Wehrlite and Diabase

Wehrlite

Diabase

Definition

Wehrlite is an ultramafic and ultrabasic rock that is a mixture of olivine and clinopyroxene. It is a subdivision of the peridotites

Diabase is a fine-grained igneous rock which is composed mostly of pyroxene and feldspar

History

Origin

Egypt

Germany

Discoverer

Alois Wehrle

Christian Leopold von Buch

Etymology

From the name of a professor, Alois Wehrle

From Greek di + base

Class

Igneous Rocks

Sub-Class

Durable Rock, Medium Hardness Rock

Durable Rock, Hard Rock

Family

Group

Plutonic

Volcanic

Other Categories

Coarse Grained Rock, Opaque Rock

Fine Grained Rock, Medium Grained Rock, Opaque Rock

Texture

Banded

Aphanitic, Granular

Color

Dark Greenish - Grey, Green

Dark Grey to Black

Maintenance

Less

Durability

Durable

Water Resistant

Yes

Scratch Resistant

Yes

Stain Resistant

Yes

Wind Resistant

Yes

Acid Resistant

Yes

Appearance

Rough and Banded

Vesicular

Uses

Architecture

Interior Uses

Decorative Aggregates, Interior Decoration

Countertops, Decorative Aggregates, Homes, Interior Decoration, Kitchens

Exterior Uses

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

As Building Stone, As Facing Stone, Paving Stone, Garden Decoration, Office Buildings

Other Architectural Uses

Curbing

Industry

Construction Industry

As Dimension Stone, Cobblestones

As Dimension Stone, Building houses or walls, Cement Manufacture, Construction Aggregate, for Road Aggregate

Medical Industry

Not Yet Used

Antiquity Uses

Artifacts, Monuments, Sculpture, Small Figurines

Other Uses

Commercial Uses

Cemetery Markers, Creating Artwork, Gemstone, Jewelry

An Oil and Gas Reservoir, Cemetery Markers, Commemorative Tablets, Laboratory bench tops, Jewelry, Sea Defence, Tombstones

Types

Not Available

Features

Constitutes upper part of the Earth's mantle, Generally rough to touch, Is one of the oldest rock

Smooth to touch

Archaeological Significance

Monuments

Used

Famous Monuments

Data Not Available

Stonehenge in English county of Wiltshire

Sculpture

Used

Famous Sculptures

Data Not Available

Pictographs

Used

Not Used

Petroglyphs

Used

Not Used

Figurines

Used

Fossils

Absent

Formation

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.

Diabase forms when molten igneous rock is squeezed up into a vertical crack in other rocks, the crack is usually forced apart and the molten rock cools in the space to form a tabular igneous intrusion cutting across the surrounding rocks and is known as a dike.

Composition

Mineral Content

Pyroxene

Augite, Chlorite, Olivine, Plagioclase, Pyroxene, Pyrrhotite, Serpentine

Compound Content

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

Aluminium Oxide, CaO, Chromium(III) Oxide, Iron(III) Oxide, Potassium Oxide, MgO, Sodium Oxide, Silicon Dioxide, Sulfur Trioxide

Transformation

Metamorphism

Yes

Types of Metamorphism

Burial Metamorphism, Cataclastic Metamorphism, Contact Metamorphism, Impact Metamorphism, Regional Metamorphism

Burial Metamorphism, Cataclastic Metamorphism, Contact Metamorphism, Regional Metamorphism

Weathering

Yes

Types of Weathering

Biological Weathering, Chemical Weathering, Mechanical Weathering

Biological Weathering, Chemical Weathering

Erosion

Yes

Types of Erosion

Chemical Erosion, Coastal Erosion, Water Erosion

Properties

Physical Properties

Hardness

5.5-6

Grain Size

Coarse Grained

Fine to Medium Grained

Fracture

Irregular

Conchoidal

Streak

White

Black

Porosity

Less Porous

Highly Porous

Luster

Metallic

Not Available

Compressive Strength

Not Available

225.00 N/mm²

Cleavage

Perfect

Not Available

Toughness

2.1

1.6

Specific Gravity

8.4

2.86-2.87

Transparency

Opaque

Density

2.6-3.7 g/cm³

2.7-3.3 g/cm³

Thermal Properties

Specific Heat Capacity

0.63 kJ/Kg K

Not Available

Resistance

Heat Resistant, Impact Resistant, Pressure Resistant

Heat Resistant, Impact Resistant, Pressure Resistant, Wear Resistant

Reserves

Deposits in Eastern Continents

Asia

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

India

Africa

Morocco, South Africa

South Africa, Tanzania

Europe

Finland, France, Georgia, Germany, Great Britain, Italy, Kazakhstan, Netherlands, Norway, Spain, Switzerland, Venezuela

Germany, Greece, Italy, Scotland, Turkey

Others

Not Yet Found

Antarctica, Greenland

Deposits in Western Continents

North America

Canada, USA

South America

Brazil

Argentina, Brazil, Colombia, Venezuela

Deposits in Oceania Continent

Australia

New Zealand, Western Australia

Central Australia, New Zealand, Queensland, Western Australia

Summary >>

<< Reserves

All about Wehrlite and Diabase Properties

Know all about Wehrlite and Diabase properties here. All properties of rocks are important as they define the type of rock and its application. Wehrlite and Diabase belong to Igneous Rocks.Texture of Wehrlite is Banded whereas that of Diabase is Aphanitic, Granular. Wehrlite appears Rough and Banded and Diabase appears Vesicular. The luster of Wehrlite is metallic while that of Diabase is not available. Wehrlite is available in dark greenish - grey, green colors whereas Diabase is available in dark grey to black colors. The commercial uses of Wehrlite are cemetery markers, creating artwork, gemstone, jewelry and that of Diabase are an oil and gas reservoir, cemetery markers, commemorative tablets, laboratory bench tops, jewelry, sea defence, tombstones.