Larvikite

Pseudotachylite

Larvikite and Pseudotachylite

Larvikite

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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

Very fine grained fault rock which is composed of glassy matrix that often contains inclusions of wall-rock fragments.

History

Origin

Larvik, Norway

USA

Discoverer

Unknown

Etymology

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

From pseudo- +‎ tachylite, a glassy rock generated by frictional heat within faults.

Class

Igneous Rocks

Metamorphic Rocks

Sub-Class

Durable Rock, Hard Rock

Family

Group

Plutonic

Other Categories

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

Fine Grained Rock, Opaque Rock

Texture

Phaneritic

Quench

Color

Black, Brown, Light to Dark Grey, White

Black, Brown, Green, Grey, Pink, White

Maintenance

Less

Durability

Durable

Water Resistant

✔ ✘

Scratch Resistant

✔ ✘

Stain Resistant

✔ ✘

Wind Resistant

✔ ✘

Acid Resistant

✔ ✘

Appearance

Shiny

Dull and Soft

Uses

Architecture

Interior Uses

Decorative Aggregates, Homes, Interior Decoration

Decorative Aggregates, Entryways, Interior Decoration

Exterior Uses

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

As Building Stone, As Facing Stone, Garden Decoration

Other Architectural Uses

Curbing

Industry

Construction Industry

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

As Dimension Stone, Cement Manufacture, for Road Aggregate, Making natural cement

Medical Industry

Antiquity Uses

Artifacts, Monuments, Sculpture

Artifacts, Monuments

Other Uses

Commercial Uses

Cemetery Markers, Commemorative Tablets, Creating Artwork

Creating Artwork, Gemstone

Types

Quartz Monzonite, Syenite and Diorite

Cataclastic rock

Features

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

Host Rock for Lead

Archaeological Significance

Monuments

Famous Monuments

Sculpture

Famous Sculptures

Pictographs

Petroglyphs

Figurines

Fossils

Absent

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.

Due to change in environmental conditions, rocks are heated and pressurized deep inside the Earth's surface. Pseudotachylite is formed from the extreme heat caused by magma or by the intense collisions and friction of tectonic plates.

Composition

Mineral Content

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

Iron Oxides, Pyroxene, Quartz, Stishovite, Sulfides

Compound Content

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

Carbon Dioxide, Silicon Dioxide, Sulfur Dioxide, Sulphur

Transformation

Metamorphism

✔ ✘

Types of Metamorphism

Cataclastic Metamorphism, Impact Metamorphism, Regional Metamorphism

Burial Metamorphism, Cataclastic Metamorphism, Contact Metamorphism

Weathering

✔ ✘

Types of Weathering

Biological Weathering, Chemical Weathering, Mechanical Weathering

Erosion

✔ ✘

Types of Erosion

Chemical Erosion

Properties

Physical Properties

Hardness

6-77

1 7

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Grain Size

Medium to Fine Coarse Grained

Very fine-grained

Fracture

Uneven

Streak

White

Light to dark brown

Porosity

Less Porous

Luster

Subvitreous to Dull

Vitreous

Compressive Strength

310.00 N/mm²60.00 N/mm²

0.15 450

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Cleavage

Toughness

Specific Gravity

2.8-32.46-2.86

0 8.4

👆🏻

Transparency

Opaque

Transparent to Translucent

Density

2.9-2.91 g/cm³2.7-2.9 g/cm³

0 1400

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Thermal Properties

Specific Heat Capacity

0.92 kJ/Kg K0.92 kJ/Kg K

0.14 3.2

👆🏻

Resistance

Heat Resistant, Impact Resistant, Pressure Resistant

Heat Resistant

Reserves

Deposits in Eastern Continents

Asia

South Korea

Africa

Western Africa

Europe

Bulgaria, England, Germany, Norway, Romania, Switzerland

Great Britain, Switzerland

Others

Deposits in Western Continents

North America

USA

South America

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

Deposits in Oceania Continent

Australia

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

Central Australia, Western Australia

All about Larvikite and Pseudotachylite Properties

Know all about Larvikite and Pseudotachylite properties here. All properties of rocks are important as they define the type of rock and its application. Larvikite belongs to Igneous Rocks while Pseudotachylite belongs to Metamorphic Rocks.Texture of Larvikite is Phaneritic whereas that of Pseudotachylite is Quench. Larvikite appears Shiny and Pseudotachylite appears Dull and Soft. The luster of Larvikite is subvitreous to dull while that of Pseudotachylite is vitreous. Larvikite is available in black, brown, light to dark grey, white colors whereas Pseudotachylite is available in black, brown, green, grey, pink, white colors. The commercial uses of Larvikite are cemetery markers, commemorative tablets, creating artwork and that of Pseudotachylite are creating artwork, gemstone.