Definition
Wehrlite is an ultramafic and ultrabasic rock that is a mixture of olivine and clinopyroxene. It is a subdivision of the peridotites
Picrite is a variety of high-magnesium olivine basalt that is very rich in the mineral olivine
Origin
Egypt
Hawaii Islands
Discoverer
Alois Wehrle
Unknown
Etymology
From the name of a professor, Alois Wehrle
From Greek pikros bitter + -ite, 19th century
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
Texture
Banded
Earthy, Rough
Color
Dark Greenish - Grey, Green
Black, Brown, Colourless, Green, Grey, Pink, White, Yellow
Durability
Durable
Durable
Scratch Resistant
Yes
Yes
Appearance
Rough and Banded
Rough and Shiny
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, Paving Stone
Other Architectural Uses
Curbing
Curbing
Construction Industry
As Dimension Stone, Cobblestones
As a Sintering Agent in Steel Industry to process Iron Ore, Cement Manufacture, for Road Aggregate, Manufacture of Magnesium and Dolomite Refractories, Roadstone, Used for flooring, stair treads, borders and window sills.
Medical Industry
NA
Not Yet Used
Antiquity Uses
Artifacts, Monuments, Sculpture, Small Figurines
Artifacts, Monuments, Sculpture
Commercial Uses
Cemetery Markers, Creating Artwork, Gemstone, Jewelry
As a Feed Additive for Livestock, As armour rock for sea walls, Metallurgical Flux, Pottery, Source of Magnesia (MgO)
Types
Not Available
Oceanite
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.
Picrite 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
Biotite, Olivine, Plagioclase, Pyrrhotite
Compound Content
Aluminium Oxide, CaO, Carbon Dioxide, Iron(III) Oxide, FeO, Potassium Oxide, MgO, Sodium Oxide, Phosphorus Pentoxide, Silicon Dioxide, Titanium Dioxide
Al, CaO, Carbon Dioxide, Mg, MgO
Types of Metamorphism
Burial Metamorphism, Cataclastic Metamorphism, Contact Metamorphism, Impact Metamorphism, Regional Metamorphism
Burial Metamorphism, Cataclastic Metamorphism, Impact Metamorphism, Regional Metamorphism
Types of Weathering
Biological Weathering, Chemical Weathering, Mechanical Weathering
Biological Weathering
Types of Erosion
Chemical Erosion, Coastal Erosion, Water Erosion
Chemical Erosion, Coastal Erosion, Glacier Erosion, Sea Erosion, Water Erosion, Wind Erosion
Grain Size
Coarse Grained
Fine Grained
Fracture
Irregular
Uneven
Streak
White
White, Greenish White or Grey
Porosity
Less Porous
Less Porous
Luster
Metallic
Subvitreous to Dull
Compressive Strength
Not Available
Cleavage
Perfect
Imperfect
Specific Gravity
8.4
2.75-2.92
Transparency
Opaque
Opaque
Density
2.6-3.7 g/cm3
1.5-2.5 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
India, Russia
Africa
Morocco, South Africa
South Africa
Europe
Finland, France, Georgia, Germany, Great Britain, Italy, Kazakhstan, Netherlands, Norway, Spain, Switzerland, Venezuela
Iceland
Others
Not Yet Found
Not Yet Found
Deposits in Western Continents
North America
Canada, USA
Canada, USA
South America
Brazil
Brazil
Deposits in Oceania Continent
Australia
New Zealand, Western Australia
Not Yet Found
Wehrlite vs Picrite 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 Picrite characteristics assist us to distinguish and recognize rocks. Also you can check about Properties of Wehrlite and Properties of Picrite. Learn more about Wehrlite vs Picrite in the next section. The interior uses of Wehrlite include Decorative aggregates and Interior decoration whereas the interior uses of Picrite include Countertops, Decorative aggregates, Homes and Interior decoration. Due to some exceptional properties of Wehrlite and Picrite, they have various applications in construction industry. The uses of Wehrlite in construction industry include As dimension stone, Cobblestones and that of Picrite include As a sintering agent in steel industry to process iron ore, Cement manufacture, For road aggregate, Manufacture of magnesium and dolomite refractories, Roadstone, Used for flooring, stair treads, borders and window sills..
More about Wehrlite and Picrite
Here you can know more about Wehrlite and Picrite. The life cycle of a rock consists of formation of rock, composition of rock and transformation of rock. The composition of Wehrlite and Picrite consists of mineral content and compound content. The mineral content of Wehrlite includes Pyroxene and mineral content of Picrite includes Biotite, Olivine, Plagioclase, Pyrrhotite. You can also check out the list of all Igneous Rocks. When we have to compare Wehrlite vs Picrite, 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, Picrite is available in black, brown, colourless, green, grey, pink, white, yellow colors. Appearance of Wehrlite is Rough and Banded and that of Picrite is Rough and Shiny. Properties of rock is another aspect for Wehrlite vs Picrite. The hardness of Wehrlite is 5.5-6 and that of Picrite is 6.8. The types of Wehrlite are Not Available whereas types of Picrite are Oceanite. 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 Picrite is white, greenish white or grey. The specific heat capacity of Wehrlite is 0.63 kJ/Kg K and that of Picrite 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 Picrite is heat resistant.