Basalt vs Dunite

Basalt vs Dunite Information

Earth’s outer layer is covered by rocks and these rocks have different physical and chemical properties. As two rocks are not same, it’s fun to compare them. You can also know more about Basalt and Dunite Reserves. Basalt is a common extrusive igneous rock formed by the rapid cooling of basaltic lava exposed at or very near the surface of Earth. Dunite is a green to brownish coarse-grained igneous rock mainly consisting of olivine. These rocks are composed of many distinct minerals. The process of formation of rocks is different for various rocks. Rocks are quarried from many years for various purposes. You can check out Basalt vs Dunite information and Basalt vs Dunite characteristics in the upcoming sections.

Basalt vs Dunite Characteristics

Though some rocks look identical, they have certain characteristics which distinguish them from others. Characteristics of rocks include texture, appearance, color, fracture, streak, hardness etc. Basalt vs Dunite characteristics assist us to distinguish and recognize rocks. Also you can check about Properties of Basalt and Properties of Dunite. Learn more about Basalt vs Dunite in the next section. The interior uses of Basalt include Floor tiles, Homes, Hotels and Kitchens whereas the interior uses of Dunite include Decorative aggregates and Interior decoration. Due to some exceptional properties of Basalt and Dunite, they have various applications in construction industry. The uses of Basalt in construction industry include Arrowheads, As dimension stone, Cobblestones, Cutting tool, Rail track ballast, Roadstone and that of Dunite include As dimension stone, Cement manufacture, Construction aggregate, For road aggregate, Making natural cement, Raw material for the manufacture of mortar.

More about Basalt and Dunite

Here you can know more about Basalt and Dunite. The life cycle of a rock consists of formation of rock, composition of rock and transformation of rock. The composition of Basalt and Dunite consists of mineral content and compound content. The mineral content of Basalt includes Olivine, Plagioclase, Pyroxene and mineral content of Dunite includes Amphibole, Chromite, Garnet, Magnesium, Olivine, Phlogopite, Plagioclase, Pyroxene. You can also check out the list of all Igneous Rocks. When we have to compare Basalt vs Dunite, the texture, color and appearance plays an important role in determining the type of rock. Basalt is available in black, brown, light to dark grey colors whereas, Dunite is available in dark greenish - grey colors. Appearance of Basalt is Dull and Soft and that of Dunite is Rough and Shiny. Properties of rock is another aspect for Basalt vs Dunite. The hardness of Basalt is 6 and that of Dunite is 3.5-4. The types of Basalt are Alkaline Basalt, Boninite, High Alumina Basalt, Mid Ocean Ridge Basalt (MORB), Tholeiitic Basalt, Basaltic trachyandesite, Mugearite and Shoshonite whereas types of Dunite are Not Available. Streak of rock is the color of powder produced when it is dragged across an unweathered surface. The streak of Basalt is white to grey while that of Dunite is white. The specific heat capacity of Basalt is 0.84 kJ/Kg K and that of Dunite is 1.25 kJ/Kg K. Depending on the properties like hardness, toughness, specific heat capacity, porosity etc., rocks are resistant to heat, wear, impact, etc.Basalt is heat resistant, pressure resistant, wear resistant whereas Dunite is heat resistant, pressure resistant, wear resistant.