Lherzolite

Dunite

Lherzolite and Dunite

Lherzolite

Dunite

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Definition

Lherzolite is a type of ultramafic igneous rock which contains essential olivine and clinopyroxene and orthopyroxene in equal proportions

Dunite is a green to brownish coarse-grained igneous rock mainly consisting of olivine

History

Origin

France

New Zealand

Discoverer

Unknown

Ferdinand von Hochstetter

Etymology

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

From the name of Dun Mountain, New Zealand, + -ite1

Class

Igneous Rocks

Sub-Class

Durable Rock, Hard Rock

Durable Rock, Medium Hardness Rock

Family

Group

Plutonic

Other Categories

Fine Grained Rock, Opaque Rock

Coarse Grained Rock, Opaque Rock

Texture

Grenue

Phaneritic

Color

Black, Dark Greenish - Grey, Green, Pink, Purple

Dark Greenish - Grey

Maintenance

Less

Durability

Durable

Water Resistant

✔ ✘

Scratch Resistant

✔ ✘

Stain Resistant

✔ ✘

Wind Resistant

✔ ✘

Acid Resistant

✔ ✘

Appearance

Glassy, Vesicular and Foilated

Rough and Shiny

Uses

Architecture

Interior Uses

Decorative Aggregates, Entryways, Homes, Interior Decoration

Decorative Aggregates, Interior Decoration

Exterior Uses

As Building Stone, As Facing Stone, Office Buildings

As Building Stone, As Facing Stone, Garden Decoration, Paving Stone

Other Architectural Uses

Curbing

Industry

Construction Industry

Landscaping, Manufacture of Magnesium and Dolomite Refractories, Used for flooring, stair treads, borders and window sills.

As Dimension Stone, Cement Manufacture, Construction Aggregate, for Road Aggregate, Making natural cement, Raw material for the manufacture of mortar

Medical Industry

Antiquity Uses

Artifacts, Sculpture

Artifacts, Monuments, Sculpture, Small Figurines

Other Uses

Commercial Uses

As armour rock for sea walls, Source of Magnesia (MgO), Used in aquariums

Creating Artwork, Gemstone, Jewelry, Source of Chromite, Platinum, Nickel and Garnet, Source of Diamonds

Types

Garnet Lherzolite

Dunite

Features

Host Rock for Lead

Constitutes upper part of the Earth's mantle, Generally rough to touch, Host rock for Diamond, Is one of the oldest rock

Archaeological Significance

Monuments

Famous Monuments

Sculpture

Famous Sculptures

Pictographs

Petroglyphs

Figurines

Fossils

Absent

Formation

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.

Dunite is a plutonic ultramafic igneous rock consisting almost m olivine. It can be formed in two ways.

Composition

Mineral Content

Harzburgite, Olivine, Pyroxene, Pyrrhotite

Amphibole, Chromite, Garnet, Magnesium, Olivine, Phlogopite, Plagioclase, Pyroxene

Compound Content

CaO, Cr, Chromium(III) Oxide, MgO

Ca, CaO, Fe, Potassium, Silicon Dioxide, Sodium, Titanium Dioxide

Transformation

Metamorphism

✔ ✘

Types of Metamorphism

Cataclastic Metamorphism, Contact Metamorphism

Burial Metamorphism, Cataclastic Metamorphism, Contact Metamorphism

Weathering

✔ ✘

Types of Weathering

Biological Weathering, Chemical Weathering, Mechanical Weathering

Erosion

✔ ✘

Types of Erosion

Chemical Erosion, Water Erosion, Wind Erosion

Coastal Erosion, Glacier Erosion, Water Erosion

Properties

Physical Properties

Hardness

6.53.5-4

1 7

👆🏻

Grain Size

Fine Grained

Coarse Grained

Fracture

Conchoidal

Irregular

Streak

White

Porosity

Less Porous

Luster

Subvitreous to Dull

Shiny

Compressive Strength

290.00 N/mm²107.55 N/mm²

0.15 450

👆🏻

Cleavage

Perfect

Toughness

2.7

2.1

Specific Gravity

2.863-3.01

0 8.4

👆🏻

Transparency

Opaque

Translucent to Opaque

Density

2.8-2.9 g/cm³2.84-2.85 g/cm³

0 1400

👆🏻

Thermal Properties

Specific Heat Capacity

0.95 kJ/Kg K1.25 kJ/Kg K

0.14 3.2

👆🏻

Resistance

Heat Resistant, Impact Resistant, Pressure Resistant, Wear Resistant

Heat Resistant, Pressure Resistant, Wear Resistant

Reserves

Deposits in Eastern Continents

Asia

Russia, South Korea

China, India, Indonesia, Kazakhstan, Russia, South Korea, Thailand, Turkey

Africa

Western Africa

Morocco, South Africa

Europe

United Kingdom

Finland, France, Georgia, Germany, Great Britain, Italy, Kazakhstan, Netherlands, Norway, Spain, Switzerland

Others

Deposits in Western Continents

North America

USA

Canada, USA

South America

Argentina, Brazil, Colombia, Ecuador, Venezuela

Deposits in Oceania Continent

Australia

Central Australia, Western Australia

New Zealand, Western Australia

All about Lherzolite and Dunite Properties

Know all about Lherzolite and Dunite properties here. All properties of rocks are important as they define the type of rock and its application. Lherzolite and Dunite belong to Igneous Rocks.Texture of Lherzolite is Grenue whereas that of Dunite is Phaneritic. Lherzolite appears Glassy, Vesicular and Foilated and Dunite appears Rough and Shiny. The luster of Lherzolite is subvitreous to dull while that of Dunite is shiny. Lherzolite and Dunite are available in black, dark greenish - grey, green, pink, purple colors. The commercial uses of Lherzolite are as armour rock for sea walls, source of magnesia (mgo), used in aquariums and that of Dunite are creating artwork, gemstone, jewelry, source of chromite, platinum, nickel and garnet, source of diamonds.