Definition
Pyroxenite is a dark, greenish, granular intrusive igneous rock consisting mainly of pyroxenes and olivine
Cataclasite is a type of cataclastic rock that is formed by fracturing and comminution during faulting. It is normally cohesive and non-foliated, consisting of angular clasts in a finer-grained matrix
Origin
Unknown
Swiss Alps, Europe
Discoverer
Unknown
Michael Tellinger
Etymology
From pyro- fire + Greek xenos stranger as the mineral group was new to igneous rocks
From the Italian word cataclasi
Class
Igneous Rocks
Metamorphic Rocks
Sub-Class
Durable Rock, Hard Rock
Durable Rock, Medium Hardness Rock
Group
Plutonic
Not Applicable
Other Categories
Coarse Grained Rock, Opaque Rock
Fine Grained Rock, Opaque Rock
Texture
Clastic, Granular, Phaneritic, Porphyritic
Clastic
Color
Black to Grey, Bluish - Grey, Dark Greenish - Grey, Green, Light Greenish Grey
Brown, Green, White, Yellow
Durability
Durable
Durable
Appearance
Layered, Banded, Veined and Shiny
Dull and Banded
Interior Uses
Countertops, Decorative Aggregates, Interior Decoration, Kitchens
Decorative Aggregates, Homes
Exterior Uses
As Building Stone, As Facing Stone
As Building Stone, As Facing Stone, Paving Stone
Other Architectural Uses
Curbing
Curbing
Construction Industry
As Dimension Stone, Building houses or walls, Cement Manufacture, Construction Aggregate, for Road Aggregate
As Dimension Stone, Building houses or walls, Cement Manufacture, Construction Aggregate, for Road Aggregate
Medical Industry
Not Yet Used
Not Yet Used
Antiquity Uses
Artifacts
Artifacts
Commercial Uses
Cemetery Markers, Commemorative Tablets, Laboratory bench tops, Jewelry, Sea Defence, Tombstones
Commemorative Tablets, Creating Artwork
Types
Clinopyroxenites, Orthopyroxenites and Websterites
Protocataclasite, Mesocataclasite, Ultracataclasite and Foliated cataclasite
Features
Generally rough to touch, Host rock for Diamond, Is one of the oldest rock
Easily splits into thin plates, Is one of the oldest rock
Archaeological Significance
Monuments
Not Yet Used
Not Yet Used
Famous Monuments
Not Applicable
Not Applicable
Sculpture
Not Yet Used
Not Yet Used
Famous Sculptures
Not Applicable
Not Applicable
Pictographs
Not Used
Used
Petroglyphs
Not Used
Used
Figurines
Not Yet Used
Not Yet Used
Formation
Pyroxenites are ultramafic igneous rocks which are made up of minerals of the pyroxene group, such as augite and diopside, hypersthene, bronzite or enstatite.
Cataclasiste rocks mainly form by pressure deep under the Earth's surface, from the extreme heat caused by magma or by the intense collisions and friction of tectonic plates.
Mineral Content
Amphibole, Augite, Bronzite, Chromite, Diopside, Enstatite, Garnet, Hornblende, Hypersthene, Magnetite, Pyroxene
Albite, Apatite, Augite, Biotite, Calcite, Enstatite, Epidote, Feldspar, Micas, Muscovite or Illite, Pyroxene, Quartz
Compound Content
Aluminium Oxide, CaO, Chromium(III) Oxide, Iron(III) Oxide, Potassium Oxide, MgO, Sodium Oxide, Silicon Dioxide, Sulfur Trioxide
Silicon Dioxide
Types of Metamorphism
Burial Metamorphism, Impact Metamorphism, Regional Metamorphism
Not Applicable
Types of Weathering
Biological Weathering, Chemical Weathering, Mechanical Weathering
Mechanical Weathering
Types of Erosion
Chemical Erosion, Coastal Erosion, Water Erosion
Coastal Erosion, Wind Erosion
Grain Size
Coarse Grained
Fine Grained
Streak
White, Greenish White or Grey
Black
Porosity
Less Porous
Less Porous
Luster
Dull to Vitreous to Submetallic
Vitreous
Cleavage
Irregular
Not Available
Toughness
Not Available
Not Available
Specific Gravity
3.2-3.5
2.1
Transparency
Opaque
Translucent to Opaque
Density
3.1-3.6 g/cm3
2.9-3.1 g/cm3
Resistance
Impact Resistant, Pressure Resistant, Wear Resistant
Heat Resistant, Impact Resistant, Pressure Resistant
Deposits in Eastern Continents
Asia
India, Russia
China, India, Russia, Saudi Arabia, South Korea
Africa
South Africa
Egypt, Ethiopia, Kenya, Madagascar, Morocco, South Africa
Europe
Germany, Greece, Italy, Scotland, Turkey
England, Finland, France, Spain, United Kingdom
Others
Greenland
Not Yet Found
Deposits in Western Continents
North America
Canada, USA
Canada, USA
South America
Brazil, Colombia, Venezuela
Argentina, Colombia
Deposits in Oceania Continent
Australia
New Zealand, Queensland
Central Australia, Western Australia
All about Pyroxenite and Cataclasite Properties
Know all about Pyroxenite and Cataclasite properties here. All properties of rocks are important as they define the type of rock and its application. Pyroxenite belongs to Igneous Rocks while Cataclasite belongs to Metamorphic Rocks.Texture of Pyroxenite is Clastic, Granular, Phaneritic, Porphyritic whereas that of Cataclasite is Clastic. Pyroxenite appears Layered, Banded, Veined and Shiny and Cataclasite appears Dull and Banded. The luster of Pyroxenite is dull to vitreous to submetallic while that of Cataclasite is vitreous. Pyroxenite is available in black to grey, bluish - grey, dark greenish - grey, green, light greenish grey colors whereas Cataclasite is available in brown, green, white, yellow colors. The commercial uses of Pyroxenite are cemetery markers, commemorative tablets, laboratory bench tops, jewelry, sea defence, tombstones and that of Cataclasite are commemorative tablets, creating artwork.