Definition
Wehrlite is an ultramafic and ultrabasic rock that is a mixture of olivine and clinopyroxene. It is a subdivision of the peridotites
Porphyry is a reddish-brown to purple igneous rock containing large phenocrysts of various minerals embedded in a fine-grained matrix
Discoverer
Alois Wehrle
Unknown
Etymology
From the name of a professor, Alois Wehrle
From Old French porfire, from Italian porfiro and in some cases directly from Latin porphyrites
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
Porphyritic
Color
Dark Greenish - Grey, Green
Black, Brown, Green, Grey, Red, Rust, White
Durability
Durable
Durable
Scratch Resistant
Yes
Yes
Appearance
Rough and Banded
Dull
Interior Uses
Decorative Aggregates, Interior Decoration
Decorative Aggregates, Interior Decoration
Exterior Uses
As Building Stone, As Facing Stone, Garden Decoration, Paving Stone
Garden Decoration, Paving Stone
Other Architectural Uses
Curbing
Curbing
Construction Industry
As Dimension Stone, Cobblestones
Construction Aggregate
Antiquity Uses
Artifacts, Monuments, Sculpture, Small Figurines
Artifacts, Monuments, Sculpture
Commercial Uses
Cemetery Markers, Creating Artwork, Gemstone, Jewelry
Creating Artwork, Gemstone, Jewelry
Types
Ultramafic rock
Rhomb Porphyry
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, Surfaces are often shiny
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.
Porphyry is formed in two stages: the magma cools slowly deep within the crust or the magma is cools rapidly as it erupts from a volcano, creating small grains that are usually invisible to naked eye.
Mineral Content
Pyroxene
Biotite, Chert, Feldspar, Garnet, Graphite, Quartz, Silica
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, Iron(III) Oxide, Potassium Oxide, MgO, Sodium Oxide, Silicon Dioxide, Titanium Dioxide
Types of Metamorphism
Burial Metamorphism, Cataclastic Metamorphism, Contact Metamorphism, Impact Metamorphism, Regional Metamorphism
Burial Metamorphism, Cataclastic Metamorphism, Contact Metamorphism, Hydrothermal Metamorphism, Impact Metamorphism, Regional Metamorphism
Types of Weathering
Biological Weathering, Chemical Weathering, Mechanical Weathering
Biological Weathering, Chemical Weathering
Types of Erosion
Chemical Erosion, Coastal Erosion, Water Erosion
Chemical Erosion, Coastal Erosion, Glacier Erosion
Grain Size
Coarse Grained
Fine Grained
Fracture
Irregular
Irregular
Porosity
Less Porous
Less Porous
Specific Gravity
8.4
2.5-4
Transparency
Opaque
Translucent to Opaque
Density
2.6-3.7 g/cm3
2.5-2.52 g/cm3
Resistance
Heat Resistant, Impact Resistant, Pressure Resistant
Heat Resistant, Impact Resistant
Deposits in Eastern Continents
Asia
China, India, Indonesia, Kazakhstan, Russia, South Korea, Thailand, Turkey
China, Kazakhstan, South Korea, Thailand, Turkey, Vietnam
Africa
Morocco, South Africa
Egypt, Ethiopia, Ghana, South Africa
Europe
Finland, France, Georgia, Germany, Great Britain, Italy, Kazakhstan, Netherlands, Norway, Spain, Switzerland
Finland, France, Germany, Great Britain, Hungary, Iceland, Ireland, Italy, Netherlands, Norway, Romania, Sweden, Switzerland
Deposits in Western Continents
North America
Canada, USA
Canada, Cuba, Jamaica, USA
South America
Brazil
Bolivia, Brazil, Colombia, Ecuador, Paraguay
Deposits in Oceania Continent
Australia
New Zealand, Western Australia
New South Wales, New Zealand, Western Australia
Wehrlite vs Porphyry 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 Porphyry characteristics assist us to distinguish and recognize rocks. Also you can check about Properties of Wehrlite and Properties of Porphyry. Learn more about Wehrlite vs Porphyry in the next section. The interior uses of Wehrlite include Decorative aggregates and Interior decoration whereas the interior uses of Porphyry include Decorative aggregates and Interior decoration. Due to some exceptional properties of Wehrlite and Porphyry, they have various applications in construction industry. The uses of Wehrlite in construction industry include As dimension stone, Cobblestones and that of Porphyry include Construction aggregate.
More about Wehrlite and Porphyry
Here you can know more about Wehrlite and Porphyry. The life cycle of a rock consists of formation of rock, composition of rock and transformation of rock. The composition of Wehrlite and Porphyry consists of mineral content and compound content. The mineral content of Wehrlite includes Pyroxene and mineral content of Porphyry includes Biotite, Chert, Feldspar, Garnet, Graphite, Quartz, Silica. You can also check out the list of all Igneous Rocks. When we have to compare Wehrlite vs Porphyry, 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, Porphyry is available in black, brown, green, grey, red, rust, white colors. Appearance of Wehrlite is Rough and Banded and that of Porphyry is Dull. Properties of rock is another aspect for Wehrlite vs Porphyry. The hardness of Wehrlite is 5.5-6 and that of Porphyry is 6-7. The types of Wehrlite are Ultramafic rock whereas types of Porphyry are Rhomb Porphyry. Streak of rock is the color of powder produced when it is dragged across an unweathered surface. The streak of Wehrlite and Porphyry is white. The specific heat capacity of Wehrlite is 0.63 kJ/Kg K and that of Porphyry is 0.71 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 Porphyry is heat resistant, impact resistant.