Larvikite

Argillite

Larvikite and Argillite

Larvikite

Argillite

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Definition

Larvikite is an igneous rock and a variety of monzonite, notable for the presence of thumbnail-sized crystals of feldspar

Argillites are highly compact sedimentary or slightly metamorphosed rocks that consist largely or wholly of particles of clay or silt but lack the fissility of shale or the cleavage characteristic of slate

History

Origin

Larvik, Norway

Discoverer

Unknown

Etymology

From the town of Larvik in Norway, where this type of igneous rock is found

From Latin Argilla (clay) and -ite in English which became agrilla+ -ite = Argillite

Class

Igneous Rocks

Sedimentary Rocks

Sub-Class

Durable Rock, Hard Rock

Durable Rock, Soft Rock

Family

Group

Plutonic

Other Categories

Coarse Grained Rock, Fine Grained Rock, Medium Grained Rock, Opaque Rock

Fine Grained Rock, Opaque Rock

Texture

Phaneritic

Clastic, Polished

Color

Black, Brown, Light to Dark Grey, White

Dark Grey to Black, Pink, Red, White

Maintenance

Less

Durability

Durable

Water Resistant

✔ ✘

Scratch Resistant

✔ ✘

Stain Resistant

✔ ✘

Wind Resistant

✔ ✘

Acid Resistant

✔ ✘

Appearance

Shiny

Rough and Dull

Uses

Architecture

Interior Uses

Decorative Aggregates, Homes, Interior Decoration

Exterior Uses

As Building Stone, As Facing Stone, Garden Decoration, Office Buildings, Paving Stone

As Building Stone, Garden Decoration, Office Buildings

Other Architectural Uses

Curbing

Curbing, Whetstones

Industry

Construction Industry

As Dimension Stone, Cement Manufacture, Construction Aggregate, for Road Aggregate

Used for flooring, stair treads, borders and window sills.

Medical Industry

Antiquity Uses

Artifacts, Monuments, Sculpture

Other Uses

Commercial Uses

Cemetery Markers, Commemorative Tablets, Creating Artwork

Fire resistant, Used to manufracture paperweights and bookends

Types

Quartz Monzonite, Syenite and Diorite

Metamorphic rock

Features

Available in lots of colors, Is one of the oldest rock

Is one of the oldest rock

Archaeological Significance

Monuments

Famous Monuments

Sculpture

Famous Sculptures

Pictographs

Petroglyphs

Figurines

Fossils

Absent

Present

Formation

Larvikite 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.

An argillite is a fine-grained sedimentary rock mainly composed of clay particles which forms from lithified muds which contain variable amounts of silt-sized particles.

Composition

Mineral Content

Albite, Amphibole, Apatite, Biotite, Feldspar, Hornblade, Ilmenite, Magnetite, Muscovite or Illite, Olivine, Plagioclase, Pyroxene, Quartz, Sulfides, Titanite, Zircon

Biotite, Chlorite, Feldspar, Micas, Muscovite or Illite, Plagioclase, Pyrite, Quartz

Compound Content

Aluminium Oxide, CaO, Iron(III) Oxide, FeO, Potassium Oxide, MgO, MnO, Sodium Oxide, Phosphorus Pentoxide, Silicon Dioxide, Titanium Dioxide

Iron(III) Oxide, Potassium Oxide, MgO, Silicon Dioxide

Transformation

Metamorphism

✔ ✘

Types of Metamorphism

Cataclastic Metamorphism, Impact Metamorphism, Regional Metamorphism

Weathering

✔ ✘

Types of Weathering

Biological Weathering, Chemical Weathering, Mechanical Weathering

Biological Weathering

Erosion

✔ ✘

Types of Erosion

Chemical Erosion

Properties

Physical Properties

Hardness

6-72-3

1 7

👆🏻

Grain Size

Medium to Fine Coarse Grained

Fine Grained

Fracture

Conchoidal to Uneven

Streak

White

White to Grey

Porosity

Less Porous

Highly Porous

Luster

Subvitreous to Dull

Waxy and Dull

Compressive Strength

310.00 N/mm²-

0.15 450

👆🏻

Cleavage

Slaty

Toughness

2.6

Specific Gravity

2.8-32.56-2.68

0 8.4

👆🏻

Transparency

Opaque

Density

2.9-2.91 g/cm³2.54-2.66 g/cm³

0 1400

👆🏻

Thermal Properties

Specific Heat Capacity

0.92 kJ/Kg K0.87 kJ/Kg K

0.14 3.2

👆🏻

Resistance

Heat Resistant, Impact Resistant, Pressure Resistant

Heat Resistant, Impact Resistant

Reserves

Deposits in Eastern Continents

Asia

Bangladesh, China, India, Russia

Africa

Ethiopia, Kenya, Morocco, South Africa, Tanzania

Europe

Bulgaria, England, Germany, Norway, Romania, Switzerland

Austria, France, Germany, Greece, Italy, Romania, Scotland, Spain, Switzerland

Others

Deposits in Western Continents

North America

USA

South America

Argentina, Bolivia, Brazil, Chile, Colombia, Ecuador, Peru

Bolivia, Chile, Colombia, Ecuador, Peru, Venezuela

Deposits in Oceania Continent

Australia

New South Wales, New Zealand, Queensland, South Australia, Western Australia

New South Wales, New Zealand, Queensland, Victoria, Western Australia

All about Larvikite and Argillite Properties

Know all about Larvikite and Argillite properties here. All properties of rocks are important as they define the type of rock and its application. Larvikite belongs to Igneous Rocks while Argillite belongs to Sedimentary Rocks.Texture of Larvikite is Phaneritic whereas that of Argillite is Clastic, Polished. Larvikite appears Shiny and Argillite appears Rough and Dull. The luster of Larvikite is subvitreous to dull while that of Argillite is waxy and dull. Larvikite is available in black, brown, light to dark grey, white colors whereas Argillite is available in dark grey to black, pink, red, white colors. The commercial uses of Larvikite are cemetery markers, commemorative tablets, creating artwork and that of Argillite are fire resistant, used to manufracture paperweights and bookends.