Definition
Troctolite is a mafic intrusive rock type. It consists essentially of major but variable amounts of olivine and calcic plagioclase along with minor pyroxene. It is an olivine-rich anorthosite, or a pyroxene-depleted relative of gabbro
Gabbro is an intrusive igneous rock which is chemically equivalent to plutonic Basalt
Discoverer
Christian Leopold von Buch
Christian Leopold von Buch
Etymology
From German Troklotit, from Greek trōktēs, a marine fish (taken to be trout)
From Latin glaber bare, smooth, bald
Class
Igneous Rocks
Igneous Rocks
Sub-Class
Durable Rock, Hard Rock
Durable Rock, Hard Rock
Other Categories
Coarse Grained Rock, Opaque Rock
Coarse Grained Rock, Opaque Rock
Texture
Phaneritic
Phaneritic
Color
Dark Grey to Black
Dark Grey to Black
Durability
Durable
Durable
Scratch Resistant
Yes
Yes
Appearance
Veined and Shiny
Veined and Shiny
Interior Uses
Bathrooms, Countertops, Decorative Aggregates, Entryways, Flooring, Homes, Interior Decoration, Kitchens
Countertops, Decorative Aggregates, Homes, Interior Decoration
Exterior Uses
As Building Stone, As Facing Stone, Garden Decoration, Office Buildings, Paving Stone
As Building Stone, As Facing Stone, Garden Decoration, Office Buildings, 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
Antiquity Uses
Artifacts, Jewellery, Monuments, Sculpture
Artifacts, Monuments, Sculpture
Commercial Uses
Cemetery Markers, Commemorative Tablets, Laboratory bench tops, Jewelry, Sea Defence, Tombstones
Cemetery Markers, Commemorative Tablets, Laboratory bench tops, Jewelry, Sea Defence, Tombstones
Types
Ultramafic rock
Anorthosite Gabbro and Norite Gabbro
Features
Smooth to touch
Smooth to touch
Archaeological Significance
Formation
Troctolite 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.
Gabbro, a mafic rock, forms due to cooling and crystallization of magma underneath Earth's surface.
Mineral Content
Augite, Olivine, Plagioclase, Pyroxene
Augite, Olivine, Plagioclase, Pyroxene
Compound Content
Aluminium Oxide, CaO, Chromium(III) Oxide, Iron(III) Oxide, Potassium Oxide, MgO, Sodium Oxide, Silicon Dioxide, Sulfur Trioxide
Aluminium Oxide, CaO, Chromium(III) Oxide, Iron(III) Oxide, Potassium Oxide, MgO, Sodium Oxide, Silicon Dioxide, Sulfur Trioxide
Types of Metamorphism
Burial Metamorphism, Cataclastic Metamorphism, Contact Metamorphism, Hydrothermal Metamorphism, Impact Metamorphism, Regional Metamorphism
Impact Metamorphism
Types of Weathering
Mechanical Weathering
Chemical Weathering
Types of Erosion
Chemical Erosion, Coastal Erosion, Water Erosion
Coastal Erosion
Grain Size
Coarse Grained
Coarse Grained
Fracture
Conchoidal
Conchoidal
Porosity
Highly Porous
Highly Porous
Specific Gravity
2.86-2.87
2.86-2.87
Transparency
Opaque
Opaque
Density
2.7-3.3 g/cm3
2.7-3.3 g/cm3
Resistance
Impact Resistant, Pressure Resistant, Wear Resistant
Impact Resistant, Pressure Resistant, Wear Resistant
Deposits in Eastern Continents
Asia
India, Russia
India, Russia
Africa
South Africa
South Africa
Europe
Germany, Greece, Italy, Scotland, Turkey
Germany, Greece, Italy, Scotland, Turkey
Others
Greenland
Greenland
Deposits in Western Continents
North America
Canada, USA
Canada, USA
South America
Brazil, Colombia, Venezuela
Brazil, Colombia, Venezuela
Deposits in Oceania Continent
Australia
New Zealand, Queensland
New Zealand, Queensland