Definition
Dolomite is a sedimentary rock containing more than 50 percent of the mineral dolomite by weight
Icelandite belongs to volcanic igneous rocks which is rich in iron and belongs to andesite rock
Origin
Southern Alps, France
Iceland
Discoverer
Dolomieu
Ian S. E. Carmichael
Etymology
From French, from the name of Dolomieu (1750–1801), the French geologist who discovered the rock
From its origin place near Cenozoic volcano near the parsonage Þingmúli in East Iceland
Class
Sedimentary Rocks
Igneous Rocks
Sub-Class
Durable Rock, Medium Hardness Rock
Durable Rock, Hard 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
Aphanitic to Porphyritic
Color
Black, Brown, Colourless, Green, Grey, Pink, White
Bluish - Grey, Grey, Pink, Yellow
Durability
Durable
Durable
Scratch Resistant
Yes
Yes
Appearance
Glassy or Pearly
Dull and Soft
Interior Uses
Decorative Aggregates, Homes, Interior Decoration
Decorative Aggregates, Floor Tiles, Homes, Interior Decoration, Kitchens
Exterior Uses
Garden Decoration, Office Buildings
Office Buildings, Roof Tiles
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
Cobblestones, Construction Aggregate, for Road Aggregate
Medical Industry
Taken as a Supplement for Calcium or Magnesium
Not Yet Used
Antiquity Uses
Artifacts, Jewellery, Monuments, Sculpture, Small Figurines
Artifacts, Jewellery, 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, Creating Artwork
Types
Boninite and Jasperoid
Not Available
Features
Host Rock for Lead, Traps for subsurface fluids like Oil and Natural Gas., Zinc and Copper Deposits
Generally rough to touch, High silica content, Is one of the oldest rock
Archaeological Significance
Monuments
Used
Not Yet Used
Famous Monuments
Data Not Available
Not Applicable
Famous Sculptures
Data Not Available
Data Not Available
Pictographs
Used
Not Used
Petroglyphs
Used
Not Used
Formation
Dolomite rocks are originally deposited as calcite or aragonite rich limestone, but during diagenesis process, the calcite or aragonite is transformed into dolomite.
Icelandite is a fine-grained, hard rock which is a type of metasomatite, essentially altered basalt. 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
Amphibole, Apatite, Biotite, Feldspar, Garnet, Hornblade, Ilmenite, Magnetite, Plagioclase, Pyroxene, Quartz, Zircon
Compound Content
NaCl, CaO, Carbon Dioxide, Magnesium Carbonate, MgO
Silicon 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
Types of Erosion
Not Applicable
Chemical Erosion, Coastal Erosion, Sea Erosion, Water Erosion, Wind Erosion
Grain Size
Medium to Fine Coarse Grained
Very fine-grained
Fracture
Conchoidal
Uneven
Porosity
Less Porous
Less Porous
Luster
Vitreous and Pearly
Vitreous
Compressive Strength
Not Available
Cleavage
Perfect
Not Available
Specific Gravity
2.8-3
2.5-2.8
Transparency
Transparent to Translucent
Opaque
Density
2.8-2.9 g/cm3
2.11-2.36 g/cm3
Resistance
Heat Resistant, Pressure Resistant, Wear Resistant
Heat Resistant, Pressure Resistant, Scratch Resistant, Wear Resistant
Deposits in Eastern Continents
Asia
China, India
India, Indonesia, Japan, Nepal, South Korea
Africa
Morocco, Namibia
Egypt, Ethiopia, Morocco, Namibia, South Africa, Tanzania
Europe
Austria, Italy, Romania, Spain, Switzerland
Austria, Finland, Germany, Italy, Romania, Turkey, United Kingdom
Others
Not Yet Found
Not Yet Found
Deposits in Western Continents
North America
Mexico, USA
Mexico, USA
South America
Brazil, Colombia
Argentina, Bolivia, Chile, Colombia, Ecuador, Peru, Venezuela
Deposits in Oceania Continent
Australia
New South Wales, Queensland, Yorke Peninsula
New South Wales, New Zealand, Western Australia
Dolomite vs Icelandite 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 Icelandite characteristics assist us to distinguish and recognize rocks. Also you can check about Properties of Dolomite and Properties of Icelandite. Learn more about Dolomite vs Icelandite in the next section. The interior uses of Dolomite include Decorative aggregates, Homes and Interior decoration whereas the interior uses of Icelandite include Decorative aggregates, Floor tiles, Homes, Interior decoration and Kitchens. Due to some exceptional properties of Dolomite and Icelandite, 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 Icelandite include Cobblestones, Construction aggregate, For road aggregate.
More about Dolomite and Icelandite
Here you can know more about Dolomite and Icelandite. The life cycle of a rock consists of formation of rock, composition of rock and transformation of rock. The composition of Dolomite and Icelandite consists of mineral content and compound content. The mineral content of Dolomite includes Clay Minerals, Pyrite, Quartz, Sulfides and mineral content of Icelandite includes Amphibole, Apatite, Biotite, Feldspar, Garnet, Hornblade, Ilmenite, Magnetite, Plagioclase, Pyroxene, Quartz, Zircon. You can also check out the list of all Sedimentary Rocks. When we have to compare Dolomite vs Icelandite, 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, Icelandite is available in bluish - grey, grey, pink, yellow colors. Appearance of Dolomite is Glassy or Pearly and that of Icelandite is Dull and Soft. Properties of rock is another aspect for Dolomite vs Icelandite. The hardness of Dolomite is 3.5-4 and that of Icelandite is 7. The types of Dolomite are Boninite and Jasperoid whereas types of Icelandite are Not Available. Streak of rock is the color of powder produced when it is dragged across an unweathered surface. The streak of Dolomite and Icelandite is white. The specific heat capacity of Dolomite is 0.92 kJ/Kg K and that of Icelandite is 2.39 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 Icelandite is heat resistant, pressure resistant, scratch resistant, wear resistant.