Amphibolite

Dunite

Amphibolite vs Dunite

Amphibolite

Dunite

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Definition

Amphibolite can be defined as a granular metamorphic rock which mainly consist of hornblende and plagioclase

Dunite is a green to brownish coarse-grained igneous rock mainly consisting of olivine

History

Origin

New Zealand

Discoverer

Alexandre Brongniart

Ferdinand von Hochstetter

Etymology

From Amphibole + -ite

From the name of Dun Mountain, New Zealand, + -ite1

Class

Metamorphic Rocks

Igneous Rocks

Sub-Class

Durable Rock, Hard Rock

Durable Rock, Medium Hardness Rock

Family

Group

Plutonic

Other Categories

Coarse Grained Rock, Medium Grained Rock, Opaque Rock

Coarse Grained Rock, Opaque Rock

Texture

Banded, Foliated, Massive

Phaneritic

Color

Black, Brown, Green, Grey

Dark Greenish - Grey

Maintenance

Less

Durability

Durable

Water Resistant

✔ ✘

Scratch Resistant

✔ ✘

Stain Resistant

✔ ✘

Wind Resistant

✔ ✘

Acid Resistant

✔ ✘

Appearance

Foliated

Rough and Shiny

Uses

Architecture

Interior Uses

Countertops, Decorative Aggregates, Entryways, Floor Tiles, Flooring, Homes, Hotels, Kitchens

Decorative Aggregates, Interior Decoration

Exterior Uses

As Building Stone, As Facing Stone, Paving Stone, Office Buildings

As Building Stone, As Facing Stone, Garden Decoration, Paving Stone

Other Architectural Uses

Curbing

Industry

Construction Industry

As Dimension Stone, Building houses or walls, Cobblestones, Construction Aggregate, for Road Aggregate, Landscaping, Production of Glass and Ceramics, Roadstone

As Dimension Stone, Cement Manufacture, Construction Aggregate, for Road Aggregate, Making natural cement, Raw material for the manufacture of mortar

Medical Industry

Antiquity Uses

Artifacts, Sculpture, Small Figurines

Artifacts, Monuments, Sculpture, Small Figurines

Other Uses

Commercial Uses

Cemetery Markers, Commemorative Tablets, Creating Artwork

Creating Artwork, Gemstone, Jewelry, Source of Chromite, Platinum, Nickel and Garnet, Source of Diamonds

Types

Hornblendite

Dunite

Features

Clasts are smooth to touch, Matrix variable, Surfaces are often shiny

Constitutes upper part of the Earth's mantle, Generally rough to touch, Host rock for Diamond, Is one of the oldest rock

Archaeological Significance

Monuments

Famous Monuments

Sculpture

Famous Sculptures

Pictographs

Petroglyphs

Figurines

Fossils

Absent

Formation

Amphibolite is a coarse-grained metamorphic rock which forms by metamorphism of mafic igneous rocks like basalt and gabbro or from the metamorphism of clay-rich sedimentary rocks like marl or graywacke.

Dunite is a plutonic ultramafic igneous rock consisting almost m olivine. It can be formed in two ways.

Composition

Mineral Content

Amphibole, Andalusite, Biotite, Calcite, Epidote, Garnet, Hornblade, Kyanite, Magnetite, Olivine, Plagioclase, Pyroxene, Staurolite, Wollastonite

Amphibole, Chromite, Garnet, Magnesium, Olivine, Phlogopite, Plagioclase, Pyroxene

Compound Content

Aluminium Oxide, CaO, Iron(III) Oxide, FeO, Potassium Oxide, MgO, MnO, Sodium Oxide, Phosphorus Pentoxide, Silicon Dioxide, Titanium Dioxide

Ca, CaO, Fe, Potassium, Silicon Dioxide, Sodium, Titanium Dioxide

Transformation

Metamorphism

✔ ✘

Types of Metamorphism

Burial Metamorphism, Cataclastic Metamorphism, Contact Metamorphism

Weathering

✔ ✘

Types of Weathering

Chemical Weathering, Mechanical Weathering

Biological Weathering, Chemical Weathering, Mechanical Weathering

Erosion

✔ ✘

Types of Erosion

Chemical Erosion, Glacier Erosion, Sea Erosion, Wind Erosion

Coastal Erosion, Glacier Erosion, Water Erosion

Properties

Physical Properties

Hardness

6-73.5-4

1 7

👆🏻

Grain Size

Medium to Coarse Grained

Coarse Grained

Fracture

Irregular to Conchoidal

Irregular

Streak

White to Grey

White

Porosity

Less Porous

Luster

Vitreous to Dull

Shiny

Compressive Strength

90.00 N/mm²107.55 N/mm²

0.15 450

👆🏻

Cleavage

Toughness

2.3

2.1

Specific Gravity

2.53-3.01

0 8.4

👆🏻

Transparency

Opaque

Translucent to Opaque

Density

2.85-3.07 g/cm³2.84-2.85 g/cm³

0 1400

👆🏻

Thermal Properties

Specific Heat Capacity

0.84 kJ/Kg K1.25 kJ/Kg K

0.14 3.2

👆🏻

Resistance

Heat Resistant, Pressure Resistant, Wear Resistant

Reserves

Deposits in Eastern Continents

Asia

Russia, Turkey

China, India, Indonesia, Kazakhstan, Russia, South Korea, Thailand, Turkey

Africa

Burundi, Djibouti, Eritrea, Ethiopia, Kenya, Madagascar, Rwanda, Somalia, South Africa, Sudan, Tanzania, Uganda

Morocco, South Africa

Europe

Germany, Greece, Iceland, Norway, Poland

Finland, France, Georgia, Germany, Great Britain, Italy, Kazakhstan, Netherlands, Norway, Spain, Switzerland

Others

Deposits in Western Continents

North America

Canada, USA

South America

Brazil

Argentina, Brazil, Colombia, Ecuador, Venezuela

Deposits in Oceania Continent

Australia

South Australia, Western Australia

New Zealand, Western Australia

Amphibolite 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 Amphibolite and Dunite Reserves. Amphibolite can be defined as a granular metamorphic rock which mainly consist of hornblende and plagioclase. 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 Amphibolite vs Dunite information and Amphibolite vs Dunite characteristics in the upcoming sections.

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Amphibolite 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. Amphibolite vs Dunite characteristics assist us to distinguish and recognize rocks. Also you can check about Properties of Amphibolite and Properties of Dunite. Learn more about Amphibolite vs Dunite in the next section. The interior uses of Amphibolite include Countertops, Decorative aggregates, Entryways, Floor tiles, Flooring, Homes, Hotels and Kitchens whereas the interior uses of Dunite include Decorative aggregates and Interior decoration. Due to some exceptional properties of Amphibolite and Dunite, they have various applications in construction industry. The uses of Amphibolite in construction industry include As dimension stone, Building houses or walls, Cobblestones, Construction aggregate, For road aggregate, Landscaping, Production of glass and ceramics, 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 Amphibolite and Dunite

Here you can know more about Amphibolite and Dunite. The life cycle of a rock consists of formation of rock, composition of rock and transformation of rock. The composition of Amphibolite and Dunite consists of mineral content and compound content. The mineral content of Amphibolite includes Amphibole, Andalusite, Biotite, Calcite, Epidote, Garnet, Hornblade, Kyanite, Magnetite, Olivine, Plagioclase, Pyroxene, Staurolite, Wollastonite 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 Amphibolite vs Dunite, the texture, color and appearance plays an important role in determining the type of rock. Amphibolite is available in black, brown, green, grey colors whereas, Dunite is available in dark greenish - grey colors. Appearance of Amphibolite is Foliated and that of Dunite is Rough and Shiny. Properties of rock is another aspect for Amphibolite vs Dunite. The hardness of Amphibolite is 6-7 and that of Dunite is 3.5-4. The types of Amphibolite are Hornblendite whereas types of Dunite are Dunite. Streak of rock is the color of powder produced when it is dragged across an unweathered surface. The streak of Amphibolite is white to grey while that of Dunite is white. The specific heat capacity of Amphibolite 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.Amphibolite is heat resistant, pressure resistant, wear resistant whereas Dunite is heat resistant, pressure resistant, wear resistant.