Dolomite

Limestone

Dolomite and Limestone

Dolomite

Limestone

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Definition

Dolomite is a sedimentary rock containing more than 50 percent of the mineral dolomite by weight

Limestone is a sedimentary rock composed mostly of calcite and aragonite, which are different crystal forms of calcium carbonate

History

Origin

Southern Alps, France

New Zealand

Discoverer

Dolomieu

Belsazar Hacquet

Etymology

From French, from the name of Dolomieu (1750–1801), the French geologist who discovered the rock

From lime and stone in late 14th Century

Class

Sedimentary Rocks

Sub-Class

Durable Rock, Medium Hardness Rock

Family

Group

Other Categories

Coarse Grained Rock, Fine Grained Rock, Medium Grained Rock, Opaque Rock

Fine Grained Rock, Opaque Rock

Texture

Earthy

Clastic or Non-Clastic

Color

Black, Brown, Green, Grey, Pink, White

Beige, Black, Blue, Brown, Cream, Gold, Green, Grey, Light Green, Light Grey, Linen, Pink, Red, Rust, Silver, White, Yellow

Maintenance

Less

Durability

Durable

Water Resistant

✔ ✘

Scratch Resistant

✔ ✘

Stain Resistant

✔ ✘

Wind Resistant

✔ ✘

Acid Resistant

✔ ✘

Appearance

Glassy or Pearly

Rough and Banded

Uses

Architecture

Interior Uses

Decorative Aggregates, Homes, Interior Decoration

Decorative Aggregates, Interior Decoration

Exterior Uses

Garden Decoration, Office Buildings

As Building Stone, As Facing Stone, Garden Decoration, Office Buildings

Other Architectural Uses

Curbing

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

Cement Manufacture, Cobblestones, for Road Aggregate, Production of Glass and Ceramics, Raw material for the manufacture of mortar, Roadstone, Source of calcium

Medical Industry

Taken as a Supplement for Calcium or Magnesium

In Chemical and Pharmaceutical Industry, Medicines and Cosmetics

Antiquity Uses

Artifacts, Jewellery, Monuments, Sculpture, Small Figurines

Artifacts, Monuments, Sculpture, Small Figurines

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)

Animal feed filler, As a Feed Additive for Livestock, Paper Industry, Raw material for manufacture of quicklime, slaked lime, Soil Conditioner, Used in aquariums, Whiting material in toothpaste, paint and paper

Types

Boninite and Jasperoid

Chalk, Coquina, Fossiliferous Limestone, Lithographic Limestone, Oolitic Limestone, Travertine, Tufa

Features

Host Rock for Lead, Traps for subsurface fluids like Oil and Natural Gas., Zinc and Copper Deposits

Host Rock for Lead, Stalactites and stalagmites are formed from this rock, Zinc and Copper Deposits

Archaeological Significance

Monuments

Famous Monuments

Acropolis of Athens in Greece, Agia Sophia in Istanbul, Turkey, Al Aqsa Mosque in Jerusalem, Angkor Wat in Cambodia, Big Ben in London, Charminar in Hyderabad, India, Chhatrapati Shivaji Terminus in Maharashtra, India, Chichen Itza in Mexico, Empire State Building in New York, Khajuraho Temples, India, Kremlin in Moscow, Louvre in Paris, France, Neuschwanstein in Bavaria, Potala Palace in Lahasa, Tibet, Wailing Wall in Jerusalem

Sculpture

Famous Sculptures

Ajanta Caves in Maharashtra, India, Elephanta Caves in Maharashtra, India

Pictographs

Petroglyphs

Figurines

Fossils

Present

Formation

Dolomite rocks are originally deposited as calcite or aragonite rich limestone, but during diagenesis process, the calcite or aragonite is transformed into dolomite.

Limestone is a sedimentary rock which is mainly made up of calcium carbonate.

Composition

Mineral Content

Clay Minerals, Pyrite, Quartz, Sulfides

Calcite, Chert, Clay, Dolomite, Quartz, Sand, Silt

Compound Content

NaCl, CaO, Carbon Dioxide, Magnesium Carbonate, MgO

Aluminium Oxide, NaCl, CaO, Iron(III) Oxide, FeO, MgO

Transformation

Metamorphism

✔ ✘

Types of Metamorphism

Burial Metamorphism, Cataclastic Metamorphism, Contact Metamorphism

Weathering

✔ ✘

Types of Weathering

Biological Weathering, Chemical Weathering, Mechanical Weathering

Erosion

✔ ✘

Types of Erosion

Chemical Erosion, Coastal Erosion

Properties

Physical Properties

Hardness

3.5-43-4

1 7

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Grain Size

Medium to Fine Coarse Grained

Fine Grained

Fracture

Conchoidal

Splintery

Streak

White

Porosity

Less Porous

Luster

Vitreous and Pearly

Dull to Pearly

Compressive Strength

140.00 N/mm²115.00 N/mm²

0.15 450

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Cleavage

Perfect

Toughness

Specific Gravity

2.8-32.3-2.7

0 8.4

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Transparency

Transparent to Translucent

Opaque

Density

2.8-2.9 g/cm³2.3-2.7 g/cm³

0 1400

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Thermal Properties

Specific Heat Capacity

0.92 kJ/Kg K0.91 kJ/Kg K

0.14 3.2

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Resistance

Heat Resistant, Pressure Resistant, Wear Resistant

Pressure Resistant

Reserves

Deposits in Eastern Continents

Asia

China, India

Brunei, India, Indonesia, Malaysia, Singapore, Thailand, Vietnam

Africa

Morocco, Namibia

Cameroon, Chad, Ghana, Kenya, Malawi, Sudan, Tanzania, Togo, Zambia, Zimbabwe

Europe

Austria, Italy, Romania, Spain, Switzerland

United Kingdom

Others

Deposits in Western Continents

North America

Mexico, USA

USA

South America

Brazil, Colombia

Colombia

Deposits in Oceania Continent

Australia

New South Wales, Queensland, Yorke Peninsula

Adelaide, New Zealand, Queensland, Victoria, Yorke Peninsula

All about Dolomite and Limestone Properties

Know all about Dolomite and Limestone properties here. All properties of rocks are important as they define the type of rock and its application. Dolomite and Limestone belong to Sedimentary Rocks.Texture of Dolomite is Earthy whereas that of Limestone is Clastic or Non-Clastic. Dolomite appears Glassy or Pearly and Limestone appears Rough and Banded. The luster of Dolomite is vitreous and pearly while that of Limestone is dull to pearly. Dolomite is available in black, brown, green, grey, pink, white colors whereas Limestone is available in beige, black, blue, brown, cream, gold, green, grey, light green, light grey, linen, pink, red, rust, silver, white, yellow 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 Limestone are animal feed filler, as a feed additive for livestock, paper industry, raw material for manufacture of quicklime, slaked lime, soil conditioner, used in aquariums, whiting material in toothpaste, paint and paper.