Definition
Lherzolite is a type of ultramafic igneous rock which contains essential olivine and clinopyroxene and orthopyroxene in equal proportions
Anorthosite is a granular igneous rock composed largely of labradorite or plagioclase
History
Origin
France
-
Discoverer
Unknown
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
From French anorthose plagioclase + -ite1
Class
Igneous Rocks
Igneous Rocks
Sub-Class
Durable Rock, Hard Rock
Durable Rock, Medium Hardness Rock
Family
Group
Plutonic
Plutonic
Other Categories
Fine Grained Rock, Opaque Rock
Coarse Grained Rock, Opaque Rock
Texture
Grenue
Foliated, Glassy
Color
Black, Dark Greenish - Grey, Green, Pink, Purple
Black, Bluish - Grey, Brown, Green, Grey, Light Greenish Grey, Pink, White
Maintenance
Less
Less
Durability
Durable
Durable
Water Resistant
✔
✘
✔
✘
Scratch Resistant
✔
✘
✔
✘
Stain Resistant
✔
✘
✔
✘
Wind Resistant
✔
✘
✔
✘
Acid Resistant
✔
✘
✔
✘
Appearance
Glassy, Vesicular and Foilated
Layered, Banded, Veined and Shiny
Architecture
Interior Uses
Decorative Aggregates, Entryways, Homes, Interior Decoration
Decorative Aggregates, Floor Tiles, Homes, Interior Decoration
Exterior Uses
As Building Stone, As Facing Stone, Office Buildings
As Building Stone, As Facing Stone, Garden Decoration
Other Architectural Uses
Curbing
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, for Road Aggregate
Medical Industry
-
-
Antiquity Uses
Artifacts, Sculpture
Artifacts, Sculpture, Small Figurines
Other Uses
Commercial Uses
As armour rock for sea walls, Source of Magnesia (MgO), Used in aquariums
Creating Artwork, Curling
Types
Garnet Lherzolite
Proterozoic Anorthosite and Archean Anorthosite
Features
Host Rock for Lead
Generally rough to touch, Is one of the oldest rock
Archaeological Significance
Monuments
-
-
Famous Monuments
-
-
Sculpture
-
-
Famous Sculptures
-
-
Pictographs
-
-
Petroglyphs
-
-
Figurines
-
-
Fossils
Absent
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.
Anorthosite is a phaneritic, intrusive igneous rock which is characterized by a predominance of plagioclase feldspar which is almost 90–100%, and a minimal mafic component.
Composition
Mineral Content
Harzburgite, Olivine, Pyroxene, Pyrrhotite
Amphibole, Clinopyroxene, Ilmenite, Magnetite, Olivine, Orthopyroxene
Compound Content
CaO, Cr, Chromium(III) Oxide, MgO
Ca, CaO, Chromium(III) Oxide, MgO, Sulfur Trioxide
Transformation
Metamorphism
✔
✘
✔
✘
Types of Metamorphism
Cataclastic Metamorphism, Contact Metamorphism
Cataclastic Metamorphism, Contact Metamorphism
Weathering
✔
✘
✔
✘
Types of Weathering
Biological Weathering, Chemical Weathering, Mechanical Weathering
Biological Weathering
Erosion
✔
✘
✔
✘
Types of Erosion
Chemical Erosion, Water Erosion, Wind Erosion
Chemical Erosion, Wind Erosion
Physical Properties
Hardness
6.55-6
1
7
👆🏻
Grain Size
Fine Grained
Coarse Grained
Fracture
Conchoidal
Irregular
Streak
White
White
Porosity
Less Porous
Less Porous
Luster
Subvitreous to Dull
Pearly to Subvitreous
Compressive Strength
290.00 N/mm2180.00 N/mm2
0.15
450
👆🏻
Cleavage
Perfect
-
Toughness
2.7
-
Specific Gravity
2.862.62-2.82
0
8.4
👆🏻
Transparency
Opaque
Translucent
Density
2.8-2.9 g/cm32.7-4 g/cm3
0
1400
👆🏻
Thermal Properties
Specific Heat Capacity
0.95 kJ/Kg K0.84 kJ/Kg K
0.14
3.2
👆🏻
Resistance
Heat Resistant, Impact Resistant, Pressure Resistant, Wear Resistant
Heat Resistant, Impact Resistant, Pressure Resistant, Scratch Resistant, Wear Resistant
Deposits in Eastern Continents
Asia
Russia, South Korea
-
Africa
Western Africa
-
Europe
United Kingdom
Bulgaria, France, Germany, Greece, Hungary, Italy, Latvia, Lithuania, Malta, Poland, Portugal, Romania, Slovenia, Spain, Sweden, The Czech Republic
Others
-
-
Deposits in Western Continents
North America
USA
Canada
South America
-
Bolivia, Colombia
Deposits in Oceania Continent
Australia
Central Australia, Western Australia
Central Australia, South Australia, Western Australia