Definition
Wehrlite is an ultramafic and ultrabasic rock that is a mixture of olivine and clinopyroxene. It is a subdivision of the peridotites
Anorthosite is a granular igneous rock composed largely of labradorite or plagioclase
Discoverer
Alois Wehrle
Unknown
Etymology
From the name of a professor, Alois Wehrle
From French anorthose plagioclase + -ite1
Class
Igneous Rocks
Igneous Rocks
Sub-Class
Durable Rock, Medium Hardness Rock
Durable Rock, Medium Hardness Rock
Other Categories
Coarse Grained Rock, Opaque Rock
Coarse Grained Rock, Opaque Rock
Texture
Banded
Foliated, Glassy
Color
Dark Greenish - Grey, Green
Black, Bluish - Grey, Brown, Green, Grey, Light Greenish Grey, Pink, White
Durability
Durable
Durable
Appearance
Rough and Banded
Layered, Banded, Veined and Shiny
Interior Uses
Decorative Aggregates, Interior Decoration
Decorative Aggregates, Floor Tiles, Homes, Interior Decoration
Exterior Uses
As Building Stone, As Facing Stone, Garden Decoration, Paving Stone
As Building Stone, As Facing Stone, Garden Decoration
Other Architectural Uses
Curbing
Curbing
Construction Industry
As Dimension Stone, Cobblestones
As Dimension Stone, Cement Manufacture, for Road Aggregate
Medical Industry
NA
Not Yet Used
Antiquity Uses
Artifacts, Monuments, Sculpture, Small Figurines
Artifacts, Sculpture, Small Figurines
Commercial Uses
Cemetery Markers, Creating Artwork, Gemstone, Jewelry
Creating Artwork, Curling
Types
Not Available
Proterozoic Anorthosite and Archean Anorthosite
Features
Constitutes upper part of the Earth's mantle, Generally rough to touch, Is one of the oldest rock
Generally rough to touch, Is one of the oldest rock
Archaeological Significance
Monuments
Used
Not Yet Used
Famous Monuments
Data Not Available
Not Applicable
Famous Sculptures
Data Not Available
Not Applicable
Pictographs
Used
Not Used
Petroglyphs
Used
Not Used
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.
Anorthosite is a phaneritic, intrusive igneous rock which is characterized by a predominance of plagioclase feldspar which is almost 90–100%, and a minimal mafic component.
Mineral Content
Pyroxene
Amphibole, Clinopyroxene, Ilmenite, Magnetite, Olivine, Orthopyroxene
Compound Content
Aluminium Oxide, CaO, Carbon Dioxide, Iron(III) Oxide, FeO, Potassium Oxide, MgO, Sodium Oxide, Phosphorus Pentoxide, Silicon Dioxide, Titanium Dioxide
Ca, CaO, Chromium(III) Oxide, MgO, Sulfur Trioxide
Types of Metamorphism
Burial Metamorphism, Cataclastic Metamorphism, Contact Metamorphism, Impact Metamorphism, Regional Metamorphism
Cataclastic Metamorphism, Contact Metamorphism
Types of Weathering
Biological Weathering, Chemical Weathering, Mechanical Weathering
Biological Weathering
Types of Erosion
Chemical Erosion, Coastal Erosion, Water Erosion
Chemical Erosion, Wind Erosion
Grain Size
Coarse Grained
Coarse Grained
Fracture
Irregular
Irregular
Porosity
Less Porous
Less Porous
Luster
Metallic
Pearly to Subvitreous
Cleavage
Perfect
Irregular
Toughness
2.1
Not Available
Specific Gravity
8.4
2.62-2.82
Transparency
Opaque
Translucent
Density
2.6-3.7 g/cm3
2.7-4 g/cm3
Resistance
Heat Resistant, Impact Resistant, Pressure Resistant
Heat Resistant, Impact Resistant, Pressure Resistant, Scratch Resistant, Wear Resistant
Deposits in Eastern Continents
Asia
China, India, Indonesia, Kazakhstan, Russia, South Korea, Thailand, Turkey
Not Yet Found
Africa
Morocco, South Africa
Not Yet Found
Europe
Finland, France, Georgia, Germany, Great Britain, Italy, Kazakhstan, Netherlands, Norway, Spain, Switzerland, Venezuela
Bulgaria, France, Germany, Greece, Hungary, Italy, Latvia, Lithuania, Malta, Poland, Portugal, Romania, Slovenia, Spain, Sweden, The Czech Republic
Others
Not Yet Found
Not Yet Found
Deposits in Western Continents
North America
Canada, USA
Canada
South America
Brazil
Bolivia, Colombia
Deposits in Oceania Continent
Australia
New Zealand, Western Australia
Central Australia, South Australia, Western Australia
Wehrlite vs Anorthosite Characteristics
Though some rocks look identical, they have certain characteristics which distinguish them from others. Characteristics of rocks include texture, appearance, color, fracture, streak, hardness etc. Wehrlite vs Anorthosite characteristics assist us to distinguish and recognize rocks. Also you can check about Properties of Wehrlite and Properties of Anorthosite. Learn more about Wehrlite vs Anorthosite in the next section. The interior uses of Wehrlite include Decorative aggregates and Interior decoration whereas the interior uses of Anorthosite include Decorative aggregates, Floor tiles, Homes and Interior decoration. Due to some exceptional properties of Wehrlite and Anorthosite, they have various applications in construction industry. The uses of Wehrlite in construction industry include As dimension stone, Cobblestones and that of Anorthosite include As dimension stone, Cement manufacture, For road aggregate.
More about Wehrlite and Anorthosite
Here you can know more about Wehrlite and Anorthosite. The life cycle of a rock consists of formation of rock, composition of rock and transformation of rock. The composition of Wehrlite and Anorthosite consists of mineral content and compound content. The mineral content of Wehrlite includes Pyroxene and mineral content of Anorthosite includes Amphibole, Clinopyroxene, Ilmenite, Magnetite, Olivine, Orthopyroxene. You can also check out the list of all Igneous Rocks. When we have to compare Wehrlite vs Anorthosite, the texture, color and appearance plays an important role in determining the type of rock. Wehrlite is available in dark greenish - grey, green colors whereas, Anorthosite is available in black, bluish - grey, brown, green, grey, light greenish grey, pink, white colors. Appearance of Wehrlite is Rough and Banded and that of Anorthosite is Layered, Banded, Veined and Shiny. Properties of rock is another aspect for Wehrlite vs Anorthosite. The hardness of Wehrlite is 5.5-6 and that of Anorthosite is 5-6. The types of Wehrlite are Not Available whereas types of Anorthosite are Proterozoic Anorthosite and Archean Anorthosite. Streak of rock is the color of powder produced when it is dragged across an unweathered surface. The streak of Wehrlite and Anorthosite is white. The specific heat capacity of Wehrlite is 0.63 kJ/Kg K and that of Anorthosite is 0.84 kJ/Kg K. Depending on the properties like hardness, toughness, specific heat capacity, porosity etc., rocks are resistant to heat, wear, impact, etc.Wehrlite is heat resistant, impact resistant, pressure resistant whereas Anorthosite is heat resistant, impact resistant, pressure resistant, scratch resistant, wear resistant.
