What is the parent rock of serpentinite?
Serpentinite
| Type | Metamorphic Rock |
|---|---|
| Miscellaneous | May be harder than glass in places |
| Metamorphic Type | Hydrothermal |
| Metamorphic Grade | Low Grade |
| Parent Rock | Peridotite |
How is olivine gabbro formed?
Gabbros are plutonic rocks formed by cooling and crystallization of molten magma trapped under the Earth’s surface and chemically equivalent to extrusive basalt. The ferromagnesian minerals are pyroxene (diopside or diallage, augite and hypersthene), hornblende, and olivine, occurring either together or singly.
What is gabbro composed of?
gabbro, any of several medium- or coarse-grained rocks that consist primarily of plagioclase feldspar and pyroxene. Essentially, gabbro is the intrusive (plutonic) equivalent of basalt, but whereas basalt is often remarkably homogeneous in mineralogy and composition, gabbros are exceedingly variable.
What is the Protolith of serpentinite?
Protolith was a Proterozoic-Early Paleozoic upper mantle dunite peridotite that has been multiply metamorphosed during the Devonian, Permian, and Mesozoic. Tightly folded serpentinite from the Tux Alps, Austria.
What kind of rock is serpentinite?
Serpentine is considered by geoscientists to be the metamorphosed remains of magnesium-rich igneous rocks, most commonly the rock peridotite, from the earth’s mantle. The mantle is a thick layer of rock just below the earth’s crust.
What is basalt formed from?
Basalts are formed by rapid cooling of basaltic lava, equivalent to gabbro–norite magma, from the interior of the crust and exposed at or very close to the surface. These basalt flows are thick and extensive in which gas cavities are nearly absent.
How is diorite formed?
How did it form? Diorite is a course-grained igneous rock that forms when magma rich in silica cools slowly deep within the Earth’s crust.
What is the classification of gabbro?
Gabbro is a coarse-grained, dark-colored, intrusive igneous rock. It is usually black or dark green in color and composed mainly of the minerals plagioclase and augite. It is the most abundant rock in the deep oceanic crust.
Is serpentinite a metamorphic rock?
Serpentinite is a metamorphic rock composed of one or more of the serpentine group minerals (antigorite, lizardite, and chrysotile). The fascination green color and layered properties make it a popular gemstone, architectural material, and ornamental stone.
How do you identify serpentinite?
Serpentine rock is apple-green to black and is often mottled with light and dark colored areas. Its surfaces often have a shiny or wax-like appearance and a slightly soapy feel. Serpentine is usually fine-grained and compact but may be granular, platy, or fibrous in appearance.