Definition
Dolomite is a sedimentary rock containing more than 50 percent of the mineral dolomite by weight
An iron rich extrusive rock found as a member of the alkali basalt magma series
Origin
Southern Alps, France
Isle of Mull, Scotland
Discoverer
Dolomieu
Ben More
Etymology
From French, from the name of Dolomieu (1750–1801), the French geologist who discovered the rock
From the name of discoverer, Ben More
Class
Sedimentary Rocks
Igneous Rocks
Sub-Class
Durable Rock, Medium Hardness Rock
Durable Rock, Medium Hardness Rock
Group
Not Applicable
Volcanic
Other Categories
Coarse Grained Rock, Fine Grained Rock, Medium Grained Rock, Opaque Rock
Fine Grained Rock, Opaque Rock
Texture
Earthy
Glassy, Massive, Porphyritic, Scoriaceous, Trachytic, Vesicular
Color
Black, Brown, Colourless, Green, Grey, Pink, White
Black, Brown, Light to Dark Grey
Durability
Durable
Durable
Scratch Resistant
Yes
Yes
Appearance
Glassy or Pearly
Rough and Dull
Interior Uses
Decorative Aggregates, Homes, Interior Decoration
Floor Tiles, Homes, Hotels, Kitchens
Exterior Uses
Garden Decoration, Office Buildings
As Building Stone, Paving Stone, Garden Decoration, Office Buildings
Other Architectural Uses
Not Yet Used
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
As Dimension Stone, Cobblestones, Rail Track Ballast, Roadstone
Medical Industry
Taken as a Supplement for Calcium or Magnesium
Not Yet Used
Antiquity Uses
Artifacts, Jewellery, Monuments, Sculpture, Small Figurines
Artifacts, Monuments, Sculpture
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)
Commemorative Tablets, Creating Artwork, Curling
Types
Boninite and Jasperoid
Alkaline Basalt, Boninite, High Alumina Basalt, Mid Ocean Ridge Basalt (MORB) and Tholeiitic Basalt
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
Famous Monuments
Data Not Available
Data Not Available
Famous Sculptures
Data Not Available
Data Not Available
Formation
Dolomite rocks are originally deposited as calcite or aragonite rich limestone, but during diagenesis process, the calcite or aragonite is transformed into dolomite.
Benmoreite is a type of Igneous rock which is formed through the cooling and solidification of lava or magma. It forms with or without crystallization, either below the surface as intrusive rocks or on the surface as extrusive rocks.
Mineral Content
Clay Minerals, Pyrite, Quartz, Sulfides
Alkali feldspar, Biotite, Olivine, Plagioclase, Pyroxene, Sodic plagioclase
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
Types of Metamorphism
Burial Metamorphism, Cataclastic Metamorphism, Contact Metamorphism
Burial Metamorphism, Cataclastic Metamorphism, Contact Metamorphism, Hydrothermal Metamorphism, Impact Metamorphism, Regional Metamorphism
Types of Weathering
Not Applicable
Biological Weathering, Chemical Weathering, Mechanical Weathering
Types of Erosion
Not Applicable
Chemical Erosion, Coastal Erosion, Glacier Erosion, Sea Erosion, Water Erosion, Wind Erosion
Grain Size
Medium to Fine Coarse Grained
Fine Grained
Fracture
Conchoidal
Conchoidal
Porosity
Less Porous
Less Porous
Luster
Vitreous and Pearly
Earthy
Specific Gravity
2.8-3
2.8-3
Transparency
Transparent to Translucent
Opaque
Density
2.8-2.9 g/cm3
2.9-3.1 g/cm3
Resistance
Heat Resistant, Pressure Resistant, Wear Resistant
Heat Resistant, Pressure Resistant, Wear Resistant
Deposits in Eastern Continents
Asia
China, India
India, Russia
Africa
Morocco, Namibia
South Africa
Europe
Austria, Italy, Romania, Spain, Switzerland
Iceland
Others
Not Yet Found
Not Yet Found
Deposits in Western Continents
North America
Mexico, USA
Canada, USA
South America
Brazil, Colombia
Brazil
Deposits in Oceania Continent
Australia
New South Wales, Queensland, Yorke Peninsula
Not Yet Found
Dolomite vs Benmoreite 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. Dolomite vs Benmoreite characteristics assist us to distinguish and recognize rocks. Also you can check about Properties of Dolomite and Properties of Benmoreite. Learn more about Dolomite vs Benmoreite in the next section. The interior uses of Dolomite include Decorative aggregates, Homes and Interior decoration whereas the interior uses of Benmoreite include Floor tiles, Homes, Hotels and Kitchens. Due to some exceptional properties of Dolomite and Benmoreite, they have various applications in construction industry. The uses of Dolomite in construction industry include 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 and that of Benmoreite include As dimension stone, Cobblestones, Rail track ballast, Roadstone.
More about Dolomite and Benmoreite
Here you can know more about Dolomite and Benmoreite. The life cycle of a rock consists of formation of rock, composition of rock and transformation of rock. The composition of Dolomite and Benmoreite consists of mineral content and compound content. The mineral content of Dolomite includes Clay Minerals, Pyrite, Quartz, Sulfides and mineral content of Benmoreite includes Alkali feldspar, Biotite, Olivine, Plagioclase, Pyroxene, Sodic plagioclase. You can also check out the list of all Sedimentary Rocks. When we have to compare Dolomite vs Benmoreite, the texture, color and appearance plays an important role in determining the type of rock. Dolomite is available in black, brown, colourless, green, grey, pink, white colors whereas, Benmoreite is available in black, brown, light to dark grey colors. Appearance of Dolomite is Glassy or Pearly and that of Benmoreite is Rough and Dull. Properties of rock is another aspect for Dolomite vs Benmoreite. The hardness of Dolomite is 3.5-4 and that of Benmoreite is 6. The types of Dolomite are Boninite and Jasperoid whereas types of Benmoreite are Alkaline Basalt, Boninite, High Alumina Basalt, Mid Ocean Ridge Basalt (MORB) and Tholeiitic Basalt. Streak of rock is the color of powder produced when it is dragged across an unweathered surface. The streak of Dolomite is white while that of Benmoreite is black. The specific heat capacity of Dolomite is 0.92 kJ/Kg K and that of Benmoreite is 0.84 kJ/Kg K. Depending on the properties like hardness, toughness, specific heat capacity, porosity etc., rocks are resistant to heat, wear, impact, etc.Dolomite is heat resistant, pressure resistant, wear resistant whereas Benmoreite is heat resistant, pressure resistant, wear resistant.
