Larvikite, Norway
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Downloaded from http://sp.lyellcollection.org/ by guest on April 29, 2015 Global stone heritage: Larvikite, Norway TOM HELDAL*, G. B. MEYER & R. DAHL Geological Survey of Norway, Box 6315 Sluppen, 7491 Trondheim, Norway *Corresponding author (e-mail: [email protected]) Abstract: Larvikite is a peculiar and unique monzonitic rock originating in the Carboniferous– Permian Oslo Rift, SE Norway. The blue iridescence in the feldspar crystals made the rock particu- larly attractive as ornamental stone, and since the start of industrial scaled production in 1884, the use of larvikite has reached every corner of the global community. With resources for hundreds of years, the region will produce larvikite blocks far into the future. The production of larvikite has changed significantly during the last decades, towards more sustainable production finding new applications and markets for excess rock in the quarries. The significance of larvikite in the global market has also created a wider appreciation of the rock in the Norwegian society, acknowl- edging the rich history of larvikite production and use. The term ‘Larvikite’ is applied for a range of predominantly in its southern part (Fig. 1). The pio- peculiar monzonitic rocks within the southern part neering work by Brøgger (1890) on these igneous of the Carboniferous 2 Permian Oslo Igneous Pro- rocks made a significant contribution to the under- vince (Fig. 1). They have for more than a hundred standing of rift-related magmatism, and he also years been appreciated as one of the world’s most suggested that the larvikites are the plutonic equiva- attractive ornamental stones, and at present, its pro- lents to the once overlying massive sequences of duction and use is more extensive than ever. The rhomb porphyry lava flows (latite) exposed in the main reason for the continuous success of larvikite surrounding areas. Neumann (1978) later provided on the world market is the blue iridescence dis- geochemical evidence for this. played on polished surfaces, which is caused by A new breakthrough in the interpretation of the optical interference in microscopic lamellae within larvikite complex came in the 1970s. Petersen the ternary feldspars. This feature was beautifully (1978) suggested that the larvikite complex is com- described by Leopold von Buch, who travelled the posed of several, ring-shaped intrusions, becoming area 1806–1808 (von Buch 1810): younger from east to west (Fig. 2). He suggested the presence of eight such ring fragments (numbered All cliffs and rocks shine like they are from a strange world, such we are not used to see. This freshness I–VIII) based on topographic features, magnetic and lustre in the feldspars, such large crystals, the anomalies and field observations of some of the con- extraordinary blue colour and the frequent labradoritic tact zones (chilled margins) (Fig. 2). Furthermore, play of colours. Petersen (1978) observed a systematic change in the mineralogy from quartz-bearing larvikite in the von Buch discovered that these plutonic rocks con- east towards nepheline-bearing larvikite to the tained abundant zircon, and named them zircon- west, approaching the lardalite and nepheline sye- syenite. The name ‘larvikite’ was first applied by nites in the ‘centre’ of the plutonic complex. This the geologist Waldemar Christopher Brøgger led Petersen (1978) to suggest a sequential evolution (1852–1940), who was the first to describe these from saturated to under-saturated magma fluxes. rocks in detail, aided by the newly invented polariz- This could result from either multiple caldera col- ing microscope (Brøgger 1890). The name has its lapses or a system of multiple ring intrusions from origin in the small coastal town of Larvik, situated a deep-seated parental magma chamber (Neumann almost right in the centre of the main plutonic et al. 1977; Neumann 1978, 1980; Petersen 1978; complex of larvikite. Neumann et al. 1988). Neumann (1980) confirmed Petersen’s model of the separate ring intrusions by geochemistry, and Geology of the larvikites also showed geochemical evolution patterns within Magmatism and emplacement each ring intrusion. Dahlgren et al. (1998) con- firmed the progressive evolution of the ring intru- Larvikite and associated plutonic and volcanic sions through time by U–Pb dating, giving a range rocks compose a significant part of the bedrock of ages between 297 + 1.2 Ma (eastern larvikite) within the Carboniferous–Permian Oslo Rift, and 293.2 + 1.3 Ma (western larvikite). Nepheline From:Pereira, D., Marker, B. R., Kramar, S., Cooper,B.J.&Schouenborg, B. E. (eds) 2015. Global Heritage Stone: Towards International Recognition of Building and Ornamental Stones. Geological Society, London, Special Publications, 407, 21–34. First published online November 27, 2014, http://dx.doi.org/10.1144/SP407.14 # The Geological Society of London 2015. Publishing disclaimer: www.geolsoc.org.uk/pub_ethics Downloaded from http://sp.lyellcollection.org/ by guest on April 29, 2015 22 T. HELDAL ET AL. Fig. 1. Map of the Oslo Igneous Province, Norway, and main larvikite production area. syenite, being the youngest intrusion in the se- in the rift formation, i.e. between the early volcan- quence, was dated at 292 + 0.8 Ma. More recently, ism (basalt fissure eruptions and plateau basalts) Larsen & Olaussen (2005) made a model for the and later caldera formation. evolution of the Oslo Rift where the larvikite/ Airborne magnetic and radiometric surveys rhomb porphyry lavas define an intermediate step (Mogaard 1998; Beard 1999) confirmed the pattern Downloaded from http://sp.lyellcollection.org/ by guest on April 29, 2015 GLOBAL STONE HERITAGE: LARVIKITE, NORWAY 23 Fig. 2. Structure of the larvikite complex as proposed by Petersen (1978). Figure from Oftedahl & Petersen (1978). of ring-shaped intrusions established by Petersen larvikite types used for dimension stone, the (1978), however, not along exactly the same lines ternary feldspar are composed of flame-like to as he proposed. The magnetic map furthermore dis- patchy intergrowths of various phases of feldspar. plays two large fault structures (Farrisvann Fault, Individual flames and patches range in ‘bulk’ com- east, and Langangen Fault, west) (Fig. 3; Heldal position from alkali feldspar compositions, close et al. 2008). These two faults follow the general pat- to sanidine, towards albite and/or anorthoclase tern of the Oslo Graben and the structures divide the and/or pure plagioclase compositions. Flames and larvikite complex into three blocks, which have dif- patches with iridescence are composed of micro- ferent potential for natural stone deposits (Fig. 4). scopic to sub-microscopic lamellaes of two phases of feldspars. The feldspars in the larvikites have Mineralogy bulk compositions containing significant propor- tions (.5%) of Ab, Or and An. Feldspars of this Larvikite is generally a coarse-grained, grey to composition are sometimes referred to as meso- bluish plutonic rock predominantly consisting of perthites, but here we prefer the more general term tabular to prismatic feldspar crystals. They are gen- ternary feldspars. As pointed out by Ribbe (1975), erally composed of 80–95% feldspar, 1–5% Ca- this composition causes instability in the crystallo- rich pyroxene, 1–5% amphibole, 0–5% olivine, graphic structure and leads to exsolution similar to 1–5% Fe–Ti oxides, 1% apatite, 1–5% biotite, that in alkali feldspars. The bright optical interfer- +1–5% nepheline, +1–5% quartz and the acces- ence colours (iridescence) seen in certain varie- sory minerals zircon, baddeleyite (ZrO2) and ties of larvikite are due to optical refraction in the sphene. Quartz occurs interstitially in the larvikites exsolution pattern of alternating orthoclase and of the northeastern part of the area while nephe- anorthite15–18 lamellae. The intensity, as well as line takes over from quartz in the central to north- the colour of the iridescence depends on the spac- western part (Fig. 2). The bulk composition of ing and geometry of the lamellae, and generally iri- the feldspars are ternary (Barth 1945), with com- descence occurs when the thickness of lamellae is ˚ position in the range An4–30Ab58 – 82Or3–35 (Ofte- within the range of 500–1000 A. dahl 1948; Muir & Smith 1956; Smith & Muir Another kind of variation is in the distribution of 1958; Rosenqvist 1965; Nielsen 2007). In the iridescence within single feldspar crystals, and three Downloaded from http://sp.lyellcollection.org/ by guest on April 29, 2015 24 T. HELDAL ET AL. Fig. 3. Aeromagnetic map of the central larvikite area, displaying ring structures and two major fault structures. main groups can be defined: patchy (irregular Commercial sub-types of larvikite patches within each crystal), homogenous (within a crystal) and zoned (see Fig. 5). Partly, we can In the northwestern part of the area, close to the see a tendency where the younger larvikites (such town of Tønsberg, red larvikite is found (Fig. 6). as the ‘Blue Pearl’ subtype) contain predominantly This variety was named Tønsbergite by Brøgger patchy iridescence patterns, whilst some of the (1898). However, field observations suggest that older (such as the Emerald Pearl subtypes) more this variety is actually hydrothermally altered larvi- commonly have homogeneous or zoned iridescent kite (oxidized), displaying a gradual transition to crystals. grey and bluish varieties. Tønsbergite only occurs Planar alignment of the feldspars is a wide- close to the northern margins of Rings I and II spread feature of the larvikites, and of great impor- (Fig. 2) in what Petersen (1978) defined as a chilled tance in quarrying. The alignment plane represents margin zone. No production takes place in the area both the primary splitting direction of the larvikite at present time. (‘primary cleavage’ or ‘rift’) and the plane along Abandoned quarries in porphyritic varieties are which the blocks should be cut in order to maximize found further to the south at Nøtterøy (southern the visible iridescence on finished slabs. Its strike part of Ring II) and in a light-grey type at Tjøme follows the ring structures, and the dip varies from (Ring III).