Definition
Dolomite is a sedimentary rock containing more than 50 percent of the mineral dolomite by weight
Ignimbrite is a volcanic rock consisting mainly of pumice fragments, formed by the consolidation of material deposited by pyroclastic flows
Origin
Southern Alps, France
New Zealand
Discoverer
Dolomieu
Patrick Marshall
Etymology
From French, from the name of Dolomieu (1750–1801), the French geologist who discovered the rock
From Latin ignis fire + imber, imbr- shower of rain, storm cloud + -ite
Class
Sedimentary Rocks
Igneous Rocks
Sub-Class
Durable Rock, Medium Hardness Rock
Durable Rock, Medium Hardness Rock
Other Categories
Coarse Grained Rock, Fine Grained Rock, Medium Grained Rock, Opaque Rock
Fine Grained Rock, Opaque Rock
Color
Black, Brown, Green, Grey, Pink, White
Beige, Black, Brown, Grey, Pink, White
Durability
Durable
Durable
Scratch Resistant
Yes
Yes
Appearance
Glassy or Pearly
Dull, Vesicular and Foilated
Interior Uses
Decorative Aggregates, Homes, Interior Decoration
Decorative Aggregates, Floor Tiles, Homes, Interior Decoration
Exterior Uses
Garden Decoration, Office Buildings
As Building 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
Building houses or walls, Construction Aggregate
Medical Industry
Taken as a Supplement for Calcium or Magnesium
-
Antiquity Uses
Artifacts, Jewellery, Monuments, Sculpture, Small Figurines
Artifacts, Monuments, Sculpture, Small Figurines
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
Pyroclastic rock
Features
Host Rock for Lead, Traps for subsurface fluids like Oil and Natural Gas., Zinc and Copper Deposits
Always found as volcanic pipes over deep continental crust
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.
Ignimbrites are formed from very poorly sorted mixture of volcanic ash or tuff and pumice lapilli, commonly with scattered lithic fragments.
Mineral Content
Clay Minerals, Pyrite, Quartz, Sulfides
Apatite, Biotite, Calcite, Chlorite, Feldspar, Hematite, Hornblade, Ilmenite, Magnetite, Olivine, Pyroxene, Quartz
Compound Content
NaCl, CaO, Carbon Dioxide, Magnesium Carbonate, MgO
Ca, NaCl
Types of Metamorphism
Burial Metamorphism, Cataclastic Metamorphism, Contact Metamorphism
Burial Metamorphism, Contact Metamorphism, Hydrothermal Metamorphism, Impact Metamorphism, Regional Metamorphism
Types of Weathering
-
Biological Weathering, Chemical Weathering
Types of Erosion
-
Chemical Erosion, Coastal Erosion
Grain Size
Medium to Fine Coarse Grained
Fine Grained
Fracture
Conchoidal
Uneven
Porosity
Less Porous
Highly Porous
Luster
Vitreous and Pearly
Vitreous to Dull
Specific Gravity
2.8-3
2.73
Transparency
Transparent to Translucent
Opaque
Density
2.8-2.9 g/cm3
1-1.8 g/cm3
Resistance
Heat Resistant, Pressure Resistant, Wear Resistant
Heat Resistant, Impact Resistant, Pressure Resistant, Wear Resistant
Deposits in Eastern Continents
Asia
China, India
Afghanistan, Armenia, Azerbaijan, Burma, Cambodia, China, India, Indonesia, Iran, Japan, Malaysia, Mongolia, Nepal, North Korea, Pakistan, Saudi Arabia, Syria, Taiwan, Thailand, Turkey, Vietnam, Yemen
Africa
Morocco, Namibia
Cameroon, Cape Verde, Chad, Djibouti, Eritrea, Ethiopia, Kenya, Libya, Madagascar, Nigeria, Rwanda, South Africa, Sudan, Tanzania, Uganda
Europe
Austria, Italy, Romania, Spain, Switzerland
France, Georgia, Germany, Greece, Iceland, Italy, Netherlands, Poland, Portugal, Spain, United Kingdom
Others
-
Antarctica, Hawaii Islands
Deposits in Western Continents
North America
Mexico, USA
Canada, Costa Rica, Panama, USA
South America
Brazil, Colombia
Argentina, Bolivia, Brazil, Chile, Colombia, Ecuador
Deposits in Oceania Continent
Australia
New South Wales, Queensland, Yorke Peninsula
Central Australia, Western Australia