Peridotite facts for kids
| Igneous rock | |
Typical peridotite sample (dunite, left) and large olivine crystal (right)
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| Composition | |
|---|---|
| olivine, pyroxene |
A peridotite is a hard and rough igneous rock, made up mostly of the minerals olivine and pyroxene. It is named for Peridot.
Peridotite is the dominant rock of the upper part of the Earth's mantle.
The word peridotite comes from the gemstone peridot, which consists of pale green olivine. Classic peridotite is bright green with some specks of black, although most hand samples tend to be darker green. Peridotitic outcrops typically range from earthy bright yellow to dark green in color; this is because olivine is easily weathered to iddingsite. While green and yellow are the most common colors, peridotitic rocks may exhibit a wide range of colors such as blue, brown, and red.
Images for kids
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Classification diagram for peridotite and pyroxenite, based on proportions of olivine and pyroxene. The pale green area encompasses the most common compositions of peridotite in the upper part of the Earth's mantle (partly adapted from Bodinier and Godard (2004)).
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Olivine in a peridotite weathering to iddingsite within a mantle xenolith
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Serpentinized and carbonated peridotite
See also
In Spanish: Peridotita para niños
