Definition
Wehrlite is an ultramafic and ultrabasic rock that is a mixture of olivine and clinopyroxene. It is a subdivision of the peridotites
Nephelinite is a fine-grained or aphanitic igneous rock made up almost entirely of nepheline and clinopyroxene (variety augite).
Discoverer
Alois Wehrle
Unknown
Etymology
From the name of a professor, Alois Wehrle
from French néphéline, from Greek nephelē
Class
Igneous Rocks
Igneous Rocks
Sub-Class
Durable Rock, Medium Hardness Rock
Durable Rock, Hard Rock
Other Categories
Coarse Grained Rock, Opaque Rock
Fine Grained Rock, Opaque Rock
Color
Dark Greenish - Grey, Green
Black, Brown, Colourless, Green, Grey, White
Durability
Durable
Durable
Scratch Resistant
Yes
Yes
Appearance
Rough and Banded
Skeletal
Interior Uses
Decorative Aggregates, Interior Decoration
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
Construction Industry
As Dimension Stone, Cobblestones
As Dimension Stone, Cement Manufacture, Construction Aggregate, for Road Aggregate
Medical Industry
NA
Not Yet Used
Antiquity Uses
Artifacts, Monuments, Sculpture, Small Figurines
Artifacts, Monuments, Sculpture, Small Figurines
Commercial Uses
Cemetery Markers, Creating Artwork, Gemstone, Jewelry
Creating Artwork, Soil Conditioner, Source of Magnesia (MgO)
Types
Not Available
Peralkaline Nephelinite
Features
Constitutes upper part of the Earth's mantle, Generally rough to touch, Is one of the oldest rock
Host Rock for Lead
Archaeological Significance
Famous Monuments
Data Not Available
Data Not Available
Famous Sculptures
Data Not Available
Data Not Available
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.
Nephelinite 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.
Mineral Content
Pyroxene
Clinopyroxene, Nepheline, Plagioclase
Compound Content
Aluminium Oxide, CaO, Carbon Dioxide, Iron(III) Oxide, FeO, Potassium Oxide, MgO, Sodium Oxide, Phosphorus Pentoxide, Silicon Dioxide, Titanium Dioxide
Ca, CaO, Carbon, Cl, MgO
Types of Metamorphism
Burial Metamorphism, Cataclastic Metamorphism, Contact Metamorphism, Impact Metamorphism, Regional Metamorphism
Contact Metamorphism
Types of Weathering
Biological Weathering, Chemical Weathering, Mechanical Weathering
Biological Weathering, Chemical Weathering, Mechanical Weathering
Types of Erosion
Chemical Erosion, Coastal Erosion, Water Erosion
Chemical Erosion, Water Erosion, Wind Erosion
Grain Size
Coarse Grained
Fine Grained
Porosity
Less Porous
Less Porous
Luster
Metallic
Vitreous to Metallic
Compressive Strength
Not Available
Cleavage
Perfect
Imperfect
Specific Gravity
8.4
2.4-2.9
Transparency
Opaque
Opaque
Density
2.6-3.7 g/cm3
2.5-3 g/cm3
Resistance
Heat Resistant, Impact Resistant, Pressure Resistant
Heat Resistant
Deposits in Eastern Continents
Asia
China, India, Indonesia, Kazakhstan, Russia, South Korea, Thailand, Turkey
Japan
Africa
Morocco, South Africa
Rwanda, Tanzania
Europe
Finland, France, Georgia, Germany, Great Britain, Italy, Kazakhstan, Netherlands, Norway, Spain, Switzerland, Venezuela
Not Yet Found
Others
Not Yet Found
Hawaii Islands
Deposits in Western Continents
North America
Canada, USA
Canada, USA
South America
Brazil
Colombia
Deposits in Oceania Continent
Australia
New Zealand, Western Australia
Not Yet Found
Wehrlite vs Nephelinite 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 Nephelinite characteristics assist us to distinguish and recognize rocks. Also you can check about Properties of Wehrlite and Properties of Nephelinite. Learn more about Wehrlite vs Nephelinite in the next section. The interior uses of Wehrlite include Decorative aggregates and Interior decoration whereas the interior uses of Nephelinite include Decorative aggregates, Homes and Interior decoration. Due to some exceptional properties of Wehrlite and Nephelinite, they have various applications in construction industry. The uses of Wehrlite in construction industry include As dimension stone, Cobblestones and that of Nephelinite include As dimension stone, Cement manufacture, Construction aggregate, For road aggregate.
More about Wehrlite and Nephelinite
Here you can know more about Wehrlite and Nephelinite. The life cycle of a rock consists of formation of rock, composition of rock and transformation of rock. The composition of Wehrlite and Nephelinite consists of mineral content and compound content. The mineral content of Wehrlite includes Pyroxene and mineral content of Nephelinite includes Clinopyroxene, Nepheline, Plagioclase. You can also check out the list of all Igneous Rocks. When we have to compare Wehrlite vs Nephelinite, 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, Nephelinite is available in black, brown, colourless, green, grey, white colors. Appearance of Wehrlite is Rough and Banded and that of Nephelinite is Skeletal. Properties of rock is another aspect for Wehrlite vs Nephelinite. The hardness of Wehrlite is 5.5-6 and that of Nephelinite is 6.5. The types of Wehrlite are Not Available whereas types of Nephelinite are Peralkaline Nephelinite. Streak of rock is the color of powder produced when it is dragged across an unweathered surface. The streak of Wehrlite and Nephelinite is white. The specific heat capacity of Wehrlite is 0.63 kJ/Kg K and that of Nephelinite is 0.88 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 Nephelinite is heat resistant.
