Definition
Dolomite is a sedimentary rock containing more than 50 percent of the mineral dolomite by weight
Hornfels is a metamorphic rock formed by the contact between mudstone or other clay rich rock, and a hot igneous body, and represents a heat altered equivalent of the original rock
Origin
Southern Alps, France
New Zealand
Discoverer
Dolomieu
Unknown
Etymology
From French, from the name of Dolomieu (1750–1801), the French geologist who discovered the rock
From German which means hornstone
Class
Sedimentary Rocks
Metamorphic Rocks
Sub-Class
Durable Rock, Medium Hardness Rock
Durable Rock, Soft Rock
Other Categories
Coarse Grained Rock, Fine Grained Rock, Medium Grained Rock, Opaque Rock
Fine Grained Rock, Opaque Rock
Texture
Earthy
Granular, Platy
Color
Black, Brown, Green, Grey, Pink, White
Brown, Dark Greenish - Grey, Green, Reddish Brown
Durability
Durable
Durable
Appearance
Glassy or Pearly
Dull
Interior Uses
Decorative Aggregates, Homes, Interior Decoration
Decorative Aggregates, Flooring, Homes, Interior Decoration
Exterior Uses
Garden Decoration, Office Buildings
As Building Stone, As Facing Stone, Garden Decoration, Office Buildings, Paving Stone
Other Architectural Uses
-
Curbing
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
for Road Aggregate, Roadstone
Medical Industry
Taken as a Supplement for Calcium or Magnesium
-
Antiquity Uses
Artifacts, Jewellery, Monuments, Sculpture, Small Figurines
Artifacts, Monuments
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
Types
Boninite and Jasperoid
Biotite hornfels
Features
Host Rock for Lead, Traps for subsurface fluids like Oil and Natural Gas., Zinc and Copper Deposits
Smooth to touch
Archaeological Significance
Formation
Dolomite rocks are originally deposited as calcite or aragonite rich limestone, but during diagenesis process, the calcite or aragonite is transformed into dolomite.
Due to change in environmental conditions, rocks are heated and pressurized deep inside the Earth's surface. Hornfels is formed from the extreme heat caused by magma or by the intense collisions and friction of tectonic plates.
Mineral Content
Clay Minerals, Pyrite, Quartz, Sulfides
Andalusite
Compound Content
NaCl, CaO, Carbon Dioxide, Magnesium Carbonate, MgO
Fe, Mg
Types of Metamorphism
Burial Metamorphism, Cataclastic Metamorphism, Contact Metamorphism
-
Types of Weathering
-
Biological Weathering
Types of Erosion
-
Chemical Erosion, Glacier Erosion, Sea Erosion, Water Erosion, Wind Erosion
Grain Size
Medium to Fine Coarse Grained
Fine Grained
Fracture
Conchoidal
Conchoidal
Porosity
Less Porous
Highly Porous
Luster
Vitreous and Pearly
Shiny
Specific Gravity
2.8-3
3.4-3.9
Transparency
Transparent to Translucent
Opaque
Density
2.8-2.9 g/cm3
0.25-0.30 g/cm3
Resistance
Heat Resistant, Pressure Resistant, Wear Resistant
Heat Resistant, Impact Resistant, Pressure Resistant
Deposits in Eastern Continents
Asia
China, India
Bangladesh, Bhutan, China, India, North Korea, Qatar, Russia, Saudi Arabia, South Korea, Thailand
Africa
Morocco, Namibia
Cameroon, East Africa, Tanzania, Western Africa
Europe
Austria, Italy, Romania, Spain, Switzerland
United Kingdom
Deposits in Western Continents
North America
Mexico, USA
Canada, USA
South America
Brazil, Colombia
Bolivia, Brazil, Colombia, Ecuador
Deposits in Oceania Continent
Australia
New South Wales, Queensland, Yorke Peninsula
New South Wales, New Zealand, Queensland, Western Australia
All about Dolomite and Hornfels Properties
Know all about Dolomite and Hornfels properties here. All properties of rocks are important as they define the type of rock and its application. Dolomite belongs to Sedimentary Rocks while Hornfels belongs to Metamorphic Rocks.Texture of Dolomite is Earthy whereas that of Hornfels is Granular, Platy. Dolomite appears Glassy or Pearly and Hornfels appears Dull. The luster of Dolomite is vitreous and pearly while that of Hornfels is shiny. Dolomite is available in black, brown, green, grey, pink, white colors whereas Hornfels is available in brown, dark greenish - grey, green, reddish brown 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 Hornfels are cemetery markers, commemorative tablets, creating artwork.