Definition
Granulite is fine to medium grained metamorphic rock with a granular of polygonal crystals.
Lherzolite is a type of ultramafic igneous rock which contains essential olivine and clinopyroxene and orthopyroxene in equal proportions
Origin
Central Europe
France
Discoverer
Unknown
Unknown
Etymology
From Latin granulum, a little grain or fine grained
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
Metamorphic Rocks
Igneous Rocks
Sub-Class
Durable Rock, Hard Rock
Durable Rock, Hard Rock
Group
Not Applicable
Plutonic
Other Categories
Coarse Grained Rock, Medium Grained Rock, Opaque Rock
Fine Grained Rock, Opaque Rock
Texture
Granoblastic
Grenue
Color
Black, Brown
Black, Dark Greenish - Grey, Green, Pink, Purple
Durability
Durable
Durable
Scratch Resistant
Yes
Yes
Appearance
Veined or Pebbled
Glassy, Vesicular and Foilated
Interior Uses
Bathrooms, Countertops, Decorative Aggregates, Entryways, Flooring, Homes, Hotels, Interior Decoration, Kitchens, Stair Treads
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
Construction Industry
As Dimension Stone, Building houses or walls
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
Commercial Uses
Curling, Gemstone, Laboratory bench tops, Soil Conditioner, Tombstones
As armour rock for sea walls, Source of Magnesia (MgO), Used in aquariums
Types
Not Available
Garnet Lherzolite
Features
Clasts are smooth to touch
Host Rock for Lead
Archaeological Significance
Monuments
Used
Not Yet Used
Famous Monuments
Data Not Available
Not Applicable
Famous Sculptures
Data Not Available
Data Not Available
Pictographs
Not Used
Not Used
Petroglyphs
Not Used
Not Used
Formation
Granulite is a fine-grained granular metamorphic rock in which the main component minerals are feldspars and quartz and forms at high temperature and pressure conditions.
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.
Mineral Content
Amphibole, Biotite, Feldspar, Hornblade, Micas, Muscovite or Illite, Plagioclase, Quartz
Harzburgite, Olivine, Pyroxene, Pyrrhotite
Compound Content
Aluminium Oxide, CaO, Carbon Dioxide, Iron(III) Oxide, FeO, Potassium Oxide, MgO, MnO, Sodium Oxide, Phosphorus Pentoxide, Sulfur Dioxide, Titanium Dioxide
CaO, Cr, Chromium(III) Oxide, MgO
Types of Metamorphism
Not Applicable
Cataclastic Metamorphism, Contact Metamorphism
Types of Weathering
Biological Weathering, Chemical Weathering
Biological Weathering, Chemical Weathering, Mechanical Weathering
Types of Erosion
Chemical Erosion, Water Erosion, Wind Erosion
Chemical Erosion, Water Erosion, Wind Erosion
Grain Size
Medium to Coarse Grained
Fine Grained
Fracture
Not Available
Conchoidal
Porosity
Very Less Porous
Less Porous
Luster
Vitreous
Subvitreous to Dull
Cleavage
Imperfect
Perfect
Toughness
Not Available
2.7
Specific Gravity
2.8-3.0
2.86
Transparency
Opaque
Opaque
Density
3.06-3.33 g/cm3
2.8-2.9 g/cm3
Resistance
Heat Resistant, Wear Resistant
Heat Resistant, Impact Resistant, Pressure Resistant, Wear Resistant
Deposits in Eastern Continents
Asia
China, India, Iran, Saudi Arabia, Sri Lanka, Taiwan, Thailand, Turkey, Vietnam
Russia, South Korea
Africa
Angola, Egypt, Madagascar, Nigeria, South Africa
Western Africa
Europe
Austria, Belgium, Finland, France, Germany, Italy, Norway, Sardinia, Spain, Switzerland, The Czech Republic, Venezuela
United Kingdom
Others
Not Yet Found
Not Yet Found
Deposits in Western Continents
North America
Canada, USA
USA
South America
Not Yet Found
Not Yet Found
Deposits in Oceania Continent
Australia
Not Yet Found
Central Australia, Western Australia
Granulite 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. Granulite vs Lherzolite characteristics assist us to distinguish and recognize rocks. Also you can check about Properties of Granulite and Properties of Lherzolite. Learn more about Granulite vs Lherzolite in the next section. The interior uses of Granulite include Bathrooms, Countertops, Decorative aggregates, Entryways, Flooring, Homes, Hotels, Interior decoration, Kitchens and Stair treads whereas the interior uses of Lherzolite include Decorative aggregates, Entryways, Homes and Interior decoration. Due to some exceptional properties of Granulite and Lherzolite, they have various applications in construction industry. The uses of Granulite in construction industry include As dimension stone, Building houses or walls and that of Lherzolite include Landscaping, Manufacture of magnesium and dolomite refractories, Used for flooring, stair treads, borders and window sills..
More about Granulite and Lherzolite
Here you can know more about Granulite and Lherzolite. The life cycle of a rock consists of formation of rock, composition of rock and transformation of rock. The composition of Granulite and Lherzolite consists of mineral content and compound content. The mineral content of Granulite includes Amphibole, Biotite, Feldspar, Hornblade, Micas, Muscovite or Illite, Plagioclase, Quartz and mineral content of Lherzolite includes Harzburgite, Olivine, Pyroxene, Pyrrhotite. You can also check out the list of all Metamorphic Rocks. When we have to compare Granulite vs Lherzolite, the texture, color and appearance plays an important role in determining the type of rock. Granulite is available in black, brown colors whereas, Lherzolite is available in black, dark greenish - grey, green, pink, purple colors. Appearance of Granulite is Veined or Pebbled and that of Lherzolite is Glassy, Vesicular and Foilated. Properties of rock is another aspect for Granulite vs Lherzolite. The hardness of Granulite is 6-7 and that of Lherzolite is 6.5. The types of Granulite 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 Granulite and Lherzolite is white. The specific heat capacity of Granulite is 0.14 kJ/Kg K 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.Granulite is heat resistant, wear resistant whereas Lherzolite is heat resistant, impact resistant, pressure resistant, wear resistant.