Definition
Lherzolite is a type of ultramafic igneous rock which contains essential olivine and clinopyroxene and orthopyroxene in equal proportions
A carbonate rock which is matrix supported and contains over 10% allochems in a carbonate mud matrix.
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 the English mud and stone, from low German mudde and stainaz
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
Color
Black, Dark Greenish - Grey, Green, Pink, Purple
Black, Blue, Brown, Green, Grey, Orange, Red, White, Yellow
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, Flooring, Interior Decoration
Exterior Uses
As Building Stone, As Facing Stone, Office Buildings
As Facing Stone, Garden Decoration, Roof Tiles
Other Architectural Uses
Curbing
Curbing
Industry
Construction Industry
Landscaping, Manufacture of Magnesium and Dolomite Refractories, Used for flooring, stair treads, borders and window sills.
Cement Manufacture, Construction Aggregate, for Road Aggregate, Making natural cement, Raw material for the manufacture of mortar
Medical Industry
-
-
Antiquity Uses
Artifacts, Sculpture
Artifacts, Sculpture
Other Uses
Commercial Uses
As armour rock for sea walls, Source of Magnesia (MgO), Used in aquariums
Cemetery Markers, Pottery
Types
Garnet Lherzolite
Marl, Shale and Argillite
Features
Host Rock for Lead
Available in Lots of Colors and Patterns, Smooth to touch, Very fine grained 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.
Wackestone is a type of sedimentary rock formed when a river carries or transports pieces of broken rock as it flows. These particles settle down and are then compacted due to high temperature and pressure hence forming Wackestone.
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
Aluminium Oxide, NaCl, CaO, Iron(III) Oxide, Silicon Dioxide
Transformation
Metamorphism
✔
✘
✔
✘
Types of Metamorphism
Cataclastic Metamorphism, Contact Metamorphism
-
Weathering
✔
✘
✔
✘
Types of Weathering
Biological Weathering, Chemical Weathering, Mechanical Weathering
Biological Weathering, Chemical Weathering, Mechanical Weathering
Erosion
✔
✘
✔
✘
Types of Erosion
Chemical Erosion, Water Erosion, Wind Erosion
Chemical Erosion, Sea Erosion, Wind Erosion
Physical Properties
Hardness
6.52-3
1
7
👆🏻
Grain Size
Fine Grained
Very fine-grained
Fracture
Conchoidal
Conchoidal
Streak
White
White
Porosity
Less Porous
Highly Porous
Luster
Subvitreous to Dull
Dull
Compressive Strength
290.00 N/mm2225.00 N/mm2
0.15
450
👆🏻
Cleavage
Perfect
Perfect
Toughness
2.7
2.6
Specific Gravity
2.862.2-2.8
0
8.4
👆🏻
Transparency
Opaque
Opaque
Density
2.8-2.9 g/cm32.4-2.8 g/cm3
0
1400
👆🏻
Thermal Properties
Specific Heat Capacity
0.95 kJ/Kg K0.39 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