Larvikite and Sovite

Larvikite

Sovite

Definition

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

Sovite is a coarse-grained variety of carbonatite which belongs to intrusive igneous rock

History

Origin

Larvik, Norway

Unknown

Discoverer

Unknown

Etymology

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

Not Available

Class

Igneous 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

Texture

Phaneritic

Granular, Poikiloblastic

Color

Black, Brown, Light to Dark Grey, White

Black, Brown, Colourless, Green, Grey, Pink, White

Maintenance

Less

Durability

Durable

Water Resistant

Yes

Scratch Resistant

Yes

Stain Resistant

Yes

Wind Resistant

Yes

Acid Resistant

Appearance

Shiny

Dull, Banded and Foilated

Uses

Architecture

Interior Uses

Decorative Aggregates, Homes, Interior Decoration

Decorative Aggregates, Homes

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

Industry

Construction Industry

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

As a Flux in the Production of Steel and Pig Iron, As a Sintering Agent in Steel Industry to process Iron Ore, As Dimension Stone, Cement Manufacture, for Road Aggregate, Making natural cement, Manufacture of Magnesium and Dolomite Refractories, Unknown, Unknown

Medical Industry

Not Yet Used

Taken as a Supplement for Calcium or Magnesium

Antiquity Uses

Artifacts, Monuments, Sculpture

Artifacts

Other Uses

Commercial Uses

Cemetery Markers, Commemorative Tablets, Creating Artwork

An Oil and Gas Reservoir, As a Feed Additive for Livestock, Creating Artwork, Gemstone, Metallurgical Flux, Production of Lime, Soil Conditioner, Source of Magnesia (MgO)

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, Generally rough to touch, Is one of the oldest rock

Archaeological Significance

Monuments

Used

Not Yet Used

Famous Monuments

Data Not Available

Not Applicable

Sculpture

Used

Not Yet Used

Famous Sculptures

Data Not Available

Not Applicable

Pictographs

Not Used

Used

Petroglyphs

Not Used

Used

Figurines

Used

Not Yet Used

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.

Sovites are formed due to low degrees of partial melting of rocks.

Composition

Mineral Content

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

Ancylite, Apatite, Barite, Fluorite, Magnetite, Natrolite, Sodalite

Compound Content

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

CaO, Carbon Dioxide, Sodium Oxide

Transformation

Metamorphism

Yes

Types of Metamorphism

Cataclastic Metamorphism, Impact Metamorphism, Regional Metamorphism

Burial Metamorphism, Cataclastic Metamorphism, Contact Metamorphism, Hydrothermal Metamorphism, Impact Metamorphism, Regional Metamorphism

Weathering

Yes

Types of Weathering

Biological Weathering, Chemical Weathering, Mechanical Weathering

Erosion

Yes

Types of Erosion

Chemical Erosion

Chemical Erosion, Coastal Erosion, Glacier Erosion, Sea Erosion, Water Erosion, Wind Erosion

Properties

Physical Properties

Hardness

6-7

Grain Size

Medium to Fine Coarse Grained

Fracture

Not Available

Conchoidal

Streak

White

Porosity

Less Porous

Luster

Subvitreous to Dull

Compressive Strength

310.00 N/mm²

Not Available

Cleavage

Not Available

Toughness

Not Available

Specific Gravity

2.8-3

2.86-2.87

Transparency

Opaque

Density

2.9-2.91 g/cm³

2.84-2.86 g/cm³

Thermal Properties

Specific Heat Capacity

0.92 kJ/Kg K

Not Available

Resistance

Heat Resistant, Impact Resistant, Pressure Resistant

Heat Resistant, Pressure Resistant

Reserves

Deposits in Eastern Continents

Asia

Not Yet Found

China, India, Kazakhstan, Mongolia, Russia, Uzbekistan

Africa

Not Yet Found

Namibia, Nigeria, South Africa

Europe

Bulgaria, England, Germany, Norway, Romania, Switzerland

Austria, Denmark, Germany, Great Britain, Netherlands, Norway, Poland, Sweden, Switzerland, United Kingdom

Others

Not Yet Found

Greenland

Deposits in Western Continents

North America

USA

Canada, USA

South America

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

Brazil

Deposits in Oceania Continent

Australia

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

New South Wales, New Zealand

Summary >>

<< Reserves

All about Larvikite and Sovite Properties

Know all about Larvikite and Sovite properties here. All properties of rocks are important as they define the type of rock and its application. Larvikite and Sovite belong to Igneous Rocks.Texture of Larvikite is Phaneritic whereas that of Sovite is Granular, Poikiloblastic. Larvikite appears Shiny and Sovite appears Dull, Banded and Foilated. The luster of Larvikite and Sovite is subvitreous to dull. Larvikite is available in black, brown, light to dark grey, white colors whereas Sovite is available in black, brown, colourless, green, grey, pink, white colors. The commercial uses of Larvikite are cemetery markers, commemorative tablets, creating artwork and that of Sovite are an oil and gas reservoir, as a feed additive for livestock, creating artwork, gemstone, metallurgical flux, production of lime, soil conditioner, source of magnesia (mgo).