Peridotite

Peridotite xenolith

A peridotite is a hard and rough igneous rock, made up mostly of the minerals olivine and pyroxene. It is named for Peridot.

Peridotite Media

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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

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  Alpine peridotite from the Ivrea zone in the Alps of Italy (dunite from Finero)