Definition
A hydration and metamorphic transformation of ultramafic rock from the Earth's mantle is called as serpentinization, a group of minerals is formed by serpentinization compose rock 'serpentinite'.
Lherzolite is a type of ultramafic igneous rock which contains essential olivine and clinopyroxene and orthopyroxene in equal proportions
Discoverer
Unknown
Unknown
Etymology
From English word serpentinization.
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
Group
Not Applicable
Plutonic
Other Categories
Fine Grained Rock, Opaque Rock
Fine Grained Rock, Opaque Rock
Color
Black, Brown, Colourless, Green, Grey, White
Black, Dark Greenish - Grey, Green, Pink, Purple
Durability
Durable
Durable
Appearance
Rough and Dull
Glassy, Vesicular and Foilated
Interior Uses
Decorative Aggregates, Interior Decoration
Decorative Aggregates, Entryways, Homes, Interior Decoration
Exterior Uses
As Building Stone, Paving Stone, Garden Decoration, Office Buildings
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.
Medical Industry
Not Yet Used
Not Yet Used
Antiquity Uses
Artifacts, Jewellery, Monuments, Sculpture
Artifacts, Sculpture
Commercial Uses
Commemorative Tablets, Creating Artwork
As armour rock for sea walls, Source of Magnesia (MgO), Used in aquariums
Types
Jadeitite
Garnet Lherzolite
Features
Host Rock for Lead
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
Used
Not Used
Petroglyphs
Used
Not Used
Formation
Due to change in environmental conditions, rocks are heated and pressurized deep inside the Earth's surface. Serpentinite is formed from the extreme heat caused by magma or by the intense collisions and friction of tectonic plates.
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
Carbonate, Magnetite, Pyrrhotite, Serpentine, Sulfides
Harzburgite, Olivine, Pyroxene, Pyrrhotite
Compound Content
Ca, CaO, Carbon Dioxide, KCl, MgO, Sulfur Dioxide, Sulphur
CaO, Cr, Chromium(III) Oxide, MgO
Types of Metamorphism
Burial Metamorphism, Cataclastic Metamorphism, Contact Metamorphism, Hydrothermal Metamorphism, Impact Metamorphism
Cataclastic Metamorphism, Contact Metamorphism
Types of Weathering
Not Applicable
Biological Weathering, Chemical Weathering, Mechanical Weathering
Types of Erosion
Chemical Erosion, Coastal Erosion, Glacier Erosion, Sea Erosion, Wind Erosion
Chemical Erosion, Water Erosion, Wind Erosion
Grain Size
Very fine-grained
Fine Grained
Fracture
Uneven
Conchoidal
Streak
White, Greenish White or Grey
White
Porosity
Less Porous
Less Porous
Luster
Waxy and Dull
Subvitreous to Dull
Cleavage
Irregular
Perfect
Specific Gravity
2.79-3
2.86
Transparency
Opaque
Opaque
Density
2.5-3 g/cm3
2.8-2.9 g/cm3
Resistance
Heat Resistant
Heat Resistant, Impact Resistant, Pressure Resistant, Wear Resistant
Deposits in Eastern Continents
Asia
India, Saudi Arabia, Singapore, South Korea
Russia, South Korea
Africa
Ethiopia, Western Africa
Western Africa
Europe
England, Georgia, Switzerland, United Kingdom
United Kingdom
Others
Not Yet Found
Not Yet Found
Deposits in Western Continents
South America
Colombia
Not Yet Found
Deposits in Oceania Continent
Australia
Central Australia, New South Wales, New Zealand, Western Australia
Central Australia, Western Australia
Serpentinite 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. Serpentinite vs Lherzolite characteristics assist us to distinguish and recognize rocks. Also you can check about Properties of Serpentinite and Properties of Lherzolite. Learn more about Serpentinite vs Lherzolite in the next section. The interior uses of Serpentinite 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 Serpentinite and Lherzolite, they have various applications in construction industry. The uses of Serpentinite 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 Serpentinite and Lherzolite
Here you can know more about Serpentinite and Lherzolite. The life cycle of a rock consists of formation of rock, composition of rock and transformation of rock. The composition of Serpentinite and Lherzolite consists of mineral content and compound content. The mineral content of Serpentinite includes Carbonate, Magnetite, Pyrrhotite, Serpentine, Sulfides 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 Serpentinite vs Lherzolite, the texture, color and appearance plays an important role in determining the type of rock. Serpentinite is available in black, brown, colourless, green, grey, white colors whereas, Lherzolite is available in black, dark greenish - grey, green, pink, purple colors. Appearance of Serpentinite is Rough and Dull and that of Lherzolite is Glassy, Vesicular and Foilated. Properties of rock is another aspect for Serpentinite vs Lherzolite. The hardness of Serpentinite is 3-5 and that of Lherzolite is 6.5. The types of Serpentinite are Jadeitite 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 Serpentinite and Lherzolite is white, greenish white or grey. The specific heat capacity of Serpentinite is 0.95 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.Serpentinite is heat resistant whereas Lherzolite is heat resistant, impact resistant, pressure resistant, wear resistant.