Definition
Larvikite is an igneous rock and a variety of monzonite, notable for the presence of thumbnail-sized crystals of feldspar
Scoria is a dark-colored extrusive igneous rock with abundant round bubble-like cavities
Origin
Larvik, Norway
Unknown
Discoverer
Unknown
Unknown
Etymology
From the town of Larvik in Norway, where this type of igneous rock is found
From late Middle English (denoting slag from molten metal), from Greek skōria refuse, from skōr dung
Class
Igneous Rocks
Igneous Rocks
Sub-Class
Durable Rock, Hard Rock
Durable Rock, Medium Hardness Rock
Other Categories
Coarse Grained Rock, Fine Grained Rock, Medium Grained Rock, Opaque Rock
Fine Grained Rock, Opaque Rock
Texture
Phaneritic
Vesicular
Color
Black, Brown, Light to Dark Grey, White
Black, Brown, Dark Grey to Black, Red
Durability
Durable
Durable
Scratch Resistant
Yes
Yes
Appearance
Shiny
Glassy and Vesicular
Interior Uses
Decorative Aggregates, Homes, Interior Decoration
Decorative Aggregates, Interior Decoration
Exterior Uses
As Building Stone, As Facing Stone, Garden Decoration, Office Buildings, Paving Stone
Garden Decoration, Paving Stone
Other Architectural Uses
Curbing
Curbing
Construction Industry
As Dimension Stone, Cement Manufacture, Construction Aggregate, for Road Aggregate
Cement Manufacture, Construction Aggregate, for Road Aggregate, In landscaping and drainage works
Medical Industry
Not Yet Used
Not Yet Used
Antiquity Uses
Artifacts, Monuments, Sculpture
Artifacts, Monuments, Sculpture
Commercial Uses
Cemetery Markers, Commemorative Tablets, Creating Artwork
As a traction material on snow-covered roads, Creating Artwork, High-temperature insulation, In gas barbecue grills
Types
Quartz Monzonite, Syenite and Diorite
Not Available
Features
Available in lots of colors, Is one of the oldest rock
Available in Lots of Colors and Patterns, Generally rough to touch, Surfaces are often shiny
Archaeological Significance
Famous Monuments
Data Not Available
Data Not Available
Famous Sculptures
Data Not Available
Data Not Available
Pictographs
Not Used
Used
Petroglyphs
Not Used
Used
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.
Scoria forms when magma containing huge amount of dissolved gas flows from a volcano during an eruption.
Mineral Content
Albite, Amphibole, Apatite, Biotite, Feldspar, Hornblade, Ilmenite, Magnetite, Muscovite or Illite, Olivine, Plagioclase, Pyroxene, Quartz, Sulfides, Titanite, Zircon
Apatite, Biotite, Calcite, Feldspar, Hematite, Hornblade, Ilmenite, Magnetite, Olivine, Pyroxene, Quartz, Silica
Compound Content
Aluminium Oxide, CaO, Iron(III) Oxide, FeO, Potassium Oxide, MgO, MnO, Sodium Oxide, Phosphorus Pentoxide, Silicon Dioxide, Titanium Dioxide
Ca, NaCl
Types of Metamorphism
Cataclastic Metamorphism, Impact Metamorphism, Regional Metamorphism
Burial Metamorphism, Cataclastic Metamorphism, Contact Metamorphism
Types of Weathering
Biological Weathering, Chemical Weathering, Mechanical Weathering
Biological Weathering, Chemical Weathering, Mechanical Weathering
Types of Erosion
Chemical Erosion
Chemical Erosion, Coastal Erosion, Glacier Erosion
Grain Size
Medium to Fine Coarse Grained
Fine Grained
Fracture
Not Available
Conchoidal
Porosity
Less Porous
Highly Porous
Luster
Subvitreous to Dull
Subvitreous to Dull
Compressive Strength
Not Available
Cleavage
Not Available
Perfect
Toughness
Not Available
2.1
Specific Gravity
2.8-3
Not Available
Transparency
Opaque
Opaque
Density
2.9-2.91 g/cm3
Not Available
Specific Heat Capacity
Not Available
Resistance
Heat Resistant, Impact Resistant, Pressure Resistant
Heat Resistant, Impact Resistant, Pressure Resistant, Wear Resistant
Deposits in Eastern Continents
Asia
Not Yet Found
Afghanistan, Indonesia, Japan, Russia
Africa
Not Yet Found
Ethiopia, Kenya, Tanzania
Europe
Bulgaria, England, Germany, Norway, Romania, Switzerland
Greece, Hungary, Iceland, Italy, Turkey
Others
Not Yet Found
Not Yet Found
Deposits in Western Continents
North America
USA
Bahamas, Barbados, Canada, Costa Rica, Cuba, Jamaica, Mexico, USA
South America
Argentina, Bolivia, Brazil, Chile, Colombia, Ecuador, Peru
Argentina, Chile, Ecuador, Peru
Deposits in Oceania Continent
Australia
New South Wales, New Zealand, Queensland, South Australia, Western Australia
New Zealand, Western Australia