Schist and Larvikite

Schist

Larvikite

Definition

Schist is a medium grade metamorphic rock with medium to large, flat, sheet like grains in a preferred orientation

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

History

Origin

Unknown

Larvik, Norway

Discoverer

Unknown

Etymology

From French schiste, Greek skhistos i.e. split

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

Class

Metamorphic Rocks

Igneous Rocks

Sub-Class

Durable Rock, Medium Hardness Rock

Durable Rock, Hard Rock

Family

Group

Not Applicable

Plutonic

Other Categories

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

Texture

Foliated, Platy

Phaneritic

Color

Black, Blue, Brown, Dark Brown, Green, Grey, Silver

Black, Brown, Light to Dark Grey, White

Maintenance

Less

Durability

Durable

Water Resistant

Yes

Scratch Resistant

Yes

Stain Resistant

Yes

Wind Resistant

Yes

Acid Resistant

Appearance

Layered and Shiny

Shiny

Uses

Architecture

Interior Uses

Decorative Aggregates, Floor Tiles, Interior Decoration

Decorative Aggregates, Homes, Interior Decoration

Exterior Uses

Garden Decoration, Paving Stone

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

Other Architectural Uses

Not Yet Used

Curbing

Industry

Construction Industry

As Dimension Stone, Building houses or walls, Cement Manufacture, for Road Aggregate, Roadstone

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

Medical Industry

Not Yet Used

Antiquity Uses

Artifacts

Artifacts, Monuments, Sculpture

Other Uses

Commercial Uses

Used in aquariums, Writing Slates

Cemetery Markers, Commemorative Tablets, Creating Artwork

Types

Mica Schists, Calc-Silicate Schists, Graphite Schists, Blueschists, Whiteschists, Greenschists, Hornblende Schist, Talc Schist, Chlorite Schist, Garnet Schist, Glaucophane schist.

Quartz Monzonite, Syenite and Diorite

Features

Easily splits into thin plates, Smooth to touch

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

Archaeological Significance

Monuments

Not Yet Used

Used

Famous Monuments

Not Applicable

Data Not Available

Sculpture

Not Yet Used

Used

Famous Sculptures

Not Applicable

Data Not Available

Pictographs

Used

Not Used

Petroglyphs

Used

Not Used

Figurines

Not Yet Used

Used

Fossils

Absent

Formation

Schist formed by dynamic metamorphism at high temperatures and pressures that aligns the grains of mica, hornblende and other elongated minerals into thin layers.

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.

Composition

Mineral Content

Alusite, Amphibole, Biotite, Chlorite, Epidote, Feldspar, Garnet, Graphite, Hornblade, Kyanite, Micas, Muscovite or Illite, Porphyroblasts, Quartz, Sillimanite, Staurolite, Talc

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

Compound Content

CaO, Carbon Dioxide, MgO

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

Transformation

Metamorphism

Yes

Types of Metamorphism

Not Applicable

Cataclastic Metamorphism, Impact Metamorphism, Regional Metamorphism

Weathering

Yes

Types of Weathering

Biological Weathering, Chemical Weathering, Mechanical Weathering

Erosion

Yes

Types of Erosion

Chemical Erosion, Coastal Erosion, Glacier Erosion

Chemical Erosion

Properties

Physical Properties

Hardness

3.5-4

6-7

Grain Size

Medium to Fine Coarse Grained

Fracture

Conchoidal

Not Available

Streak

White

Porosity

Highly Porous

Less Porous

Luster

Shiny

Subvitreous to Dull

Compressive Strength

Not Available

310.00 N/mm²

Cleavage

Slaty

Not Available

Toughness

1.5

Not Available

Specific Gravity

2.5-2.9

2.8-3

Transparency

Opaque

Density

2.8-2.9 g/cm³

2.9-2.91 g/cm³

Thermal Properties

Specific Heat Capacity

Not Available

0.92 kJ/Kg K

Resistance

Impact Resistant, Pressure Resistant, Water Resistant

Heat Resistant, Impact Resistant, Pressure Resistant

Reserves

Deposits in Eastern Continents

Asia

Afghanistan, Bangladesh, Bhutan, China, India, Japan, Kazakhstan, Malaysia, Pakistan, Russia, Thailand, Turkey, Vietnam

Not Yet Found

Africa

Egypt, Ethiopia, Morocco, Nigeria, South Africa

Not Yet Found

Europe

Austria, England, France, Georgia, Germany, Italy, Liechtenstein, Monaco, Norway, Slovenia, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland

Bulgaria, England, Germany, Norway, Romania, Switzerland

Others

Not Yet Found

Deposits in Western Continents

North America

Canada, Costa Rica, Cuba, Mexico, Panama, USA

USA

South America

Brazil, Colombia, Guyana

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

Deposits in Oceania Continent

Australia

New South Wales, New Zealand, Queensland

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

Summary >>

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All about Schist and Larvikite Properties

Know all about Schist and Larvikite properties here. All properties of rocks are important as they define the type of rock and its application. Schist belongs to Metamorphic Rocks while Larvikite belongs to Igneous Rocks.Texture of Schist is Foliated, Platy whereas that of Larvikite is Phaneritic. Schist appears Layered and Shiny and Larvikite appears Shiny. The luster of Schist is shiny while that of Larvikite is subvitreous to dull. Schist is available in black, blue, brown, dark brown, green, grey, silver colors whereas Larvikite is available in black, brown, light to dark grey, white colors. The commercial uses of Schist are used in aquariums, writing slates and that of Larvikite are cemetery markers, commemorative tablets, creating artwork.