Definition
Wehrlite is an ultramafic and ultrabasic rock that is a mixture of olivine and clinopyroxene. It is a subdivision of the peridotites
Gossan is intensely oxidized, weathered or decomposed rock, usually the upper and exposed part of an ore deposit or mineral vein.
Discoverer
Alois Wehrle
Cornish Gossen
Etymology
From the name of a professor, Alois Wehrle
From Cornish gossen from gos, blood from Old Cornish guit
Class
Igneous Rocks
Metamorphic Rocks
Sub-Class
Durable Rock, Medium Hardness Rock
Durable Rock, Medium Hardness Rock
Other Categories
Coarse Grained Rock, Opaque Rock
Fine Grained Rock, Medium Grained Rock, Opaque Rock
Texture
Banded
Rough, Sandy
Color
Dark Greenish - Grey, Green
Brown, Brown- Black, Gold, Green, Rust
Durability
Durable
Durable
Scratch Resistant
Yes
Yes
Appearance
Rough and Banded
Dull and Banded
Interior Uses
Decorative Aggregates, Interior Decoration
Countertops, Decorative Aggregates, Interior Decoration
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
Curbing
Construction Industry
As Dimension Stone, Cobblestones
As Dimension Stone, Cement Manufacture, Construction Aggregate, for Road Aggregate
Antiquity Uses
Artifacts, Monuments, Sculpture, Small Figurines
Artifacts
Commercial Uses
Cemetery Markers, Creating Artwork, Gemstone, Jewelry
Cemetery Markers, Commemorative Tablets, Gemstone
Types
Ultramafic rock
Translocated gossan and Leakage gossan
Features
Constitutes upper part of the Earth's mantle, Generally rough to touch, Is one of the oldest rock
Clasts are smooth to touch, Easily splits into thin plates
Archaeological Significance
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.
Earth movements can cause rocks to be either deeply buried or squeezed and hence the rocks are heated and put under great pressure.
Mineral Content
Pyroxene
Apatite, Augite, Biotite, Bronzite, Calcite, Chert, Epidote, Feldspar, Hornblende, Micas, Plagioclase, Pyroxene, Quartz, Sulfides, Zircon
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, Fe, FeO, Silicon Dioxide, Sulphur
Types of Metamorphism
Burial Metamorphism, Cataclastic Metamorphism, Contact Metamorphism, Impact Metamorphism, Regional Metamorphism
-
Types of Weathering
Biological Weathering, Chemical Weathering, Mechanical Weathering
-
Types of Erosion
Chemical Erosion, Coastal Erosion, Water Erosion
Chemical Erosion, Sea Erosion, Wind Erosion
Grain Size
Coarse Grained
Fine to Medium Grained
Fracture
Irregular
Conchoidal
Streak
White
White to Grey
Porosity
Less Porous
Highly Porous
Transparency
Opaque
Opaque
Density
2.6-3.7 g/cm3
-9999 g/cm3
Resistance
Heat Resistant, Impact Resistant, Pressure Resistant
Heat Resistant, Impact Resistant, Pressure Resistant
Deposits in Eastern Continents
Asia
China, India, Indonesia, Kazakhstan, Russia, South Korea, Thailand, Turkey
China, India, Indonesia, Russia, Singapore, South Korea
Africa
Morocco, South Africa
Cape Verde, Ethiopia, Ghana, South Africa, Western Africa
Europe
Finland, France, Georgia, Germany, Great Britain, Italy, Kazakhstan, Netherlands, Norway, Spain, Switzerland
Albania, France, Germany, Great Britain, United Kingdom
Deposits in Western Continents
North America
Canada, USA
Canada, USA
South America
Brazil
Brazil, Colombia, Ecuador
Deposits in Oceania Continent
Australia
New Zealand, Western Australia
New South Wales, South Australia, Western Australia
Wehrlite vs Gossan 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 Gossan characteristics assist us to distinguish and recognize rocks. Also you can check about Properties of Wehrlite and Properties of Gossan. Learn more about Wehrlite vs Gossan in the next section. The interior uses of Wehrlite include Decorative aggregates and Interior decoration whereas the interior uses of Gossan include Countertops, Decorative aggregates and Interior decoration. Due to some exceptional properties of Wehrlite and Gossan, they have various applications in construction industry. The uses of Wehrlite in construction industry include As dimension stone, Cobblestones and that of Gossan include As dimension stone, Cement manufacture, Construction aggregate, For road aggregate.
More about Wehrlite and Gossan
Here you can know more about Wehrlite and Gossan. The life cycle of a rock consists of formation of rock, composition of rock and transformation of rock. The composition of Wehrlite and Gossan consists of mineral content and compound content. The mineral content of Wehrlite includes Pyroxene and mineral content of Gossan includes Apatite, Augite, Biotite, Bronzite, Calcite, Chert, Epidote, Feldspar, Hornblende, Micas, Plagioclase, Pyroxene, Quartz, Sulfides, Zircon. You can also check out the list of all Igneous Rocks. When we have to compare Wehrlite vs Gossan, 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, Gossan is available in brown, brown- black, gold, green, rust colors. Appearance of Wehrlite is Rough and Banded and that of Gossan is Dull and Banded. Properties of rock is another aspect for Wehrlite vs Gossan. The hardness of Wehrlite is 5.5-6 and that of Gossan is 4-5. The types of Wehrlite are Ultramafic rock whereas types of Gossan are Translocated gossan and Leakage gossan. Streak of rock is the color of powder produced when it is dragged across an unweathered surface. The streak of Wehrlite is white while that of Gossan is white to grey. The specific heat capacity of Wehrlite is 0.63 kJ/Kg K and that of Gossan is 0.24 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 Gossan is heat resistant, impact resistant, pressure resistant.