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Lamprophyre and Diabase


Diabase and Lamprophyre


Definition

Definition
Lamprophyre is uncommon igneous rocks primarily occurring as dikes, lopoliths, laccoliths, stocks and small intrusions   
Diabase is a fine-grained igneous rock which is composed mostly of pyroxene and feldspar   

History
  
  

Origin
Unknown   
Germany   

Discoverer
Unknown   
Christian Leopold von Buch   

Etymology
From Greek lampros bright and shining + porphureos purple   
From Greek di + base   

Class
Igneous Rocks   
Igneous Rocks   

Sub-Class
Durable Rock, Medium Hardness Rock   
Durable Rock, Hard Rock   

Family
  
  

Group
Plutonic   
Volcanic   

Other Categories
Coarse Grained Rock, Fine Grained Rock, Opaque Rock   
Fine Grained Rock, Medium Grained Rock, Opaque Rock   

Texture

Texture
Porphyritic   
Aphanitic, Granular   

Color
Black, Bluish - Grey, Brown, Dark Greenish - Grey, Green, Grey   
Dark Grey to Black   

Maintenance
Less   
Less   

Durability
Durable   
Durable   

Water Resistant
Yes   
Yes   

Scratch Resistant
Yes   
Yes   

Stain Resistant
Yes   
Yes   

Wind Resistant
No   
Yes   

Acid Resistant
No   
Yes   

Appearance
Dull, Banded and Foilated   
Vesicular   

Uses

Architecture
  
  

Interior Uses
Decorative Aggregates, Interior Decoration   
Countertops, Decorative Aggregates, Homes, Interior Decoration, Kitchens   

Exterior Uses
As Building Stone, Office Buildings   
As Building Stone, As Facing Stone, Paving Stone, Garden Decoration, Office Buildings   

Other Architectural Uses
Curbing   
Curbing   

Industry
  
  

Construction Industry
As Dimension Stone, Cement Manufacture, for Road Aggregate, Making natural cement, Manufacture of Magnesium and Dolomite Refractories   
As Dimension Stone, Building houses or walls, Cement Manufacture, Construction Aggregate, for Road Aggregate   

Medical Industry
Taken as a Supplement for Calcium or Magnesium   
Not Yet Used   

Antiquity Uses
Artifacts, Monuments, Sculpture   
Artifacts, Monuments, Sculpture, Small Figurines   

Other Uses
  
  

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)   
An Oil and Gas Reservoir, Cemetery Markers, Commemorative Tablets, Laboratory bench tops, Jewelry, Sea Defence, Tombstones   

Types

Types
Minette, Alnoite, Camptonite, Monchiquite, Fourchite, Vogesite, Appinite and Spessartite   
Not Available   

Features
Always found as volcanic pipes over deep continental crust, Host rock for Diamond, Is one of the oldest rock, Surfaces are often shiny   
Smooth to touch   

Archaeological Significance
  
  

Monuments
Used   
Used   

Famous Monuments
Data Not Available   
Stonehenge in English county of Wiltshire   

Sculpture
Used   
Used   

Famous Sculptures
Data Not Available   
Data Not Available   

Pictographs
Used   
Not Used   

Petroglyphs
Used   
Not Used   

Figurines
Used   
Used   

Fossils
Absent   
Absent   

Formation

Formation
Lamprophyre formation takes place deep beneath the Earth’s surface at around 150 to 450 kilometres, and are erupted rapidly and violently.   
Diabase forms when molten igneous rock is squeezed up into a vertical crack in other rocks, the crack is usually forced apart and the molten rock cools in the space to form a tabular igneous intrusion cutting across the surrounding rocks and is known as a dike.   

Composition
  
  

Mineral Content
Amphibole, Carbonate, Garnet, Micas, Olivine, Phlogopite, Pyroxene   
Augite, Chlorite, Olivine, Plagioclase, Pyroxene, Pyrrhotite, Serpentine   

Compound Content
Aluminium Oxide, NaCl, CaO, Iron(III) Oxide, FeO, Potassium Oxide, MgO, MnO, Sodium Oxide, Silicon Dioxide, Titanium Dioxide   
Aluminium Oxide, CaO, Chromium(III) Oxide, Iron(III) Oxide, Potassium Oxide, MgO, Sodium Oxide, Silicon Dioxide, Sulfur Trioxide   

Transformation
  
  

Metamorphism
Yes   
Yes   

Types of Metamorphism
Cataclastic Metamorphism, Impact Metamorphism   
Burial Metamorphism, Cataclastic Metamorphism, Contact Metamorphism, Regional Metamorphism   

Weathering
Yes   
Yes   

Types of Weathering
Biological Weathering   
Biological Weathering, Chemical Weathering   

Erosion
Yes   
Yes   

Types of Erosion
Chemical Erosion, Water Erosion, Wind Erosion   
Chemical Erosion, Coastal Erosion, Water Erosion   

Properties

Physical Properties
  
  

Hardness
5-6   
7   

Grain Size
Fine to Coarse Grained   
Fine to Medium Grained   

Fracture
Conchoidal   
Conchoidal   

Streak
White   
Black   

Porosity
Very Less Porous   
Highly Porous   

Luster
Subvitreous to Dull   
Not Available   

Compressive Strength
Not Available   
225.00 N/mm2   
7

Cleavage
Conchoidal   
Not Available   

Toughness
Not Available   
1.6   

Specific Gravity
2.86-2.87   
2.86-2.87   

Transparency
Translucent to Opaque   
Opaque   

Density
2.95-2.96 g/cm3   
2.7-3.3 g/cm3   

Thermal Properties
  
  

Resistance
Heat Resistant, Impact Resistant   
Heat Resistant, Impact Resistant, Pressure Resistant, Wear Resistant   

Reserves

Deposits in Eastern Continents
  
  

Asia
Russia   
India   

Africa
Angola, Botswana, Cameroon, Ethiopia, South Africa   
South Africa, Tanzania   

Europe
England, Hungary, Iceland, United Kingdom   
Germany, Greece, Italy, Scotland, Turkey   

Others
Antarctica, Greenland   
Antarctica, Greenland   

Deposits in Western Continents
  
  

North America
Canada, Mexico, USA   
Canada, USA   

South America
Argentina, Colombia, Ecuador   
Argentina, Brazil, Colombia, Venezuela   

Deposits in Oceania Continent
  
  

Australia
New South Wales, New Zealand, Queensland, South Australia, Western Australia   
Central Australia, New Zealand, Queensland, Western Australia   

Summary >>
<< Reserves

All about Lamprophyre and Diabase Properties

Know all about Lamprophyre and Diabase properties here. All properties of rocks are important as they define the type of rock and its application. Lamprophyre and Diabase belong to Igneous Rocks.Texture of Lamprophyre is Porphyritic whereas that of Diabase is Aphanitic, Granular. Lamprophyre appears Dull, Banded and Foilated and Diabase appears Vesicular. The luster of Lamprophyre is subvitreous to dull while that of Diabase is not available. Lamprophyre is available in black, bluish - grey, brown, dark greenish - grey, green, grey colors whereas Diabase is available in dark grey to black 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 Diabase are an oil and gas reservoir, cemetery markers, commemorative tablets, laboratory bench tops, jewelry, sea defence, tombstones.

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