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Wehrlite and Gabbro


Gabbro and Wehrlite


Definition

Definition
Wehrlite is an ultramafic and ultrabasic rock that is a mixture of olivine and clinopyroxene. It is a subdivision of the peridotites   
Gabbro is an intrusive igneous rock which is chemically equivalent to plutonic Basalt   

History
  
  

Origin
Egypt   
Germany   

Discoverer
Alois Wehrle   
Christian Leopold von Buch   

Etymology
From the name of a professor, Alois Wehrle   
From Latin glaber bare, smooth, bald   

Class
Igneous Rocks   
Igneous Rocks   

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

Family
  
  

Group
Plutonic   
Plutonic   

Other Categories
Coarse Grained Rock, Opaque Rock   
Coarse Grained Rock, Opaque Rock   

Texture

Texture
Banded   
Phaneritic   

Color
Dark Greenish - Grey, Green   
Dark Grey to Black   

Maintenance
Less   
Less   

Durability
Durable   
Durable   

Water Resistant
Yes   
Yes   

Scratch Resistant
Yes   
Yes   

Stain Resistant
Yes   
Yes   

Wind Resistant
No   
Yes   

Acid Resistant
No   
Yes   

Appearance
Rough and Banded   
Veined and Shiny   

Uses

Architecture
  
  

Interior Uses
Decorative Aggregates, Interior Decoration   
Countertops, 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
As Dimension Stone, Cobblestones   
As Dimension Stone, Building houses or walls, Cement Manufacture, Construction Aggregate, for Road Aggregate   

Medical Industry
NA   
Not Yet Used   

Antiquity Uses
Artifacts, Monuments, Sculpture, Small Figurines   
Artifacts, Monuments, Sculpture   

Other Uses
  
  

Commercial Uses
Cemetery Markers, Creating Artwork, Gemstone, Jewelry   
Cemetery Markers, Commemorative Tablets, Laboratory bench tops, Jewelry, Sea Defence, Tombstones   

Types

Types
Not Available   
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   
Used   

Famous Monuments
Data Not Available   
Data Not Available   

Sculpture
Used   
Used   

Famous Sculptures
Data Not Available   
Data Not Available   

Pictographs
Used   
Not Used   

Petroglyphs
Used   
Not Used   

Figurines
Used   
Used   

Fossils
Absent   
Absent   

Formation

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.   
Gabbro, a mafic rock, forms due to cooling and crystallization of magma underneath Earth's surface.   

Composition
  
  

Mineral Content
Pyroxene   
Augite, Olivine, Plagioclase, Pyroxene   

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   
Yes   

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

Weathering
Yes   
Yes   

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

Erosion
Yes   
Yes   

Types of Erosion
Chemical Erosion, Coastal Erosion, Water Erosion   
Coastal Erosion   

Properties

Physical Properties
  
  

Hardness
5.5-6   
7   

Grain Size
Coarse Grained   
Coarse Grained   

Fracture
Irregular   
Conchoidal   

Streak
White   
Black   

Porosity
Less Porous   
Highly Porous   

Luster
Metallic   
Not Available   

Compressive Strength
Not Available   
225.00 N/mm2   
7

Cleavage
Perfect   
Not Available   

Toughness
2.1   
1.6   

Specific Gravity
8.4   
2.86-2.87   

Transparency
Opaque   
Opaque   

Density
2.6-3.7 g/cm3   
2.7-3.3 g/cm3   

Thermal Properties
  
  

Specific Heat Capacity
0.63 kJ/Kg K   
21
Not Available   

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

Reserves

Deposits in Eastern Continents
  
  

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

Africa
Morocco, South Africa   
South Africa   

Europe
Finland, France, Georgia, Germany, Great Britain, Italy, Kazakhstan, Netherlands, Norway, Spain, Switzerland, Venezuela   
Germany, Greece, Italy, Scotland, Turkey   

Others
Not Yet Found   
Greenland   

Deposits in Western Continents
  
  

North America
Canada, USA   
Canada, USA   

South America
Brazil   
Brazil, Colombia, Venezuela   

Deposits in Oceania Continent
  
  

Australia
New Zealand, Western Australia   
New Zealand, Queensland   

Summary >>
<< Reserves

All about Wehrlite and Gabbro Properties

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

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