Definition
Lamprophyre is uncommon igneous rocks primarily occurring as dikes, lopoliths, laccoliths, stocks and small intrusions
An iron rich extrusive rock found as a member of the alkali basalt magma series
Origin
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Isle of Mull, Scotland
Discoverer
Unknown
Ben More
Etymology
From Greek lampros bright and shining + porphureos purple
From the name of discoverer, Ben More
Class
Igneous Rocks
Igneous Rocks
Sub-Class
Durable Rock, Medium Hardness Rock
Durable Rock, Medium Hardness Rock
Other Categories
Coarse Grained Rock, Fine Grained Rock, Opaque Rock
Fine Grained Rock, Opaque Rock
Texture
Porphyritic
Glassy, Massive, Porphyritic, Scoriaceous, Trachytic, Vesicular
Color
Black, Bluish - Grey, Brown, Dark Greenish - Grey, Green, Grey
Black, Brown, Light to Dark Grey
Durability
Durable
Durable
Scratch Resistant
Yes
Yes
Appearance
Dull, Banded and Foilated
Rough and Dull
Interior Uses
Decorative Aggregates, Interior Decoration
Floor Tiles, Homes, Hotels, Kitchens
Exterior Uses
As Building Stone, Office Buildings
As Building Stone, Paving Stone, Garden Decoration, Office Buildings
Other Architectural Uses
Curbing
Curbing
Construction Industry
As Dimension Stone, Cement Manufacture, for Road Aggregate, Making natural cement, Manufacture of Magnesium and Dolomite Refractories
As Dimension Stone, Cobblestones, Rail Track Ballast, Roadstone
Medical Industry
Taken as a Supplement for Calcium or Magnesium
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Antiquity Uses
Artifacts, Monuments, Sculpture
Artifacts, Monuments, Sculpture
Commercial Uses
An Oil and Gas Reservoir, As a Feed Additive for Livestock, Gemstone, Metallurgical Flux, Production of Lime, Soil Conditioner, Source of Magnesia (MgO)
Commemorative Tablets, Creating Artwork, Curling
Types
Minette, Alnoite, Camptonite, Monchiquite, Fourchite, Vogesite, Appinite and Spessartite
Alkaline Basalt, Boninite, High Alumina Basalt, Mid Ocean Ridge Basalt (MORB) and Tholeiitic Basalt
Features
Always found as volcanic pipes over deep continental crust, Host rock for Diamond, Is one of the oldest rock, Surfaces are often shiny
Has High structural resistance against erosion and climate, Very fine grained rock
Archaeological Significance
Formation
Lamprophyre formation takes place deep beneath the Earth’s surface at around 150 to 450 kilometres, and are erupted rapidly and violently.
Benmoreite is a type of Igneous rock which is formed through the cooling and solidification of lava or magma. It forms with or without crystallization, either below the surface as intrusive rocks or on the surface as extrusive rocks.
Mineral Content
Amphibole, Carbonate, Garnet, Micas, Olivine, Phlogopite, Pyroxene
Alkali feldspar, Biotite, Olivine, Plagioclase, Pyroxene, Sodic plagioclase
Compound Content
Aluminium Oxide, NaCl, CaO, Iron(III) Oxide, FeO, Potassium Oxide, MgO, MnO, Sodium Oxide, Silicon Dioxide, Titanium Dioxide
Aluminium Oxide, CaO, Iron(III) Oxide, FeO, Potassium Oxide, MgO, MnO, Sodium Oxide, Phosphorus Pentoxide, Silicon Dioxide, Titanium Dioxide
Types of Metamorphism
Cataclastic Metamorphism, Impact Metamorphism
Burial Metamorphism, Cataclastic Metamorphism, Contact Metamorphism, Hydrothermal Metamorphism, Impact Metamorphism, Regional Metamorphism
Types of Weathering
Biological Weathering
Biological Weathering, Chemical Weathering, Mechanical Weathering
Types of Erosion
Chemical Erosion, Water Erosion, Wind Erosion
Chemical Erosion, Coastal Erosion, Glacier Erosion, Sea Erosion, Water Erosion, Wind Erosion
Grain Size
Fine to Coarse Grained
Fine Grained
Fracture
Conchoidal
Conchoidal
Porosity
Very Less Porous
Less Porous
Luster
Subvitreous to Dull
Earthy
Cleavage
Conchoidal
Perfect
Specific Gravity
2.86-2.87
2.8-3
Transparency
Translucent to Opaque
Opaque
Density
2.95-2.96 g/cm3
2.9-3.1 g/cm3
Resistance
Heat Resistant, Impact Resistant
Heat Resistant, Pressure Resistant, Wear Resistant
Deposits in Eastern Continents
Asia
Russia
India, Russia
Africa
Angola, Botswana, Cameroon, Ethiopia, South Africa
South Africa
Europe
England, Hungary, Iceland, United Kingdom
Iceland
Others
Antarctica, Greenland
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Deposits in Western Continents
North America
Canada, Mexico, USA
Canada, USA
South America
Argentina, Colombia, Ecuador
Brazil
Deposits in Oceania Continent
Australia
New South Wales, New Zealand, Queensland, South Australia, Western Australia
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All about Lamprophyre and Benmoreite Properties
Know all about Lamprophyre and Benmoreite properties here. All properties of rocks are important as they define the type of rock and its application. Lamprophyre and Benmoreite belong to Igneous Rocks.Texture of Lamprophyre is Porphyritic whereas that of Benmoreite is Glassy, Massive, Porphyritic, Scoriaceous, Trachytic, Vesicular. Lamprophyre appears Dull, Banded and Foilated and Benmoreite appears Rough and Dull. The luster of Lamprophyre is subvitreous to dull while that of Benmoreite is earthy. Lamprophyre is available in black, bluish - grey, brown, dark greenish - grey, green, grey colors whereas Benmoreite is available in black, brown, light to dark grey colors. The commercial uses of Lamprophyre are an oil and gas reservoir, as a feed additive for livestock, gemstone, metallurgical flux, production of lime, soil conditioner, source of magnesia (mgo) and that of Benmoreite are commemorative tablets, creating artwork, curling.