Definition
Peridotite is a dense, coarse-grained plutonic is the main constituent of the earth's mantle
Granulite is fine to medium grained metamorphic rock with a granular of polygonal crystals.
Origin
Pike County, U.S
Central Europe
Discoverer
Unknown
Unknown
Etymology
From French, from peridot + -ite
From Latin granulum, a little grain or fine grained
Class
Igneous Rocks
Metamorphic Rocks
Sub-Class
Durable Rock, Medium Hardness Rock
Durable Rock, Hard Rock
Group
Plutonic
Not Applicable
Other Categories
Coarse Grained Rock, Opaque Rock
Coarse Grained Rock, Medium Grained Rock, Opaque Rock
Texture
Phaneritic
Granoblastic
Color
Dark Greenish - Grey
Black, Brown
Durability
Durable
Durable
Scratch Resistant
Yes
Yes
Appearance
Rough and Shiny
Veined or Pebbled
Interior Uses
Decorative Aggregates, Interior Decoration
Bathrooms, Countertops, Decorative Aggregates, Entryways, Flooring, Homes, Hotels, Interior Decoration, Kitchens, Stair Treads
Exterior Uses
As Building Stone, As Facing Stone, Garden Decoration
As Building Stone, As Facing Stone, Garden Decoration, Office Buildings, Paving Stone
Other Architectural Uses
Curbing
Curbing
Construction Industry
As Dimension Stone, Cobblestones
As Dimension Stone, Building houses or walls
Medical Industry
Not Yet Used
Not Yet Used
Antiquity Uses
Monuments, Sculpture, Small Figurines
Artifacts, Monuments, Sculpture
Commercial Uses
Creating Artwork, Gemstone, Jewelry, Source of Chromite, Platinum, Nickel and Garnet, Source of Diamonds
Curling, Gemstone, Laboratory bench tops, Soil Conditioner, Tombstones
Types
Dunite, Wehrlite, Harzburgite, Lherzolite and Pyrolite
Not Available
Features
Constitutes upper part of the Earth's mantle, Generally rough to touch, Host rock for Diamond, Is one of the oldest rock
Clasts are smooth to touch
Archaeological Significance
Famous Monuments
Data Not Available
Data Not Available
Famous Sculptures
Data Not Available
Data Not Available
Pictographs
Used
Not Used
Petroglyphs
Used
Not Used
Formation
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.
Granulite is a fine-grained granular metamorphic rock in which the main component minerals are feldspars and quartz and forms at high temperature and pressure conditions.
Mineral Content
Amphibole, Chromite, Garnet, Magnesium, Olivine, Phlogopite, Plagioclase, Pyroxene
Amphibole, Biotite, Feldspar, Hornblade, Micas, Muscovite or Illite, Plagioclase, Quartz
Compound Content
Ca, Fe, Mg, Potassium, Silicon Dioxide, Sodium, Titanium Dioxide
Aluminium Oxide, CaO, Carbon Dioxide, Iron(III) Oxide, FeO, Potassium Oxide, MgO, MnO, Sodium Oxide, Phosphorus Pentoxide, Sulfur Dioxide, Titanium Dioxide
Types of Metamorphism
Burial Metamorphism, Cataclastic Metamorphism, Contact Metamorphism, Hydrothermal Metamorphism, Impact Metamorphism, Regional Metamorphism
Not Applicable
Types of Weathering
Biological Weathering, Chemical Weathering, Mechanical Weathering
Biological Weathering, Chemical Weathering
Types of Erosion
Chemical Erosion
Chemical Erosion, Water Erosion, Wind Erosion
Grain Size
Coarse Grained
Medium to Coarse Grained
Fracture
Irregular
Not Available
Porosity
Less Porous
Very Less Porous
Cleavage
Imperfect
Imperfect
Toughness
2.1
Not Available
Specific Gravity
3-3.01
2.8-3.0
Transparency
Translucent to Opaque
Opaque
Density
3.1-3.4 g/cm3
3.06-3.33 g/cm3
Resistance
Heat Resistant, Pressure Resistant, Wear Resistant
Heat Resistant, Wear Resistant
Deposits in Eastern Continents
Asia
China, India, Indonesia, Kazakhstan, Russia, South Korea, Thailand, Turkey
China, India, Iran, Saudi Arabia, Sri Lanka, Taiwan, Thailand, Turkey, Vietnam
Africa
Morocco, South Africa
Angola, Egypt, Madagascar, Nigeria, South Africa
Europe
Finland, France, Georgia, Germany, Great Britain, Italy, Kazakhstan, Netherlands, Norway, Spain, Switzerland, Venezuela
Austria, Belgium, Finland, France, Germany, Italy, Norway, Sardinia, Spain, Switzerland, The Czech Republic, Venezuela
Others
Not Yet Found
Not Yet Found
Deposits in Western Continents
North America
Canada, USA
Canada, USA
South America
Brazil
Not Yet Found
Deposits in Oceania Continent
Australia
New Zealand, Western Australia
Not Yet Found
Peridotite vs Granulite 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. Peridotite vs Granulite characteristics assist us to distinguish and recognize rocks. Also you can check about Properties of Peridotite and Properties of Granulite. Learn more about Peridotite vs Granulite in the next section. The interior uses of Peridotite include Decorative aggregates and Interior decoration whereas the interior uses of Granulite include Bathrooms, Countertops, Decorative aggregates, Entryways, Flooring, Homes, Hotels, Interior decoration, Kitchens and Stair treads. Due to some exceptional properties of Peridotite and Granulite, they have various applications in construction industry. The uses of Peridotite in construction industry include As dimension stone, Cobblestones and that of Granulite include As dimension stone, Building houses or walls.
More about Peridotite and Granulite
Here you can know more about Peridotite and Granulite. The life cycle of a rock consists of formation of rock, composition of rock and transformation of rock. The composition of Peridotite and Granulite consists of mineral content and compound content. The mineral content of Peridotite includes Amphibole, Chromite, Garnet, Magnesium, Olivine, Phlogopite, Plagioclase, Pyroxene and mineral content of Granulite includes Amphibole, Biotite, Feldspar, Hornblade, Micas, Muscovite or Illite, Plagioclase, Quartz. You can also check out the list of all Igneous Rocks. When we have to compare Peridotite vs Granulite, the texture, color and appearance plays an important role in determining the type of rock. Peridotite is available in dark greenish - grey colors whereas, Granulite is available in black, brown colors. Appearance of Peridotite is Rough and Shiny and that of Granulite is Veined or Pebbled. Properties of rock is another aspect for Peridotite vs Granulite. The hardness of Peridotite is 5.5-6 and that of Granulite is 6-7. The types of Peridotite are Dunite, Wehrlite, Harzburgite, Lherzolite and Pyrolite whereas types of Granulite are Not Available. Streak of rock is the color of powder produced when it is dragged across an unweathered surface. The streak of Peridotite and Granulite is white. The specific heat capacity of Peridotite is 1.26 kJ/Kg K and that of Granulite is 0.14 kJ/Kg K. Depending on the properties like hardness, toughness, specific heat capacity, porosity etc., rocks are resistant to heat, wear, impact, etc.Peridotite is heat resistant, pressure resistant, wear resistant whereas Granulite is heat resistant, wear resistant.