Definition
A hydration and metamorphic transformation of ultramafic rock from the Earth's mantle is called as serpentinization, a group of minerals is formed by serpentinization compose rock 'serpentinite'.
Diorite is a grey to dark-grey intermediate intrusive igneous rock composed principally of plagioclase feldspar,biotite, hornblende, and pyroxene
Discoverer
Unknown
Unknown
Etymology
From English word serpentinization.
From early 19th century coined in French, formed irregularly from Greek diorizein distinguish
Class
Metamorphic Rocks
Igneous Rocks
Sub-Class
Durable Rock, Medium Hardness Rock
Durable Rock, Hard Rock
Other Categories
Fine Grained Rock, Opaque Rock
Coarse Grained Rock, Medium Grained Rock, Opaque Rock
Texture
Earthy
Phaneritic
Color
Black, Brown, Green, Grey, White
Black, Brown, Light to Dark Grey, White
Durability
Durable
Durable
Appearance
Rough and Dull
Shiny
Interior Uses
Decorative Aggregates, Interior Decoration
Decorative Aggregates, Interior Decoration
Exterior Uses
As Building Stone, Paving Stone, Garden Decoration, Office Buildings
As Building Stone, As Facing Stone, Garden Decoration
Other Architectural Uses
Curbing
Curbing
Construction Industry
As Dimension Stone, Cement Manufacture, for Road Aggregate, Making natural cement
As Dimension Stone, Cement Manufacture, Cobblestones, Construction Aggregate, for Road Aggregate
Antiquity Uses
Artifacts, Jewellery, Monuments, Sculpture
Artifacts, Monuments, Sculpture, Small Figurines
Commercial Uses
Commemorative Tablets, Creating Artwork
Creating Artwork, Curling
Types
Jadeitite
Plagioclase Diorite and Quartz Diorite
Features
Host Rock for Lead
Typically speckled black and white.
Archaeological Significance
Formation
Due to change in environmental conditions, rocks are heated and pressurized deep inside the Earth's surface. Serpentinite is formed from the extreme heat caused by magma or by the intense collisions and friction of tectonic plates.
Diorite is a coarse-grained intrusive igneous rock which contains large interlocking and randomly oriented crystals and forms when molten lava does not reach the Earth’s surface and cools down in the Earth’s crust.
Mineral Content
Carbonate, Magnetite, Pyrrhotite, Serpentine, Sulfides
Albite, Amphibole, Apatite, Biotite, Feldspar, Hornblade, Ilmenite, Magnetite, Muscovite or Illite, Olivine, Plagioclase, Pyroxene, Quartz, Sulfides, Titanite, Zircon
Compound Content
Ca, CaO, Carbon Dioxide, KCl, MgO, Sulfur Dioxide, Sulphur
Silicon Dioxide
Types of Metamorphism
Burial Metamorphism, Cataclastic Metamorphism, Contact Metamorphism, Hydrothermal Metamorphism, Impact Metamorphism
Cataclastic Metamorphism, Contact Metamorphism, Regional Metamorphism
Types of Weathering
-
Biological Weathering, Chemical Weathering, Mechanical Weathering
Types of Erosion
Chemical Erosion, Coastal Erosion, Glacier Erosion, Sea Erosion, Wind Erosion
Chemical Erosion, Coastal Erosion, Water Erosion
Grain Size
Very fine-grained
Medium to Coarse Grained
Streak
White, Greenish White or Grey
Bluish Black
Porosity
Less Porous
Very Less Porous
Luster
Waxy and Dull
Shiny
Specific Gravity
2.79-3
2.8-3
Transparency
Opaque
Opaque
Density
2.5-3 g/cm3
2.8-3 g/cm3
Resistance
Heat Resistant
Heat Resistant, Pressure Resistant, Wear Resistant
Deposits in Eastern Continents
Asia
India, Saudi Arabia, Singapore, South Korea
-
Africa
Ethiopia, Western Africa
Egypt
Europe
England, Georgia, Switzerland, United Kingdom
Finland, Germany, Italy, Romania, Sweden, Turkey, United Kingdom
Deposits in Western Continents
South America
Colombia
Argentina, Bolivia, Chile, Colombia, Ecuador, Peru
Deposits in Oceania Continent
Australia
Central Australia, New South Wales, New Zealand, Western Australia
New Zealand, Western Australia
Serpentinite vs Diorite 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. Serpentinite vs Diorite characteristics assist us to distinguish and recognize rocks. Also you can check about Properties of Serpentinite and Properties of Diorite. Learn more about Serpentinite vs Diorite in the next section. The interior uses of Serpentinite include Decorative aggregates and Interior decoration whereas the interior uses of Diorite include Decorative aggregates and Interior decoration. Due to some exceptional properties of Serpentinite and Diorite, they have various applications in construction industry. The uses of Serpentinite in construction industry include As dimension stone, Cement manufacture, For road aggregate, Making natural cement and that of Diorite include As dimension stone, Cement manufacture, Cobblestones, Construction aggregate, For road aggregate.
More about Serpentinite and Diorite
Here you can know more about Serpentinite and Diorite. The life cycle of a rock consists of formation of rock, composition of rock and transformation of rock. The composition of Serpentinite and Diorite consists of mineral content and compound content. The mineral content of Serpentinite includes Carbonate, Magnetite, Pyrrhotite, Serpentine, Sulfides and mineral content of Diorite 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 Metamorphic Rocks. When we have to compare Serpentinite vs Diorite, the texture, color and appearance plays an important role in determining the type of rock. Serpentinite is available in black, brown, green, grey, white colors whereas, Diorite is available in black, brown, light to dark grey, white colors. Appearance of Serpentinite is Rough and Dull and that of Diorite is Shiny. Properties of rock is another aspect for Serpentinite vs Diorite. The hardness of Serpentinite is 3-5 and that of Diorite is 6-7. The types of Serpentinite are Jadeitite whereas types of Diorite are Plagioclase Diorite and Quartz Diorite. Streak of rock is the color of powder produced when it is dragged across an unweathered surface. The streak of Serpentinite is white, greenish white or grey while that of Diorite is bluish black. The specific heat capacity of Serpentinite is 0.95 kJ/Kg K and that of Diorite is 0.84 kJ/Kg K. Depending on the properties like hardness, toughness, specific heat capacity, porosity etc., rocks are resistant to heat, wear, impact, etc.Serpentinite is heat resistant whereas Diorite is heat resistant, pressure resistant, wear resistant.