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Tachylite and Wehrlite


Wehrlite and Tachylite


Definition

Definition
Tachylite is a vitreous form of basaltic volcanic glass. This glass is formed naturally by the rapid cooling of molten basalt   
Wehrlite is an ultramafic and ultrabasic rock that is a mixture of olivine and clinopyroxene. It is a subdivision of the peridotites   

History
  
  

Origin
Iceland   
Egypt   

Discoverer
Unknown   
Alois Wehrle   

Etymology
From German Tachylite, from tachy- + Greek lutos soluble, melting   
From the name of a professor, Alois Wehrle   

Class
Igneous Rocks   
Igneous Rocks   

Sub-Class
Durable Rock, Medium Hardness Rock   
Durable Rock, Medium Hardness Rock   

Family
  
  

Group
Volcanic   
Plutonic   

Other Categories
Coarse Grained Rock, Fine Grained Rock, Medium Grained Rock, Opaque Rock   
Coarse Grained Rock, Opaque Rock   

Texture

Texture
Vitreous   
Banded   

Color
Black, Dark Brown   
Dark Greenish - Grey, Green   

Maintenance
More   
Less   

Durability
Durable   
Durable   

Water Resistant
Yes   
Yes   

Scratch Resistant
No   
Yes   

Stain Resistant
No   
Yes   

Wind Resistant
Yes   
No   

Acid Resistant
Yes   
No   

Appearance
Glassy   
Rough and Banded   

Uses

Architecture
  
  

Interior Uses
Decorative Aggregates, Interior Decoration   
Decorative Aggregates, Interior Decoration   

Exterior Uses
As Building Stone, As Facing Stone, Garden Decoration, Paving Stone   
As Building Stone, As Facing Stone, Garden Decoration, Paving Stone   

Other Architectural Uses
Curbing   
Curbing   

Industry
  
  

Construction Industry
Cutting Tool, Knives, Landscaping, Scrapers   
As Dimension Stone, Cobblestones   

Medical Industry
Not Yet Used   
NA   

Antiquity Uses
Artifacts   
Artifacts, Monuments, Sculpture, Small Figurines   

Other Uses
  
  

Commercial Uses
Cemetery Markers, Creating Artwork   
Cemetery Markers, Creating Artwork, Gemstone, Jewelry   

Types

Types
Not Available   
Not Available   

Features
Available in Lots of Colors and Patterns, Clasts are smooth to touch, NA   
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
Used   
Used   

Petroglyphs
Used   
Used   

Figurines
Not Yet Used   
Used   

Fossils
Absent   
Absent   

Formation

Formation
Tachylite 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.   
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.   

Composition
  
  

Mineral Content
Feldspar, Olivine   
Pyroxene   

Compound Content
Fe, Mg   
Aluminium Oxide, CaO, Carbon Dioxide, Iron(III) Oxide, FeO, Potassium Oxide, MgO, Sodium Oxide, Phosphorus Pentoxide, Silicon Dioxide, Titanium Dioxide   

Transformation
  
  

Metamorphism
Yes   
Yes   

Types of Metamorphism
Burial Metamorphism, Cataclastic Metamorphism, Contact Metamorphism, Hydrothermal Metamorphism, Impact Metamorphism, Regional Metamorphism   
Burial Metamorphism, Cataclastic Metamorphism, Contact Metamorphism, Impact Metamorphism, Regional Metamorphism   

Weathering
Yes   
Yes   

Types of Weathering
Biological Weathering, Chemical Weathering, Mechanical Weathering   
Biological Weathering, Chemical Weathering, Mechanical Weathering   

Erosion
Yes   
Yes   

Types of Erosion
Chemical Erosion, Sea Erosion, Water Erosion, Wind Erosion   
Chemical Erosion, Coastal Erosion, Water Erosion   

Properties

Physical Properties
  
  

Hardness
5.5   
5.5-6   

Grain Size
Medium to Fine Coarse Grained   
Coarse Grained   

Fracture
Conchoidal   
Irregular   

Streak
Vermilion   
White   

Porosity
Less Porous   
Less Porous   

Luster
Resinous   
Metallic   

Compressive Strength
206.00 N/mm2   
8
Not Available   

Cleavage
Not Available   
Perfect   

Toughness
Not Available   
2.1   

Specific Gravity
2.4   
8.4   

Transparency
Opaque   
Opaque   

Density
3.058 g/cm3   
2.6-3.7 g/cm3   

Thermal Properties
  
  

Specific Heat Capacity
0.56 kJ/Kg K   
22
0.63 kJ/Kg K   
21

Resistance
Heat Resistant, Impact Resistant, Wear Resistant   
Heat Resistant, Impact Resistant, Pressure Resistant   

Reserves

Deposits in Eastern Continents
  
  

Asia
Cambodia, Russia, South Korea   
China, India, Indonesia, Kazakhstan, Russia, South Korea, Thailand, Turkey   

Africa
East Africa   
Morocco, South Africa   

Europe
England, Germany, Hungary, Iceland, Scotland, Sweden   
Finland, France, Georgia, Germany, Great Britain, Italy, Kazakhstan, Netherlands, Norway, Spain, Switzerland, Venezuela   

Others
Hawaii Islands   
Not Yet Found   

Deposits in Western Continents
  
  

North America
USA   
Canada, USA   

South America
Not Yet Found   
Brazil   

Deposits in Oceania Continent
  
  

Australia
Victoria   
New Zealand, Western Australia   

Summary >>
<< Reserves

All about Tachylite and Wehrlite Properties

Know all about Tachylite and Wehrlite properties here. All properties of rocks are important as they define the type of rock and its application. Tachylite and Wehrlite belong to Igneous Rocks.Texture of Tachylite is Vitreous whereas that of Wehrlite is Banded. Tachylite appears Glassy and Wehrlite appears Rough and Banded. The luster of Tachylite is resinous while that of Wehrlite is metallic. Tachylite is available in black, dark brown colors whereas Wehrlite is available in dark greenish - grey, green colors. The commercial uses of Tachylite are cemetery markers, creating artwork and that of Wehrlite are cemetery markers, creating artwork, gemstone, jewelry.

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