Lherzolite
“The typical upper mantle rock”
Lherzolite is an ultramafic rock composed of olivine, orthopyroxene, and clinopyroxene, and is considered the most representative rock of Earth's upper mantle. When brought to the surface as xenoliths in volcanic eruptions, lherzolite gives scientists their best direct samples of what lies 50-200 km below our feet.
olivine, orthopyroxene (enstatite), clinopyroxene (diopside), spinel or garnet, chromite
Étang de Lherz (French Pyrenees — type locality), Kilbourne Hole (New Mexico, USA), Eifel (Germany), Kimberley pipes (South Africa)
6-6.5
Lherzolite xenoliths sometimes contain tiny pockets of trapped mantle fluid, preserved under enormous pressure — these are literal samples of the liquid that circulates through Earth's deep interior.
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How do scientists most commonly obtain samples of lherzolite from the mantle?
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