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Peridotite

Igneous Rocks

Peridotite is a dense, coarse-grained igneous rock consisting mostly of the silicate minerals olivine and pyroxene. It is ultramafic, containing less than forty five percent silica, and is derived from Earth's mantle either as solid blocks and fragments or as crystals accumulated from mantle magmas; it is the dominant rock of the upper mantle. This description is adapted from Wikipedia contributors under CC BY-SA 4.0; changes were made. https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/

Facts
Kind
Rock 1
Formation Class
Igneous, ultramafic (a coarse-grained mantle rock dominated by olivine and pyroxene) 1
Colour
Green 2
Classification
Classification
Igneous Rock 1
Use
Ore or Metal Extraction 2
Connections

Associated With

Diamond, Minerals

Diamond-bearing kimberlite pipes bring up peridotite nodules/xenoliths from mantle depth; diamond forms within this peridotite mantle source rock.

Source Peridotite (Wikipedia)
Olivine, Minerals

Olivine is the defining, essential mineral of peridotite.

Source Peridotite (Wikipedia)
Serpentinite, Materials

Protolith: hydrated peridotite is the parent rock serpentinite forms from (serpentinization); cites peridotite's own page since serpentinite's registered quote names only mafic rock generically.

Source Peridotite (Wikipedia)

Held Differently

Kimberlite, Materials

Variant, not a derivation: kimberlite is classified as a rare variant of peridotite per its own lead sentence, matching the live Stance=variant precedent (continental-drift precursor-to plate-tectonics).

Source Kimberlite (Wikipedia)

Classified As

Igneous Rocks, Subcategories

In Discipline

Geology, Disciplines
Sources
1. Peridotite (Wikipedia)
Wikimedia Foundation
  • Lead section
    Peridotite is ultramafic, as the rock contains less than 45% silica.
  • Economic importance
    Sulfides associated with peridotites form nickel ores and platinoid metals; most of the platinum used in the world today is mined from the Bushveld Igneous Complex in South Africa and the Great Dyke of Zimbabwe.
  • Lead section
    Peridotite (US: PERR-ih-doh-tyte, pə-RID-ə-) is a dense, phaneritic (coarse-grained) igneous rock consisting mostly of the silicate minerals olivine and pyroxene. Peridotite is ultramafic, as the rock contains less than 45% silica.
  • Associated With: Serpentinite, Economic geology section
    Peridotite that has been hydrated at low temperatures is the protolith for serpentinite, which may include chrysotile asbestos (a form of serpentine) and talc.
  • Associated With: Diamond, Body, mantle-xenolith discussion
    The compositions of peridotite nodules found in certain basalts are of special interest along with diamond pipes (kimberlite), because they provide samples of Earth's mantle brought up from depths ranging from about 30 km to 200 km or more.
View the Source
2. Geology.com: Peridotite: Igneous Rock
Geology.com
  • Peridotite economic importance
    they often contain chromite - the only ore of chromium
  • Article text, colour-category
    All of them are rich in olivine and mafic minerals. They are usually green in color and have a high specific gravity for a nonmetallic material.
View the Source
Wikidata: Peridotite
Wikidata Q239918
Kimberlite (Wikipedia)
Wikimedia FoundationAssociated With: Kimberlite, Lead section
Quote, Associated With: Kimberlite, Lead section
Kimberlite is an igneous rock and a rare variant of peridotite.
View the Source
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