Definition
Andesite is a dark, fine-grained, brown or greyish intermediate volcanic rock which is a commonly found in lava
Dunite is a green to brownish coarse-grained igneous rock mainly consisting of olivine
Origin
North America
New Zealand
Discoverer
Unknown
Ferdinand von Hochstetter
Etymology
From Andes mountains, where it is found in abundance
From the name of Dun Mountain, New Zealand, + -ite1
Class
Igneous Rocks
Igneous Rocks
Sub-Class
Durable Rock, Hard Rock
Durable Rock, Medium Hardness Rock
Other Categories
Fine Grained Rock, Opaque Rock
Coarse Grained Rock, Opaque Rock
Texture
Aphanitic to Porphyritic
Phaneritic
Color
Bluish - Grey, Grey, Pink, Yellow
Dark Greenish - Grey
Durability
Durable
Durable
Scratch Resistant
Yes
Yes
Appearance
Dull and Soft
Rough and Shiny
Interior Uses
Decorative Aggregates, Floor Tiles, Homes, Interior Decoration, Kitchens
Decorative Aggregates, Interior Decoration
Exterior Uses
Office Buildings, Roof Tiles
As Building Stone, As Facing Stone, Garden Decoration, Paving Stone
Other Architectural Uses
Curbing
Curbing
Construction Industry
Cobblestones, Construction Aggregate, for Road Aggregate
As Dimension Stone, Cement Manufacture, Construction Aggregate, for Road Aggregate, Making natural cement, Raw material for the manufacture of mortar
Medical Industry
Not Yet Used
Not Yet Used
Antiquity Uses
Artifacts, Monuments, Sculpture, Small Figurines
Artifacts, Monuments, Sculpture, Small Figurines
Commercial Uses
Commemorative Tablets, Creating Artwork
Creating Artwork, Gemstone, Jewelry, Source of Chromite, Platinum, Nickel and Garnet, Source of Diamonds
Types
Icelandite
Not Available
Features
Generally rough to touch, High silica content, Is one of the oldest rock
Constitutes upper part of the Earth's mantle, Generally rough to touch, Host rock for Diamond, Is one of the oldest rock
Archaeological Significance
Famous Monuments
Middle of the Earth in Ecuador
Data Not Available
Famous Sculptures
Data Not Available
Data Not Available
Pictographs
Not Used
Used
Petroglyphs
Not Used
Used
Formation
Andesite is a fine-grained igneous rock that forms when the magma is erupted onto the surface and is crystallized quickly.
Dunite is a plutonic ultramafic igneous rock consisting almost m olivine. It can be formed in two ways.
Mineral Content
Amphibole, Apatite, Biotite, Feldspar, Garnet, Hornblade, Ilmenite, Magnetite, Plagioclase, Pyroxene, Zircon
Amphibole, Chromite, Garnet, Magnesium, Olivine, Phlogopite, Plagioclase, Pyroxene
Compound Content
Silicon Dioxide
Ca, CaO, Fe, Potassium, Silicon Dioxide, Sodium, Titanium Dioxide
Types of Metamorphism
Burial Metamorphism, Cataclastic Metamorphism, Contact Metamorphism, Hydrothermal Metamorphism, Impact Metamorphism, Regional Metamorphism
Burial Metamorphism, Cataclastic Metamorphism, Contact Metamorphism
Types of Weathering
Biological Weathering, Chemical Weathering, Mechanical Weathering
Biological Weathering, Chemical Weathering, Mechanical Weathering
Types of Erosion
Chemical Erosion, Coastal Erosion, Glacier Erosion
Coastal Erosion, Glacier Erosion, Water Erosion
Grain Size
Very fine-grained
Coarse Grained
Fracture
Uneven
Irregular
Porosity
Less Porous
Less Porous
Cleavage
Not Available
Imperfect
Specific Gravity
2.5-2.8
3-3.01
Transparency
Opaque
Translucent to Opaque
Density
2.11-2.36 g/cm3
2.84-2.85 g/cm3
Resistance
Heat Resistant, Pressure Resistant, Wear Resistant
Heat Resistant, Pressure Resistant, Wear Resistant
Deposits in Eastern Continents
Asia
India, Indonesia, Japan, Nepal, South Korea
China, India, Indonesia, Kazakhstan, Russia, South Korea, Thailand, Turkey
Africa
Egypt, Ethiopia, Morocco, Namibia, South Africa, Tanzania
Morocco, South Africa
Europe
Austria, Finland, Germany, Italy, Romania, Turkey, United Kingdom
Finland, France, Georgia, Germany, Great Britain, Italy, Kazakhstan, Netherlands, Norway, Spain, Switzerland, Venezuela
Others
Not Yet Found
Not Yet Found
Deposits in Western Continents
North America
Mexico, USA
Canada, USA
South America
Argentina, Bolivia, Chile, Colombia, Ecuador, Peru, Venezuela
Argentina, Brazil, Colombia, Ecuador, Venezuela
Deposits in Oceania Continent
Australia
New South Wales, New Zealand, Western Australia
New Zealand, Western Australia
Andesite 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. Andesite vs Dunite characteristics assist us to distinguish and recognize rocks. Also you can check about Properties of Andesite and Properties of Dunite. Learn more about Andesite vs Dunite in the next section. The interior uses of Andesite include Decorative aggregates, Floor tiles, Homes, Interior decoration and Kitchens whereas the interior uses of Dunite include Decorative aggregates and Interior decoration. Due to some exceptional properties of Andesite and Dunite, they have various applications in construction industry. The uses of Andesite in construction industry include Cobblestones, Construction aggregate, For road aggregate 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 Andesite and Dunite
Here you can know more about Andesite and Dunite. The life cycle of a rock consists of formation of rock, composition of rock and transformation of rock. The composition of Andesite and Dunite consists of mineral content and compound content. The mineral content of Andesite includes Amphibole, Apatite, Biotite, Feldspar, Garnet, Hornblade, Ilmenite, Magnetite, Plagioclase, Pyroxene, Zircon 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 Andesite vs Dunite, the texture, color and appearance plays an important role in determining the type of rock. Andesite is available in bluish - grey, grey, pink, yellow colors whereas, Dunite is available in dark greenish - grey colors. Appearance of Andesite is Dull and Soft and that of Dunite is Rough and Shiny. Properties of rock is another aspect for Andesite vs Dunite. The hardness of Andesite is 7 and that of Dunite is 3.5-4. The types of Andesite are Icelandite 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 Andesite and Dunite is white. The specific heat capacity of Andesite is 2.39 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.Andesite is heat resistant, pressure resistant, wear resistant whereas Dunite is heat resistant, pressure resistant, wear resistant.