Definition
Lherzolite is a type of ultramafic igneous rock which contains essential olivine and clinopyroxene and orthopyroxene in equal proportions
Argillites are highly compact sedimentary or slightly metamorphosed rocks that consist largely or wholly of particles of clay or silt but lack the fissility of shale or the cleavage characteristic of slate
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 Latin Argilla (clay) and -ite in English which became agrilla+ -ite = Argillite
Class
Igneous Rocks
Sedimentary Rocks
Sub-Class
Durable Rock, Hard Rock
Durable Rock, Soft Rock
Family
Group
Plutonic
-
Other Categories
Fine Grained Rock, Opaque Rock
Fine Grained Rock, Opaque Rock
Texture
Grenue
Clastic, Polished
Color
Black, Dark Greenish - Grey, Green, Pink, Purple
Dark Grey to Black, Pink, Red, White
Maintenance
Less
Less
Durability
Durable
Durable
Water Resistant
✔
✘
✔
✘
Scratch Resistant
✔
✘
✔
✘
Stain Resistant
✔
✘
✔
✘
Wind Resistant
✔
✘
✔
✘
Acid Resistant
✔
✘
✔
✘
Appearance
Glassy, Vesicular and Foilated
Rough and Dull
Architecture
Interior Uses
Decorative Aggregates, Entryways, Homes, Interior Decoration
Decorative Aggregates, Homes, Interior Decoration
Exterior Uses
As Building Stone, As Facing Stone, Office Buildings
As Building Stone, Garden Decoration, Office Buildings
Other Architectural Uses
Curbing
Curbing, Whetstones
Industry
Construction Industry
Landscaping, Manufacture of Magnesium and Dolomite Refractories, Used for flooring, stair treads, borders and window sills.
Used for flooring, stair treads, borders and window sills.
Medical Industry
-
-
Antiquity Uses
Artifacts, Sculpture
Artifacts, Monuments, Sculpture
Other Uses
Commercial Uses
As armour rock for sea walls, Source of Magnesia (MgO), Used in aquariums
Fire resistant, Used to manufracture paperweights and bookends
Types
Garnet Lherzolite
Metamorphic rock
Features
Host Rock for Lead
Is one of the oldest rock
Archaeological Significance
Monuments
-
-
Famous Monuments
-
-
Sculpture
-
-
Famous Sculptures
-
-
Pictographs
-
-
Petroglyphs
-
-
Figurines
-
-
Fossils
Absent
Present
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.
An argillite is a fine-grained sedimentary rock mainly composed of clay particles which forms from lithified muds which contain variable amounts of silt-sized particles.
Composition
Mineral Content
Harzburgite, Olivine, Pyroxene, Pyrrhotite
Biotite, Chlorite, Feldspar, Micas, Muscovite or Illite, Plagioclase, Pyrite, Quartz
Compound Content
CaO, Cr, Chromium(III) Oxide, MgO
Iron(III) Oxide, Potassium Oxide, MgO, Silicon Dioxide
Transformation
Metamorphism
✔
✘
✔
✘
Types of 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
Physical Properties
Hardness
6.52-3
1
7
👆🏻
Grain Size
Fine Grained
Fine Grained
Fracture
Conchoidal
Conchoidal to Uneven
Streak
White
White to Grey
Porosity
Less Porous
Highly Porous
Luster
Subvitreous to Dull
Waxy and Dull
Compressive Strength
290.00 N/mm2-
0.15
450
👆🏻
Cleavage
Perfect
Slaty
Toughness
2.7
2.6
Specific Gravity
2.862.56-2.68
0
8.4
👆🏻
Transparency
Opaque
Opaque
Density
2.8-2.9 g/cm32.54-2.66 g/cm3
0
1400
👆🏻
Thermal Properties
Specific Heat Capacity
0.95 kJ/Kg K0.87 kJ/Kg K
0.14
3.2
👆🏻
Resistance
Heat Resistant, Impact Resistant, Pressure Resistant, Wear Resistant
Heat Resistant, Impact Resistant
Deposits in Eastern Continents
Asia
Russia, South Korea
Bangladesh, China, India, Russia
Africa
Western Africa
Ethiopia, Kenya, Morocco, South Africa, Tanzania
Europe
United Kingdom
Austria, France, Germany, Greece, Italy, Romania, Scotland, Spain, Switzerland
Others
-
-
Deposits in Western Continents
North America
USA
USA
South America
-
Bolivia, Chile, Colombia, Ecuador, Peru, Venezuela
Deposits in Oceania Continent
Australia
Central Australia, Western Australia
New South Wales, New Zealand, Queensland, Victoria, Western Australia