Definition
Migmatite is typically a granitic rock within a metamorphic host rock which is composed of two intermingled but distinguishable components
Lherzolite is a type of ultramafic igneous rock which contains essential olivine and clinopyroxene and orthopyroxene in equal proportions
Origin
Southern Alps, France
France
Discoverer
Jakob Sederholm
Unknown
Etymology
From the Greek word migma which means a mixture
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
Metamorphic Rocks
Igneous Rocks
Sub-Class
Durable Rock, Medium Hardness Rock
Durable Rock, Hard Rock
Other Categories
Coarse Grained Rock, Fine Grained Rock, Medium Grained Rock, Opaque Rock
Fine Grained Rock, Opaque Rock
Color
Black, Bluish - Grey, Brown, Brown- Black, Dark Greenish - Grey, Dark Grey to Black
Black, Dark Greenish - Grey, Green, Pink, Purple
Durability
Durable
Durable
Scratch Resistant
Yes
Yes
Appearance
Dull, Banded and Foilated
Glassy, Vesicular and Foilated
Interior Uses
Countertops, Flooring, Kitchens
Decorative Aggregates, Entryways, Homes, Interior Decoration
Exterior Uses
As Building Stone, As Facing Stone
As Building Stone, As Facing Stone, Office Buildings
Other Architectural Uses
Curbing
Curbing
Construction Industry
As Dimension Stone, Cement Manufacture, for Road Aggregate, Making natural cement
Landscaping, Manufacture of Magnesium and Dolomite Refractories, Used for flooring, stair treads, borders and window sills.
Antiquity Uses
Artifacts
Artifacts, Sculpture
Commercial Uses
Cemetery Markers, Jewelry, Tombstones, Used to manufracture paperweights and bookends
As armour rock for sea walls, Source of Magnesia (MgO), Used in aquariums
Types
Diatexites and Metatexites
Garnet Lherzolite
Features
Generally rough to touch, Is one of the oldest rock
Host Rock for Lead
Archaeological Significance
Formation
Migmatites form by high temperature regional and thermal metamorphism of protolith rocks where rocks melt partially due to high temperature.
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.
Mineral Content
Biotite, Chlorite, Feldspar, Garnet, Graphite, Hornblade, Micas, Muscovite or Illite, Quartz, Quartzite, Silica, Zircon
Harzburgite, Olivine, Pyroxene, Pyrrhotite
Compound Content
Aluminium Oxide, NaCl, CaO, Carbon Dioxide, Iron(III) Oxide, FeO, Potassium Oxide, Magnesium Carbonate, MgO, MnO, Phosphorus Pentoxide, Silicon Dioxide, Titanium Dioxide
CaO, Cr, Chromium(III) Oxide, MgO
Types of Metamorphism
Burial Metamorphism, Cataclastic Metamorphism, Regional Metamorphism
Cataclastic Metamorphism, Contact Metamorphism
Types of Weathering
Biological Weathering, Chemical Weathering, Mechanical Weathering
Biological Weathering, Chemical Weathering, Mechanical Weathering
Types of Erosion
Chemical Erosion, Glacier Erosion, Water Erosion, Wind Erosion
Chemical Erosion, Water Erosion, Wind Erosion
Grain Size
Medium to Fine Coarse Grained
Fine Grained
Fracture
Irregular
Conchoidal
Porosity
Very Less Porous
Less Porous
Luster
Dull to Pearly to Subvitreous
Subvitreous to Dull
Specific Gravity
2.65-2.75
2.86
Transparency
Opaque
Opaque
Density
-9999 g/cm3
2.8-2.9 g/cm3
Resistance
Heat Resistant, Pressure Resistant
Heat Resistant, Impact Resistant, Pressure Resistant, Wear Resistant
Deposits in Eastern Continents
Asia
China, India, Iran, Iraq, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Mongolia, Russia
Russia, South Korea
Africa
Cameroon, Ethiopia, Ghana, Kenya, Madagascar, Morocco, Mozambique, Namibia, Nigeria, Tanzania, Togo
Western Africa
Europe
Albania, Austria, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Finland, France, Georgia, Germany, Hungary, Italy, Kosovo, Monaco, Norway, Poland, Romania, Serbia, Slovakia, Slovenia, Sweden, Switzerland, Ukraine, United Kingdom
United Kingdom
Deposits in Western Continents
North America
Canada, Costa Rica, Cuba, Mexico, Panama, USA
USA
South America
Argentina, Bolivia, Brazil, Chile, Colombia, Ecuador, Peru, Venezuela
-
Deposits in Oceania Continent
Australia
New South Wales, New Zealand, Queensland, Victoria
Central Australia, Western Australia
Migmatite vs Lherzolite Characteristics
Though some rocks look identical, they have certain characteristics which distinguish them from others. Characteristics of rocks include texture, appearance, color, fracture, streak, hardness etc. Migmatite vs Lherzolite characteristics assist us to distinguish and recognize rocks. Also you can check about Properties of Migmatite and Properties of Lherzolite. Learn more about Migmatite vs Lherzolite in the next section. The interior uses of Migmatite include Countertops, Flooring and Kitchens whereas the interior uses of Lherzolite include Decorative aggregates, Entryways, Homes and Interior decoration. Due to some exceptional properties of Migmatite and Lherzolite, they have various applications in construction industry. The uses of Migmatite in construction industry include As dimension stone, Cement manufacture, For road aggregate, Making natural cement and that of Lherzolite include Landscaping, Manufacture of magnesium and dolomite refractories, Used for flooring, stair treads, borders and window sills..
More about Migmatite and Lherzolite
Here you can know more about Migmatite and Lherzolite. The life cycle of a rock consists of formation of rock, composition of rock and transformation of rock. The composition of Migmatite and Lherzolite consists of mineral content and compound content. The mineral content of Migmatite includes Biotite, Chlorite, Feldspar, Garnet, Graphite, Hornblade, Micas, Muscovite or Illite, Quartz, Quartzite, Silica, Zircon and mineral content of Lherzolite includes Harzburgite, Olivine, Pyroxene, Pyrrhotite. You can also check out the list of all Metamorphic Rocks. When we have to compare Migmatite vs Lherzolite, the texture, color and appearance plays an important role in determining the type of rock. Migmatite is available in black, bluish - grey, brown, brown- black, dark greenish - grey, dark grey to black colors whereas, Lherzolite is available in black, dark greenish - grey, green, pink, purple colors. Appearance of Migmatite is Dull, Banded and Foilated and that of Lherzolite is Glassy, Vesicular and Foilated. Properties of rock is another aspect for Migmatite vs Lherzolite. The hardness of Migmatite is 5.5-6.5 and that of Lherzolite is 6.5. The types of Migmatite are Diatexites and Metatexites whereas types of Lherzolite are Garnet Lherzolite. Streak of rock is the color of powder produced when it is dragged across an unweathered surface. The streak of Migmatite and Lherzolite is white. The specific heat capacity of Migmatite is 0.79 kJ/Kg K and that of Lherzolite is 0.95 kJ/Kg K. Depending on the properties like hardness, toughness, specific heat capacity, porosity etc., rocks are resistant to heat, wear, impact, etc.Migmatite is heat resistant, pressure resistant whereas Lherzolite is heat resistant, impact resistant, pressure resistant, wear resistant.