Definition
Tachylite is a vitreous form of basaltic volcanic glass. This glass is formed naturally by the rapid cooling of molten basalt
Harzburgite is a plutonic rock of the peridotite group consisting largely of orthopyroxene and olivine
History
Origin
Iceland
Germany
Discoverer
Unknown
Unknown
Etymology
From German Tachylite, from tachy- + Greek lutos soluble, melting
From the name of a town in Harzburg, Germany
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
Vitreous
Phaneritic
Color
Black, Dark Brown
Dark Greenish - Grey
Maintenance
More
Less
Durability
Durable
Durable
Water Resistant
✔
✘
✔
✘
Scratch Resistant
✔
✘
✔
✘
Stain Resistant
✔
✘
✔
✘
Wind Resistant
✔
✘
✔
✘
Acid Resistant
✔
✘
✔
✘
Appearance
Glassy
Rough and Shiny
Architecture
Interior Uses
Decorative Aggregates, Interior Decoration
Decorative Aggregates, Homes, Interior Decoration
Exterior Uses
As Building Stone, As Facing Stone, Garden Decoration, Paving Stone
As Building Stone, As Facing Stone, Garden Decoration, Office Buildings, Paving Stone
Other Architectural Uses
Curbing
Curbing
Industry
Construction Industry
Cutting Tool, Knives, Landscaping, Scrapers
As Dimension Stone, Cobblestones
Medical Industry
-
-
Antiquity Uses
Artifacts
Artifacts, Monuments, Sculpture, Small Figurines
Other Uses
Commercial Uses
Cemetery Markers, Creating Artwork
Creating Artwork, Gemstone, Jewelry, Source of Chromite, Platinum, Nickel and Garnet, Source of Diamonds
Types
Volcanic glass
Ultramafic rock
Features
Available in Lots of Colors and Patterns, Clasts are smooth to touch
Constitutes upper part of the Earth's mantle, Generally rough to touch, Is one of the oldest rock
Archaeological Significance
Monuments
-
-
Famous Monuments
-
-
Sculpture
-
-
Famous Sculptures
-
-
Pictographs
-
-
Petroglyphs
-
-
Figurines
-
-
Fossils
Absent
Absent
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.
Harzburgite 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
Amphibole, Chromite, Garnet, Magnesium, Olivine, Phlogopite, Plagioclase, Pyroxene
Compound Content
Fe, Mg
Ca, Fe, Mg, Potassium, Silicon Dioxide, Sodium, Titanium Dioxide
Transformation
Metamorphism
✔
✘
✔
✘
Types of Metamorphism
Burial Metamorphism, Cataclastic Metamorphism, Contact Metamorphism, Hydrothermal Metamorphism, Impact Metamorphism, Regional Metamorphism
Impact Metamorphism
Weathering
✔
✘
✔
✘
Types of Weathering
Biological Weathering, Chemical Weathering, Mechanical Weathering
Chemical Weathering, Mechanical Weathering
Erosion
✔
✘
✔
✘
Types of Erosion
Chemical Erosion, Sea Erosion, Water Erosion, Wind Erosion
Chemical Erosion, Sea Erosion
Physical Properties
Hardness
5.55.5-6
1
7
👆🏻
Grain Size
Medium to Fine Coarse Grained
Coarse Grained
Fracture
Conchoidal
Irregular
Streak
Vermilion
White
Porosity
Less Porous
Less Porous
Luster
Resinous
Shiny
Compressive Strength
206.00 N/mm2150.00 N/mm2
0.15
450
👆🏻
Cleavage
-
-
Toughness
-
2.1
Specific Gravity
2.43-3.01
0
8.4
👆🏻
Transparency
Opaque
Translucent to Opaque
Density
3.058 g/cm33.1-3.4 g/cm3
0
1400
👆🏻
Thermal Properties
Specific Heat Capacity
0.56 kJ/Kg K1.25 kJ/Kg K
0.14
3.2
👆🏻
Resistance
Heat Resistant, Impact Resistant, Wear Resistant
Heat Resistant, Pressure Resistant, Wear Resistant
Deposits in Eastern Continents
Asia
Cambodia, Russia, South Korea
Japan, Oman
Africa
East Africa
South Africa
Europe
England, Germany, Hungary, Iceland, Scotland, Sweden
France, Germany, Italy
Others
Hawaii Islands
Hawaii Islands, Mid-Atlantic Ridge
Deposits in Western Continents
North America
USA
Canada, USA
South America
-
-
Deposits in Oceania Continent
Australia
Victoria
-