Definition
Pyroxenite is a dark, greenish, granular intrusive igneous rock consisting mainly of pyroxenes and olivine
Wehrlite is an ultramafic and ultrabasic rock that is a mixture of olivine and clinopyroxene. It is a subdivision of the peridotites
Discoverer
Unknown
Alois Wehrle
Etymology
From pyro- fire + Greek xenos stranger as the mineral group was new to igneous rocks
From the name of a professor, Alois Wehrle
Class
Igneous Rocks
Igneous Rocks
Sub-Class
Durable Rock, Hard Rock
Durable Rock, Medium Hardness Rock
Other Categories
Coarse Grained Rock, Opaque Rock
Coarse Grained Rock, Opaque Rock
Texture
Clastic, Granular, Phaneritic, Porphyritic
Banded
Color
Black to Grey, Bluish - Grey, Dark Greenish - Grey, Green, Light Greenish Grey
Dark Greenish - Grey, Green
Durability
Durable
Durable
Scratch Resistant
Yes
Yes
Appearance
Layered, Banded, Veined and Shiny
Rough and Banded
Interior Uses
Countertops, Decorative Aggregates, Interior Decoration, Kitchens
Decorative Aggregates, Interior Decoration
Exterior Uses
As Building Stone, As Facing Stone
As Building Stone, As Facing Stone, Garden Decoration, 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, Cobblestones
Medical Industry
Not Yet Used
NA
Antiquity Uses
Artifacts
Artifacts, Monuments, Sculpture, Small Figurines
Commercial Uses
Cemetery Markers, Commemorative Tablets, Laboratory bench tops, Jewelry, Sea Defence, Tombstones
Cemetery Markers, Creating Artwork, Gemstone, Jewelry
Types
Clinopyroxenites, Orthopyroxenites and Websterites
Not Available
Features
Generally rough to touch, Host rock for Diamond, Is one of the oldest rock
Constitutes upper part of the Earth's mantle, Generally rough to touch, Is one of the oldest rock
Archaeological Significance
Monuments
Not Yet Used
Used
Famous Monuments
Not Applicable
Data Not Available
Sculpture
Not Yet Used
Used
Famous Sculptures
Not Applicable
Data Not Available
Pictographs
Not Used
Used
Petroglyphs
Not Used
Used
Figurines
Not Yet Used
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.
Wehrlite 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
Amphibole, Augite, Bronzite, Chromite, Diopside, Enstatite, Garnet, Hornblende, Hypersthene, Magnetite, Pyroxene
Pyroxene
Compound Content
Aluminium Oxide, CaO, Chromium(III) Oxide, Iron(III) Oxide, Potassium Oxide, MgO, Sodium Oxide, Silicon Dioxide, Sulfur Trioxide
Aluminium Oxide, CaO, Carbon Dioxide, Iron(III) Oxide, FeO, Potassium Oxide, MgO, Sodium Oxide, Phosphorus Pentoxide, Silicon Dioxide, Titanium Dioxide
Types of Metamorphism
Burial Metamorphism, Impact Metamorphism, Regional Metamorphism
Burial Metamorphism, Cataclastic Metamorphism, Contact Metamorphism, Impact Metamorphism, Regional Metamorphism
Types of Weathering
Biological Weathering, Chemical Weathering, Mechanical Weathering
Biological Weathering, Chemical Weathering, Mechanical Weathering
Types of Erosion
Chemical Erosion, Coastal Erosion, Water Erosion
Chemical Erosion, Coastal Erosion, Water Erosion
Grain Size
Coarse Grained
Coarse Grained
Fracture
Uneven
Irregular
Streak
White, Greenish White or Grey
White
Porosity
Less Porous
Less Porous
Luster
Dull to Vitreous to Submetallic
Metallic
Cleavage
Irregular
Perfect
Toughness
Not Available
2.1
Specific Gravity
3.2-3.5
8.4
Transparency
Opaque
Opaque
Density
3.1-3.6 g/cm3
2.6-3.7 g/cm3
Specific Heat Capacity
Not Available
Resistance
Impact Resistant, Pressure Resistant, Wear Resistant
Heat Resistant, Impact Resistant, Pressure Resistant
Deposits in Eastern Continents
Asia
India, Russia
China, India, Indonesia, Kazakhstan, Russia, South Korea, Thailand, Turkey
Africa
South Africa
Morocco, South Africa
Europe
Germany, Greece, Italy, Scotland, Turkey
Finland, France, Georgia, Germany, Great Britain, Italy, Kazakhstan, Netherlands, Norway, Spain, Switzerland, Venezuela
Others
Greenland
Not Yet Found
Deposits in Western Continents
North America
Canada, USA
Canada, USA
South America
Brazil, Colombia, Venezuela
Brazil
Deposits in Oceania Continent
Australia
New Zealand, Queensland
New Zealand, Western Australia
Pyroxenite vs Wehrlite 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. Pyroxenite vs Wehrlite characteristics assist us to distinguish and recognize rocks. Also you can check about Properties of Pyroxenite and Properties of Wehrlite. Learn more about Pyroxenite vs Wehrlite in the next section. The interior uses of Pyroxenite include Countertops, Decorative aggregates, Interior decoration and Kitchens whereas the interior uses of Wehrlite include Decorative aggregates and Interior decoration. Due to some exceptional properties of Pyroxenite and Wehrlite, they have various applications in construction industry. The uses of Pyroxenite in construction industry include As dimension stone, Building houses or walls, Cement manufacture, Construction aggregate, For road aggregate and that of Wehrlite include As dimension stone, Cobblestones.
More about Pyroxenite and Wehrlite
Here you can know more about Pyroxenite and Wehrlite. The life cycle of a rock consists of formation of rock, composition of rock and transformation of rock. The composition of Pyroxenite and Wehrlite consists of mineral content and compound content. The mineral content of Pyroxenite includes Amphibole, Augite, Bronzite, Chromite, Diopside, Enstatite, Garnet, Hornblende, Hypersthene, Magnetite, Pyroxene and mineral content of Wehrlite includes Pyroxene. You can also check out the list of all Igneous Rocks. When we have to compare Pyroxenite vs Wehrlite, the texture, color and appearance plays an important role in determining the type of rock. Pyroxenite is available in black to grey, bluish - grey, dark greenish - grey, green, light greenish grey colors whereas, Wehrlite is available in dark greenish - grey, green colors. Appearance of Pyroxenite is Layered, Banded, Veined and Shiny and that of Wehrlite is Rough and Banded. Properties of rock is another aspect for Pyroxenite vs Wehrlite. The hardness of Pyroxenite is 7 and that of Wehrlite is 5.5-6. The types of Pyroxenite are Clinopyroxenites, Orthopyroxenites and Websterites whereas types of Wehrlite are Not Available. Streak of rock is the color of powder produced when it is dragged across an unweathered surface. The streak of Pyroxenite and Wehrlite is white, greenish white or grey. The specific heat capacity of Pyroxenite is Not Available and that of Wehrlite is 0.63 kJ/Kg K. Depending on the properties like hardness, toughness, specific heat capacity, porosity etc., rocks are resistant to heat, wear, impact, etc.Pyroxenite is impact resistant, pressure resistant, wear resistant whereas Wehrlite is heat resistant, impact resistant, pressure resistant.