Definition
Wehrlite is an ultramafic and ultrabasic rock that is a mixture of olivine and clinopyroxene. It is a subdivision of the peridotites
Tachylite is a vitreous form of basaltic volcanic glass. This glass is formed naturally by the rapid cooling of molten basalt
Discoverer
Alois Wehrle
Unknown
Etymology
From the name of a professor, Alois Wehrle
From German Tachylite, from tachy- + Greek lutos soluble, melting
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, Fine Grained Rock, Medium Grained Rock, Opaque Rock
Color
Dark Greenish - Grey, Green
Black, Dark Brown
Durability
Durable
Durable
Appearance
Rough and Banded
Glassy
Interior Uses
Decorative Aggregates, Interior Decoration
Decorative Aggregates, 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
Cutting Tool, Knives, Landscaping, Scrapers
Antiquity Uses
Artifacts, Monuments, Sculpture, Small Figurines
Artifacts
Commercial Uses
Cemetery Markers, Creating Artwork, Gemstone, Jewelry
Cemetery Markers, Creating Artwork
Types
Ultramafic rock
Volcanic glass
Features
Constitutes upper part of the Earth's mantle, Generally rough to touch, Is one of the oldest rock
Available in Lots of Colors and Patterns, Clasts are smooth to touch
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.
Tachylite 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
Feldspar, Olivine
Compound Content
Aluminium Oxide, CaO, Carbon Dioxide, Iron(III) Oxide, FeO, Potassium Oxide, MgO, Sodium Oxide, Phosphorus Pentoxide, Silicon Dioxide, Titanium Dioxide
Fe, Mg
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, Mechanical Weathering
Types of Erosion
Chemical Erosion, Coastal Erosion, Water Erosion
Chemical Erosion, Sea Erosion, Water Erosion, Wind Erosion
Grain Size
Coarse Grained
Medium to Fine Coarse Grained
Fracture
Irregular
Conchoidal
Porosity
Less Porous
Less Porous
Transparency
Opaque
Opaque
Density
2.6-3.7 g/cm3
3.058 g/cm3
Resistance
Heat Resistant, Impact Resistant, Pressure Resistant
Heat Resistant, Impact Resistant, Wear Resistant
Deposits in Eastern Continents
Asia
China, India, Indonesia, Kazakhstan, Russia, South Korea, Thailand, Turkey
Cambodia, Russia, South Korea
Africa
Morocco, South Africa
East Africa
Europe
Finland, France, Georgia, Germany, Great Britain, Italy, Kazakhstan, Netherlands, Norway, Spain, Switzerland
England, Germany, Hungary, Iceland, Scotland, Sweden
Deposits in Western Continents
North America
Canada, USA
USA
Deposits in Oceania Continent
Australia
New Zealand, Western Australia
Victoria
Wehrlite vs Tachylite 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 Tachylite characteristics assist us to distinguish and recognize rocks. Also you can check about Properties of Wehrlite and Properties of Tachylite. Learn more about Wehrlite vs Tachylite in the next section. The interior uses of Wehrlite include Decorative aggregates and Interior decoration whereas the interior uses of Tachylite include Decorative aggregates and Interior decoration. Due to some exceptional properties of Wehrlite and Tachylite, they have various applications in construction industry. The uses of Wehrlite in construction industry include As dimension stone, Cobblestones and that of Tachylite include Cutting tool, Knives, Landscaping, Scrapers.
More about Wehrlite and Tachylite
Here you can know more about Wehrlite and Tachylite. The life cycle of a rock consists of formation of rock, composition of rock and transformation of rock. The composition of Wehrlite and Tachylite consists of mineral content and compound content. The mineral content of Wehrlite includes Pyroxene and mineral content of Tachylite includes Feldspar, Olivine. You can also check out the list of all Igneous Rocks. When we have to compare Wehrlite vs Tachylite, 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, Tachylite is available in black, dark brown colors. Appearance of Wehrlite is Rough and Banded and that of Tachylite is Glassy. Properties of rock is another aspect for Wehrlite vs Tachylite. The hardness of Wehrlite is 5.5-6 and that of Tachylite is 5.5. The types of Wehrlite are Ultramafic rock whereas types of Tachylite are Volcanic glass. 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 Tachylite is vermilion. The specific heat capacity of Wehrlite is 0.63 kJ/Kg K and that of Tachylite is 0.56 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 Tachylite is heat resistant, impact resistant, wear resistant.