Definition
Lherzolite is a type of ultramafic igneous rock which contains essential olivine and clinopyroxene and orthopyroxene in equal proportions
History
Origin
France
Discoverer
Unknown
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
Class
Igneous Rocks
Sub-Class
Durable Rock, Hard Rock
Family
Group
Plutonic
Other Categories
Fine Grained Rock, Opaque Rock
Texture
Grenue
Color
Black, Dark Greenish - Grey, Green, Pink, Purple
Maintenance
Less
Durability
Durable
Water Resistant
✔
✘
81% - Igneous Rocks Rocks
Scratch Resistant
✔
✘
86% - Igneous Rocks Rocks have it !
Stain Resistant
✔
✘
66% - Igneous Rocks Rocks have it !
Wind Resistant
✔
✘
49% - Igneous Rocks Rocks
Acid Resistant
✔
✘
48% - Igneous Rocks Rocks have it !
Appearance
Glassy, Vesicular and Foilated
Architecture
Interior Uses
Decorative Aggregates, Entryways, Homes, Interior Decoration
Exterior Uses
As Building Stone, As Facing Stone, Office Buildings
Other Architectural Uses
Curbing
Industry
Construction Industry
Landscaping, Manufacture of Magnesium and Dolomite Refractories, Used for flooring, stair treads, borders and window sills.
Medical Industry
-
Antiquity Uses
Artifacts, Sculpture
Other Uses
Commercial Uses
As armour rock for sea walls, Source of Magnesia (MgO), Used in aquariums
Types
Garnet Lherzolite
Features
Host Rock for Lead
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.
Composition
Mineral Content
Harzburgite, Olivine, Pyroxene, Pyrrhotite
Compound Content
CaO, Cr, Chromium(III) Oxide, MgO
Transformation
Metamorphism
✔
✘
97% - Igneous Rocks Rocks have it !
Types of Metamorphism
Cataclastic Metamorphism, Contact Metamorphism
Weathering
✔
✘
99% - Igneous Rocks Rocks have it !
Types of Weathering
Biological Weathering, Chemical Weathering, Mechanical Weathering
Erosion
✔
✘
92% - Igneous Rocks Rocks have it !
Types of Erosion
Chemical Erosion, Water Erosion, Wind Erosion
Physical Properties
Hardness
6.5
1
7
👆🏻
Grain Size
Fine Grained
Fracture
Conchoidal
Streak
White
Porosity
Less Porous
Luster
Subvitreous to Dull
Compressive Strength
290.00 N/mm2
Rank: 3 (Overall)
0.15
450
👆🏻
Cleavage
Perfect
Toughness
2.7
Specific Gravity
2.86
0
8.4
👆🏻
Transparency
Opaque
Density
2.8-2.9 g/cm3
0
1400
👆🏻
Thermal Properties
Specific Heat Capacity
0.95 kJ/Kg K
Rank: 9 (Overall)
0.14
3.2
👆🏻
Resistance
Heat Resistant, Impact Resistant, Pressure Resistant, Wear Resistant
Deposits in Eastern Continents
Asia
Russia, South Korea
Africa
Western Africa
Europe
United Kingdom
Others
-
Deposits in Western Continents
North America
USA
South America
-
Deposits in Oceania Continent
Australia
Central Australia, Western Australia