Definition
Peridotite is a dense, coarse-grained plutonic is the main constituent of the earth's mantle
Larvikite is an igneous rock and a variety of monzonite, notable for the presence of thumbnail-sized crystals of feldspar
Origin
Pike County, U.S
Larvik, Norway
Discoverer
Unknown
Unknown
Etymology
From French, from peridot + -ite
From the town of Larvik in Norway, where this type of igneous rock is found
Class
Igneous Rocks
Igneous Rocks
Sub-Class
Durable Rock, Medium Hardness Rock
Durable Rock, Hard Rock
Other Categories
Coarse Grained Rock, Opaque Rock
Coarse Grained Rock, Fine Grained Rock, Medium Grained Rock, Opaque Rock
Texture
Phaneritic
Phaneritic
Color
Dark Greenish - Grey
Black, Brown, Light to Dark Grey, White
Durability
Durable
Durable
Scratch Resistant
Yes
Yes
Appearance
Rough and Shiny
Shiny
Interior Uses
Decorative Aggregates, Interior Decoration
Decorative Aggregates, Homes, Interior Decoration
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, Cement Manufacture, Construction Aggregate, for Road Aggregate
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
Cemetery Markers, Commemorative Tablets, Creating Artwork
Types
Dunite, Wehrlite, Harzburgite, Lherzolite and Pyrolite
Quartz Monzonite, Syenite and Diorite
Features
Constitutes upper part of the Earth's mantle, Generally rough to touch, Host rock for Diamond, Is one of the oldest rock
Available in lots of colors, Is one of the oldest rock
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.
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.
Mineral Content
Amphibole, Chromite, Garnet, Magnesium, Olivine, Phlogopite, Plagioclase, Pyroxene
Albite, Amphibole, Apatite, Biotite, Feldspar, Hornblade, Ilmenite, Magnetite, Muscovite or Illite, Olivine, Plagioclase, Pyroxene, Quartz, Sulfides, Titanite, Zircon
Compound Content
Ca, Fe, Mg, Potassium, Silicon Dioxide, Sodium, Titanium Dioxide
Aluminium Oxide, CaO, Iron(III) Oxide, FeO, Potassium Oxide, MgO, MnO, Sodium Oxide, Phosphorus Pentoxide, Silicon Dioxide, Titanium Dioxide
Types of Metamorphism
Burial Metamorphism, Cataclastic Metamorphism, Contact Metamorphism, Hydrothermal Metamorphism, Impact Metamorphism, Regional Metamorphism
Cataclastic Metamorphism, Impact Metamorphism, Regional Metamorphism
Types of Weathering
Biological Weathering, Chemical Weathering, Mechanical Weathering
Biological Weathering, Chemical Weathering, Mechanical Weathering
Types of Erosion
Chemical Erosion
Chemical Erosion
Grain Size
Coarse Grained
Medium to Fine Coarse Grained
Fracture
Irregular
Not Available
Porosity
Less Porous
Less Porous
Luster
Shiny
Subvitreous to Dull
Cleavage
Imperfect
Not Available
Toughness
2.1
Not Available
Specific Gravity
3-3.01
2.8-3
Transparency
Translucent to Opaque
Opaque
Density
3.1-3.4 g/cm3
2.9-2.91 g/cm3
Resistance
Heat Resistant, Pressure Resistant, Wear Resistant
Heat Resistant, Impact Resistant, Pressure Resistant
Deposits in Eastern Continents
Asia
China, India, Indonesia, Kazakhstan, Russia, South Korea, Thailand, Turkey
Not Yet Found
Africa
Morocco, South Africa
Not Yet Found
Europe
Finland, France, Georgia, Germany, Great Britain, Italy, Kazakhstan, Netherlands, Norway, Spain, Switzerland, Venezuela
Bulgaria, England, Germany, Norway, Romania, Switzerland
Others
Not Yet Found
Not Yet Found
Deposits in Western Continents
North America
Canada, USA
USA
South America
Brazil
Argentina, Bolivia, Brazil, Chile, Colombia, Ecuador, Peru
Deposits in Oceania Continent
Australia
New Zealand, Western Australia
New South Wales, New Zealand, Queensland, South Australia, Western Australia
Peridotite vs Larvikite 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 Larvikite characteristics assist us to distinguish and recognize rocks. Also you can check about Properties of Peridotite and Properties of Larvikite. Learn more about Peridotite vs Larvikite in the next section. The interior uses of Peridotite include Decorative aggregates and Interior decoration whereas the interior uses of Larvikite include Decorative aggregates, Homes and Interior decoration. Due to some exceptional properties of Peridotite and Larvikite, they have various applications in construction industry. The uses of Peridotite in construction industry include As dimension stone, Cobblestones and that of Larvikite include As dimension stone, Cement manufacture, Construction aggregate, For road aggregate.
More about Peridotite and Larvikite
Here you can know more about Peridotite and Larvikite. The life cycle of a rock consists of formation of rock, composition of rock and transformation of rock. The composition of Peridotite and Larvikite 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 Larvikite includes Albite, Amphibole, Apatite, Biotite, Feldspar, Hornblade, Ilmenite, Magnetite, Muscovite or Illite, Olivine, Plagioclase, Pyroxene, Quartz, Sulfides, Titanite, Zircon. You can also check out the list of all Igneous Rocks. When we have to compare Peridotite vs Larvikite, the texture, color and appearance plays an important role in determining the type of rock. Peridotite is available in dark greenish - grey colors whereas, Larvikite is available in black, brown, light to dark grey, white colors. Appearance of Peridotite is Rough and Shiny and that of Larvikite is Shiny. Properties of rock is another aspect for Peridotite vs Larvikite. The hardness of Peridotite is 5.5-6 and that of Larvikite is 6-7. The types of Peridotite are Dunite, Wehrlite, Harzburgite, Lherzolite and Pyrolite whereas types of Larvikite are Quartz Monzonite, Syenite and Diorite. Streak of rock is the color of powder produced when it is dragged across an unweathered surface. The streak of Peridotite and Larvikite is white. The specific heat capacity of Peridotite is 1.26 kJ/Kg K and that of Larvikite is 0.92 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 Larvikite is heat resistant, impact resistant, pressure resistant.