Definition
Lherzolite is a type of ultramafic igneous rock which contains essential olivine and clinopyroxene and orthopyroxene in equal proportions
Eclogite is an extreme metamorphic rock, formed by regional metamorphism of basalt rock under very high pressure and temperature
History
Origin
France
-
Discoverer
Unknown
René Just Haüy
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, Greek eklogē selection with reference to the selective content of the rock + -ite1
Class
Igneous Rocks
Metamorphic Rocks
Sub-Class
Durable Rock, Hard Rock
Durable Rock, Medium Hardness Rock
Family
Group
Plutonic
-
Other Categories
Fine Grained Rock, Opaque Rock
Fine Grained Rock, Opaque Rock
Texture
Grenue
Earthy
Color
Black, Dark Greenish - Grey, Green, Pink, Purple
Black, Brown, Green, Grey, Pink, White
Maintenance
Less
Less
Durability
Durable
Durable
Water Resistant
✔
✘
✔
✘
Scratch Resistant
✔
✘
✔
✘
Stain Resistant
✔
✘
✔
✘
Wind Resistant
✔
✘
✔
✘
Acid Resistant
✔
✘
✔
✘
Appearance
Glassy, Vesicular and Foilated
Dull, Banded and Foilated
Architecture
Interior Uses
Decorative Aggregates, Entryways, Homes, Interior Decoration
Decorative Aggregates, Interior Decoration
Exterior Uses
As Building Stone, As Facing Stone, Office Buildings
Paving 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.
-
Medical Industry
-
In Chemical and Pharmaceutical Industry, Medicines and Cosmetics
Antiquity Uses
Artifacts, Sculpture
Artifacts
Other Uses
Commercial Uses
As armour rock for sea walls, Source of Magnesia (MgO), Used in aquariums
Creating Artwork, Gemstone
Types
Garnet Lherzolite
Eclogite
Features
Host Rock for Lead
Available in Lots of Colors and Patterns, 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.
Eclogite forms from high-pressure metamorphism of mafic igneous rocks mainly, basalt or gabbro as it plunges into the mantle in a subduction zone.
Composition
Mineral Content
Harzburgite, Olivine, Pyroxene, Pyrrhotite
Amphibole, Coesite, Corundum, Dolomite, Garnet, Kyanite, Lawsonite, Paragonite, Phengite, Pyroxene, Quartz, Rutile, Zoisite
Compound Content
CaO, Cr, Chromium(III) Oxide, MgO
Aluminium Oxide, NaCl, CaO, Carbon Dioxide, Iron(III) Oxide, Magnesium Carbonate, MgO, Sodium Oxide, Potassium, Sodium
Transformation
Metamorphism
✔
✘
✔
✘
Types of Metamorphism
Cataclastic Metamorphism, Contact Metamorphism
-
Weathering
✔
✘
✔
✘
Types of Weathering
Biological Weathering, Chemical Weathering, Mechanical Weathering
Mechanical Weathering
Erosion
✔
✘
✔
✘
Types of Erosion
Chemical Erosion, Water Erosion, Wind Erosion
Chemical Erosion, Sea Erosion
Physical Properties
Hardness
6.53.5-4
1
7
👆🏻
Grain Size
Fine Grained
Fine Grained
Fracture
Conchoidal
-
Streak
White
White
Porosity
Less Porous
Less Porous
Luster
Subvitreous to Dull
Subvitreous to Dull
Compressive Strength
290.00 N/mm2200.00 N/mm2
0.15
450
👆🏻
Cleavage
Perfect
Perfect
Toughness
2.7
-
Specific Gravity
2.862.86-2.87
0
8.4
👆🏻
Transparency
Opaque
Opaque
Density
2.8-2.9 g/cm33.2-3.6 g/cm3
0
1400
👆🏻
Thermal Properties
Specific Heat Capacity
0.95 kJ/Kg K0.75 kJ/Kg K
0.14
3.2
👆🏻
Resistance
Heat Resistant, Impact Resistant, Pressure Resistant, Wear Resistant
Heat Resistant
Deposits in Eastern Continents
Asia
Russia, South Korea
India, Kazakhstan, Kuwait, Russia, South Korea, Thailand, Turkey
Africa
Western Africa
Ethiopia, Morocco, South Africa
Europe
United Kingdom
France, Germany, Italy, Norway, Scotland
Others
-
Greenland
Deposits in Western Continents
North America
USA
Canada, Costa Rica, Panama, USA
South America
-
Argentina, Brazil, Colombia, Ecuador
Deposits in Oceania Continent
Australia
Central Australia, Western Australia
Central Australia, New Zealand, Queensland