Definition
Epidosite is a highly altered epidote and quartz bearing rock which is a type of metasomatite, essentially altered basalt
Peridotite is a dense, coarse-grained plutonic is the main constituent of the earth's mantle
Origin
Unknown
Pike County, U.S
Discoverer
Unknown
Unknown
Etymology
Not Available
From French, from peridot + -ite
Class
Igneous Rocks
Igneous Rocks
Sub-Class
Durable Rock, Medium Hardness Rock
Durable Rock, Medium Hardness Rock
Other Categories
Coarse Grained Rock, Fine Grained Rock, Opaque Rock
Coarse Grained Rock, Opaque Rock
Texture
Glassy, Massive, Porphyritic, Scoriaceous, Vesicular
Phaneritic
Color
Black, Brown, Light to Dark Grey
Dark Greenish - Grey
Durability
Durable
Durable
Scratch Resistant
Yes
Yes
Appearance
Dull and Soft
Rough and Shiny
Interior Uses
Decorative Aggregates, Floor Tiles, Homes, Hotels, Interior Decoration
Decorative Aggregates, Interior Decoration
Exterior Uses
As Facing Stone, Garden Decoration, Office Buildings, Paving Stone
As Building Stone, As Facing Stone, Garden Decoration
Other Architectural Uses
Curbing
Curbing
Construction Industry
As Dimension Stone, Cobblestones, Rail Track Ballast, Roadstone
As Dimension Stone, Cobblestones
Medical Industry
Not Yet Used
Not Yet Used
Antiquity Uses
Artifacts, Monuments, Sculpture, Small Figurines
Monuments, Sculpture, Small Figurines
Commercial Uses
Commemorative Tablets, Creating Artwork
Creating Artwork, Gemstone, Jewelry, Source of Chromite, Platinum, Nickel and Garnet, Source of Diamonds
Types
Alkaline Basalt, Boninite, High Alumina Basalt, Mid Ocean Ridge Basalt (MORB), Tholeiitic Basalt, Basaltic trachyandesite, Mugearite and Shoshonite
Dunite, Wehrlite, Harzburgite, Lherzolite and Pyrolite
Features
Has High structural resistance against erosion and climate, Very fine grained rock
Constitutes upper part of the Earth's mantle, Generally rough to touch, Host rock for Diamond, Is one of the oldest rock
Archaeological Significance
Famous Monuments
Data Not Available
Data Not Available
Famous Sculptures
Data Not Available
Data Not Available
Formation
Epidosite 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.
Peridotites can be formed in two ways: as mantle rocks formed during the accretion and differentiation of the Earth or as cumulate rocks formed by precipitation of olivine and pyroxenes from basaltic magmas.
Mineral Content
Olivine, Plagioclase, Pyroxene
Amphibole, Chromite, Garnet, Magnesium, Olivine, Phlogopite, Plagioclase, Pyroxene
Compound Content
Aluminium Oxide, CaO, Iron(III) Oxide, FeO, Potassium Oxide, MgO, MnO, Sodium Oxide, Phosphorus Pentoxide, Silicon Dioxide, Titanium Dioxide
Ca, Fe, Mg, Potassium, Silicon Dioxide, Sodium, Titanium Dioxide
Types of Metamorphism
Burial Metamorphism, Cataclastic Metamorphism, Hydrothermal Metamorphism, Impact 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
Not Applicable
Chemical Erosion
Grain Size
Fine to Coarse Grained
Coarse Grained
Fracture
Conchoidal
Irregular
Streak
White to Grey
White
Porosity
Less Porous
Less Porous
Luster
Not Available
Shiny
Compressive Strength
Not Available
Cleavage
Not Available
Imperfect
Specific Gravity
2.8-3
3-3.01
Transparency
Opaque
Translucent to Opaque
Density
Not Available
3.1-3.4 g/cm3
Specific Heat Capacity
Not Available
Resistance
Heat Resistant, Pressure Resistant, Wear Resistant
Heat Resistant, Pressure Resistant, Wear Resistant
Deposits in Eastern Continents
Asia
India, Russia
China, India, Indonesia, Kazakhstan, Russia, South Korea, Thailand, Turkey
Africa
South Africa
Morocco, South Africa
Europe
Iceland
Finland, France, Georgia, Germany, Great Britain, Italy, Kazakhstan, Netherlands, Norway, Spain, Switzerland, Venezuela
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
Not Yet Found
New Zealand, Western Australia
Epidosite vs Peridotite 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. Epidosite vs Peridotite characteristics assist us to distinguish and recognize rocks. Also you can check about Properties of Epidosite and Properties of Peridotite. Learn more about Epidosite vs Peridotite in the next section. The interior uses of Epidosite include Decorative aggregates, Floor tiles, Homes, Hotels and Interior decoration whereas the interior uses of Peridotite include Decorative aggregates and Interior decoration. Due to some exceptional properties of Epidosite and Peridotite, they have various applications in construction industry. The uses of Epidosite in construction industry include As dimension stone, Cobblestones, Rail track ballast, Roadstone and that of Peridotite include As dimension stone, Cobblestones.
More about Epidosite and Peridotite
Here you can know more about Epidosite and Peridotite. The life cycle of a rock consists of formation of rock, composition of rock and transformation of rock. The composition of Epidosite and Peridotite consists of mineral content and compound content. The mineral content of Epidosite includes Olivine, Plagioclase, Pyroxene and mineral content of Peridotite includes Amphibole, Chromite, Garnet, Magnesium, Olivine, Phlogopite, Plagioclase, Pyroxene. You can also check out the list of all Igneous Rocks. When we have to compare Epidosite vs Peridotite, the texture, color and appearance plays an important role in determining the type of rock. Epidosite is available in black, brown, light to dark grey colors whereas, Peridotite is available in dark greenish - grey colors. Appearance of Epidosite is Dull and Soft and that of Peridotite is Rough and Shiny. Properties of rock is another aspect for Epidosite vs Peridotite. The hardness of Epidosite is 6 and that of Peridotite is 5.5-6. The types of Epidosite are Alkaline Basalt, Boninite, High Alumina Basalt, Mid Ocean Ridge Basalt (MORB), Tholeiitic Basalt, Basaltic trachyandesite, Mugearite and Shoshonite whereas types of Peridotite are Dunite, Wehrlite, Harzburgite, Lherzolite and Pyrolite. Streak of rock is the color of powder produced when it is dragged across an unweathered surface. The streak of Epidosite is white to grey while that of Peridotite is white. The specific heat capacity of Epidosite is Not Available and that of Peridotite is 1.26 kJ/Kg K. Depending on the properties like hardness, toughness, specific heat capacity, porosity etc., rocks are resistant to heat, wear, impact, etc.Epidosite is heat resistant, pressure resistant, wear resistant whereas Peridotite is heat resistant, pressure resistant, wear resistant.