Definition
Porphyry is a reddish-brown to purple igneous rock containing large phenocrysts of various minerals embedded in a fine-grained matrix
Lherzolite is a type of ultramafic igneous rock which contains essential olivine and clinopyroxene and orthopyroxene in equal proportions
Discoverer
Unknown
Unknown
Etymology
From Old French porfire, from Italian porfiro and in some cases directly from Latin porphyrites
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
Igneous Rocks
Igneous Rocks
Sub-Class
Durable Rock, Hard Rock
Durable Rock, Hard Rock
Other Categories
Fine Grained Rock, Opaque Rock
Fine Grained Rock, Opaque Rock
Texture
Porphyritic
Grenue
Color
Black, Brown, Colourless, Green, Grey, Red, Rust, White
Black, Dark Greenish - Grey, Green, Pink, Purple
Durability
Durable
Durable
Scratch Resistant
Yes
Yes
Appearance
Dull
Glassy, Vesicular and Foilated
Interior Uses
Decorative Aggregates, Interior Decoration
Decorative Aggregates, Entryways, Homes, Interior Decoration
Exterior Uses
Garden Decoration, Paving Stone
As Building Stone, As Facing Stone, Office Buildings
Other Architectural Uses
Curbing
Curbing
Construction Industry
Construction Aggregate
Landscaping, Manufacture of Magnesium and Dolomite Refractories, Used for flooring, stair treads, borders and window sills.
Medical Industry
Not Yet Used
Not Yet Used
Antiquity Uses
Artifacts, Monuments, Sculpture
Artifacts, Sculpture
Commercial Uses
Creating Artwork, Gemstone, Jewelry
As armour rock for sea walls, Source of Magnesia (MgO), Used in aquariums
Types
Rhomb Porphyry
Garnet Lherzolite
Features
Generally rough to touch, Is one of the oldest rock, Surfaces are often shiny
Host Rock for Lead
Archaeological Significance
Monuments
Used
Not Yet Used
Famous Monuments
Data Not Available
Not Applicable
Famous Sculptures
Data Not Available
Data Not Available
Pictographs
Not Used
Not Used
Petroglyphs
Not Used
Not Used
Formation
Porphyry is formed in two stages: the magma cools slowly deep within the crust or the magma is cools rapidly as it erupts from a volcano, creating small grains that are usually invisible to naked eye.
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, Chert, Feldspar, Garnet, Graphite, Quartz, Silica
Harzburgite, Olivine, Pyroxene, Pyrrhotite
Compound Content
Aluminium Oxide, CaO, Iron(III) Oxide, Potassium Oxide, MgO, Sodium Oxide, Silicon Dioxide, Titanium Dioxide
CaO, Cr, Chromium(III) Oxide, MgO
Types of Metamorphism
Burial Metamorphism, Cataclastic Metamorphism, Contact Metamorphism, Hydrothermal Metamorphism, Impact Metamorphism, Regional Metamorphism
Cataclastic Metamorphism, Contact Metamorphism
Types of Weathering
Biological Weathering, Chemical Weathering, Not Registered
Biological Weathering, Chemical Weathering, Mechanical Weathering
Types of Erosion
Chemical Erosion, Coastal Erosion, Glacier Erosion
Chemical Erosion, Water Erosion, Wind Erosion
Grain Size
Fine Grained
Fine Grained
Fracture
Irregular
Conchoidal
Porosity
Less Porous
Less Porous
Luster
Dull
Subvitreous to Dull
Compressive Strength
Not Available
Cleavage
Imperfect
Perfect
Specific Gravity
2.5-4
2.86
Transparency
Translucent to Opaque
Opaque
Density
2.5-2.52 g/cm3
2.8-2.9 g/cm3
Specific Heat Capacity
Not Available
Resistance
Heat Resistant, Impact Resistant
Heat Resistant, Impact Resistant, Pressure Resistant, Wear Resistant
Deposits in Eastern Continents
Asia
China, Kazakhstan, South Korea, Thailand, Turkey, Vietnam
Russia, South Korea
Africa
Egypt, Ethiopia, Ghana, South Africa
Western Africa
Europe
Finland, France, Germany, Great Britain, Hungary, Iceland, Ireland, Italy, Netherlands, Norway, Romania, Sweden, Switzerland
United Kingdom
Others
Greenland
Not Yet Found
Deposits in Western Continents
North America
Canada, Cuba, Jamaica, USA
USA
South America
Bolivia, Brazil, Colombia, Ecuador, Paraguay
Not Yet Found
Deposits in Oceania Continent
Australia
New South Wales, New Zealand, Western Australia
Central Australia, Western Australia
Porphyry 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. Porphyry vs Lherzolite characteristics assist us to distinguish and recognize rocks. Also you can check about Properties of Porphyry and Properties of Lherzolite. Learn more about Porphyry vs Lherzolite in the next section. The interior uses of Porphyry include Decorative aggregates and Interior decoration whereas the interior uses of Lherzolite include Decorative aggregates, Entryways, Homes and Interior decoration. Due to some exceptional properties of Porphyry and Lherzolite, they have various applications in construction industry. The uses of Porphyry in construction industry include Construction aggregate and that of Lherzolite include Landscaping, Manufacture of magnesium and dolomite refractories, Used for flooring, stair treads, borders and window sills..
More about Porphyry and Lherzolite
Here you can know more about Porphyry and Lherzolite. The life cycle of a rock consists of formation of rock, composition of rock and transformation of rock. The composition of Porphyry and Lherzolite consists of mineral content and compound content. The mineral content of Porphyry includes Biotite, Chert, Feldspar, Garnet, Graphite, Quartz, Silica and mineral content of Lherzolite includes Harzburgite, Olivine, Pyroxene, Pyrrhotite. You can also check out the list of all Igneous Rocks. When we have to compare Porphyry vs Lherzolite, the texture, color and appearance plays an important role in determining the type of rock. Porphyry is available in black, brown, colourless, green, grey, red, rust, white colors whereas, Lherzolite is available in black, dark greenish - grey, green, pink, purple colors. Appearance of Porphyry is Dull and that of Lherzolite is Glassy, Vesicular and Foilated. Properties of rock is another aspect for Porphyry vs Lherzolite. The hardness of Porphyry is 6-7 and that of Lherzolite is 6.5. The types of Porphyry are Rhomb Porphyry 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 Porphyry and Lherzolite is white. The specific heat capacity of Porphyry is Not Available 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.Porphyry is heat resistant, impact resistant whereas Lherzolite is heat resistant, impact resistant, pressure resistant, wear resistant.
