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Dolomite and Blueschist


Blueschist and Dolomite


Definition

Definition
Dolomite is a sedimentary rock containing more than 50 percent of the mineral dolomite by weight  
Blueschist is a metamorphic rock which is generally blue in color and is formed under conditions of high pressure and low temperature  

History
  
  

Origin
Southern Alps, France  
USA  

Discoverer
Dolomieu  
Edgar Bailey  

Etymology
From French, from the name of Dolomieu (1750–1801), the French geologist who discovered the rock  
From French schiste, Greek skhistos i.e. split  

Class
Sedimentary Rocks  
Metamorphic Rocks  

Sub-Class
Durable Rock, Medium Hardness Rock  
Durable Rock, Medium Hardness Rock  

Family
  
  

Group
-  
-  

Other Categories
Coarse Grained Rock, Fine Grained Rock, Medium Grained Rock, Opaque Rock  
Fine Grained Rock, Medium Grained Rock, Opaque Rock  

Texture

Texture
Earthy  
Foliated  

Color
Black, Brown, Green, Grey, Pink, White  
Blue, Bluish - Grey, Purple, Shades of Blue  

Maintenance
Less  
Less  

Durability
Durable  
Durable  

Water Resistant
No  
No  

Scratch Resistant
Yes  
No  

Stain Resistant
No  
No  

Wind Resistant
No  
No  

Acid Resistant
No  
No  

Appearance
Glassy or Pearly  
Dull and Banded  

Uses

Architecture
  
  

Interior Uses
Decorative Aggregates, Homes, Interior Decoration  
Floor Tiles, Flooring, Homes, Hotels, Kitchens  

Exterior Uses
Garden Decoration, Office Buildings  
Garden Decoration, Office Buildings  

Other Architectural Uses
-  
-  

Industry
  
  

Construction Industry
As a Flux in the Production of Steel and Pig Iron, As a Sintering Agent in Steel Industry to process Iron Ore, As Dimension Stone, Cement Manufacture, for Road Aggregate, Making natural cement, Manufacture of Magnesium and Dolomite Refractories, Production of Glass and Ceramics, Serves as an Oil and Gas Reservoir rock  
As Dimension Stone, Cobblestones, Rail Track Ballast, Roadstone  

Medical Industry
Taken as a Supplement for Calcium or Magnesium  
-  

Antiquity Uses
Artifacts, Jewellery, Monuments, Sculpture, Small Figurines  
Artifacts, Monuments, Sculpture  

Other Uses
  
  

Commercial Uses
An Oil and Gas Reservoir, As a Feed Additive for Livestock, Gemstone, Metallurgical Flux, Production of Lime, Soil Conditioner, Source of Magnesia (MgO)  
Cemetery Markers, Commemorative Tablets, Creating Artwork, Curling, Tombstones  

Types

Types
Boninite and Jasperoid  
Metamorphic rock  

Features
Host Rock for Lead, Traps for subsurface fluids like Oil and Natural Gas., Zinc and Copper Deposits  
Has High structural resistance against erosion and climate, Very fine grained rock  

Archaeological Significance
  
  

Monuments
-  
-  

Famous Monuments
-  
-  

Sculpture
-  
-  

Famous Sculptures
-  
-  

Pictographs
-  
-  

Petroglyphs
-  
-  

Figurines
-  
-  

Fossils
Present  
Absent  

Formation

Formation
Dolomite rocks are originally deposited as calcite or aragonite rich limestone, but during diagenesis process, the calcite or aragonite is transformed into dolomite.  
Blueschist forms due to the metamorphism of basalt and other rocks with similar composition at high pressures and low temperatures and approximately corresponding to a depth of 15 to 30 kilometers and 200 to 500 °C.  

Composition
  
  

Mineral Content
Clay Minerals, Pyrite, Quartz, Sulfides  
Albite, Chlorite, Epidote, Garnet, Glaucophane, Lawsonite, Muscovite or Illite, Quartz  

Compound Content
NaCl, CaO, Carbon Dioxide, Magnesium Carbonate, MgO  
Aluminium Oxide, CaO, Iron(III) Oxide, FeO, Potassium Oxide, MgO, MnO, Sodium Oxide, Phosphorus Pentoxide, Silicon Dioxide, Titanium Dioxide  

Transformation
  
  

Metamorphism
Yes  
No  

Types of Metamorphism
Burial Metamorphism, Cataclastic Metamorphism, Contact Metamorphism  
-  

Weathering
No  
Yes  

Types of Weathering
-  
Mechanical Weathering  

Erosion
No  
Yes  

Types of Erosion
-  
Chemical Erosion, Coastal Erosion, Water Erosion, Wind Erosion  

Properties

Physical Properties
  
  

Hardness
3.5-4  
3.5-4  

Grain Size
Medium to Fine Coarse Grained  
Fine to Medium Grained  

Fracture
Conchoidal  
Conchoidal  

Streak
White  
White to Grey  

Porosity
Less Porous  
Highly Porous  

Luster
Vitreous and Pearly  
Dull  

Compressive Strength
140.00 N/mm2  
23
220.00 N/mm2  
9

Cleavage
Perfect  
Slaty  

Toughness
1  
1.5  

Specific Gravity
2.8-3  
3-3.2  

Transparency
Transparent to Translucent  
Opaque  

Density
2.8-2.9 g/cm3  
2.8-2.9 g/cm3  

Thermal Properties
  
  

Specific Heat Capacity
0.92 kJ/Kg K  
10
0.84 kJ/Kg K  
15

Resistance
Heat Resistant, Pressure Resistant, Wear Resistant  
Impact Resistant, Pressure Resistant  

Reserves

Deposits in Eastern Continents
  
  

Asia
China, India  
Japan, Turkey  

Africa
Morocco, Namibia  
Egypt, Ethiopia, South Africa  

Europe
Austria, Italy, Romania, Spain, Switzerland  
France, Greece, Iceland  

Others
-  
-  

Deposits in Western Continents
  
  

North America
Mexico, USA  
USA  

South America
Brazil, Colombia  
-  

Deposits in Oceania Continent
  
  

Australia
New South Wales, Queensland, Yorke Peninsula  
New Zealand  

Summary >>
<< Reserves

All about Dolomite and Blueschist Properties

Know all about Dolomite and Blueschist properties here. All properties of rocks are important as they define the type of rock and its application. Dolomite belongs to Sedimentary Rocks while Blueschist belongs to Metamorphic Rocks.Texture of Dolomite is Earthy whereas that of Blueschist is Foliated. Dolomite appears Glassy or Pearly and Blueschist appears Dull and Banded. The luster of Dolomite is vitreous and pearly while that of Blueschist is dull. Dolomite is available in black, brown, green, grey, pink, white colors whereas Blueschist is available in blue, bluish - grey, purple, shades of blue colors. The commercial uses of Dolomite are an oil and gas reservoir, as a feed additive for livestock, gemstone, metallurgical flux, production of lime, soil conditioner, source of magnesia (mgo) and that of Blueschist are cemetery markers, commemorative tablets, creating artwork, curling, tombstones.

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