
Other Categories
Coarse Grained Rock, Opaque Rock
  
Fine Grained Rock, Opaque Rock
  
Texture
Phaneritic
  
Grenue
  
Color
Dark Grey to Black
  
Black, Dark Greenish - Grey, Green, Pink, Purple
  
Maintenance
Less
  
Less
  
Durability
Durable
  
Durable
  
Water Resistant
Yes
  
No
  
Scratch Resistant
Yes
  
Yes
  
Stain Resistant
Yes
  
Yes
  
Wind Resistant
Yes
  
No
  
Acid Resistant
Yes
  
Yes
  
Appearance
Veined and Shiny
  
Glassy, Vesicular and Foilated
  
Architecture
  
  
Interior Uses
Countertops, Decorative Aggregates, Homes, Interior Decoration
  
Decorative Aggregates, Entryways, Homes, Interior Decoration
  
Exterior Uses
As Building Stone, As Facing Stone, Garden Decoration, Office Buildings, Paving Stone
  
As Building Stone, As Facing Stone, Office Buildings
  
Other Architectural Uses
Curbing
  
Curbing
  
Industry
  
  
Construction Industry
As Dimension Stone, Building houses or walls, Cement Manufacture, Construction Aggregate, for Road Aggregate
  
Landscaping, Manufacture of Magnesium and Dolomite Refractories, Used for flooring, stair treads, borders and window sills.
  
Medical Industry
Not Yet Used
  
Not Yet Used
  
Antiquity Uses
Artifacts, Monuments, Sculpture
  
Artifacts, Sculpture
  
Other Uses
  
  
Commercial Uses
Cemetery Markers, Commemorative Tablets, Laboratory bench tops, Jewelry, Sea Defence, Tombstones
  
As armour rock for sea walls, Source of Magnesia (MgO), Used in aquariums
  
Types
Not Available
  
Garnet Lherzolite
  
Features
Smooth to touch
  
Host Rock for Lead
  
Archaeological Significance
  
  
Monuments
Used
  
Not Yet Used
  
Famous Monuments
Data Not Available
  
Not Applicable
  
Sculpture
Used
  
Used
  
Famous Sculptures
Data Not Available
  
Data Not Available
  
Pictographs
Not Used
  
Not Used
  
Petroglyphs
Not Used
  
Not Used
  
Figurines
Used
  
Used
  
Fossils
Absent
  
Absent
  
Formation
Gabbro, a mafic rock, forms due to cooling and crystallization of magma underneath Earth's surface.
  
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
Augite, Olivine, Plagioclase, Pyroxene
  
Harzburgite, Olivine, Pyroxene, Pyrrhotite
  
Compound Content
Aluminium Oxide, CaO, Chromium(III) Oxide, Iron(III) Oxide, Potassium Oxide, MgO, Sodium Oxide, Silicon Dioxide, Sulfur Trioxide
  
CaO, Cr, Chromium(III) Oxide, MgO
  
Transformation
  
  
Metamorphism
Yes
  
Yes
  
Types of Metamorphism
Impact Metamorphism
  
Cataclastic Metamorphism, Contact Metamorphism
  
Weathering
Yes
  
Yes
  
Types of Weathering
Chemical Weathering
  
Biological Weathering, Chemical Weathering, Mechanical Weathering
  
Erosion
Yes
  
Yes
  
Types of Erosion
Coastal Erosion
  
Chemical Erosion, Water Erosion, Wind Erosion
  
Physical Properties
  
  
Hardness
7
  
6.5
  
Grain Size
Coarse Grained
  
Fine Grained
  
Fracture
Conchoidal
  
Conchoidal
  
Streak
Black
  
White
  
Porosity
Highly Porous
  
Less Porous
  
Luster
Not Available
  
Subvitreous to Dull
  
Compressive Strength
225.00 N/mm2
  
7
290.00 N/mm2
  
3
Cleavage
Not Available
  
Perfect
  
Toughness
1.6
  
2.7
  
Specific Gravity
2.86-2.87
  
2.86
  
Transparency
Opaque
  
Opaque
  
Density
2.7-3.3 g/cm3
  
2.8-2.9 g/cm3
  
Thermal Properties
  
  
Specific Heat Capacity
Not Available
  
0.95 kJ/Kg K
  
9
Resistance
Impact Resistant, Pressure Resistant, Wear Resistant
  
Heat Resistant, Impact Resistant, Pressure Resistant, Wear Resistant
  
Deposits in Eastern Continents
  
  
Asia
India, Russia
  
Russia, South Korea
  
Africa
South Africa
  
Western Africa
  
Europe
Germany, Greece, Italy, Scotland, Turkey
  
United Kingdom
  
Others
Greenland
  
Not Yet Found
  
Deposits in Western Continents
  
  
North America
Canada, USA
  
USA
  
South America
Brazil, Colombia, Venezuela
  
Not Yet Found
  
Deposits in Oceania Continent
  
  
Australia
New Zealand, Queensland
  
Central Australia, Western Australia
  
Gabbro vs Lherzolite 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 Lherzolite characteristics assist us to distinguish and recognize rocks. Also you can check about Properties of Gabbro and Properties of Lherzolite. Learn more about Gabbro vs Lherzolite in the next section. The interior uses of Gabbro include Countertops, Decorative aggregates, Homes and Interior decoration whereas the interior uses of Lherzolite include Decorative aggregates, Entryways, Homes and Interior decoration. Due to some exceptional properties of Gabbro and Lherzolite, 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 Lherzolite include Landscaping, Manufacture of magnesium and dolomite refractories, Used for flooring, stair treads, borders and window sills..
More about Gabbro and Lherzolite
Here you can know more about Gabbro and Lherzolite. The life cycle of a rock consists of formation of rock, composition of rock and transformation of rock. The composition of Gabbro and Lherzolite consists of mineral content and compound content. The mineral content of Gabbro includes Augite, Olivine, Plagioclase, Pyroxene and mineral content of Lherzolite includes Harzburgite, Olivine, Pyroxene, Pyrrhotite. You can also check out the list of all Igneous Rocks. When we have to compare Gabbro vs Lherzolite, 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, Lherzolite is available in black, dark greenish - grey, green, pink, purple colors. Appearance of Gabbro is Veined and Shiny and that of Lherzolite is Glassy, Vesicular and Foilated. Properties of rock is another aspect for Gabbro vs Lherzolite. The hardness of Gabbro is 7 and that of Lherzolite is 6.5. The types of Gabbro are Not Available whereas types of Lherzolite are Garnet Lherzolite. 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 Lherzolite is white. The specific heat capacity of Gabbro is Not Available and that of Lherzolite is 0.95 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 Lherzolite is heat resistant, impact resistant, pressure resistant, wear resistant.