Definition
Dolomite is a sedimentary rock containing more than 50 percent of the mineral dolomite by weight
Marl is an unconsolidated sedimentary rock consisting of clay and lime
Origin
Southern Alps, France
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Discoverer
Dolomieu
William Smith
Etymology
From French, from the name of Dolomieu (1750–1801), the French geologist who discovered the rock
From Old French marle, from Late Latin marglia
Class
Sedimentary Rocks
Sedimentary 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
Color
Black, Brown, Green, Grey, Pink, White
Beige, Brown, Green, Grey, White
Durability
Durable
Durable
Appearance
Glassy or Pearly
Rough and Dull
Interior Uses
Decorative Aggregates, Homes, Interior Decoration
Decorative Aggregates, Floor Tiles
Exterior Uses
Garden Decoration, Office Buildings
As Building Stone, Roof Tiles
Other Architectural Uses
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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
Cement Manufacture, Construction Aggregate, for Road Aggregate, Making natural cement, Raw material for the manufacture of mortar
Medical Industry
Taken as a Supplement for Calcium or Magnesium
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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)
Creating Artwork, Soil Conditioner
Types
Boninite and Jasperoid
Clay Marl ,Blue Marl, Red Marl, High Bank Marl, Shell Layer Marl, Under Shell Layer Marl, Sand Marl, Green Marl, Grey Marl and Clayey Marl
Features
Host Rock for Lead, Traps for subsurface fluids like Oil and Natural Gas., Zinc and Copper Deposits
Generally rough to touch, Is one of the oldest rock, Splintery, Very fine grained rock
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.
Marl forms when very fine-grained clay particles are deposited in water which settles at the bottom of water bodies and are compacted by overlying sediment; the water squeezes out and hence forming Marl rock.
Mineral Content
Clay Minerals, Pyrite, Quartz, Sulfides
Calcite, Clay, Dolomite, Gypsum, Micas, Pyrite, Quartz
Compound Content
NaCl, CaO, Carbon Dioxide, Magnesium Carbonate, MgO
Aluminium Oxide, NaCl, CaO, Iron(III) Oxide, Silicon Dioxide
Types of Metamorphism
Burial Metamorphism, Cataclastic Metamorphism, Contact Metamorphism
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Types of Weathering
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Biological Weathering, Chemical Weathering
Types of Erosion
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Chemical Erosion, Coastal Erosion, Water Erosion, Wind Erosion
Grain Size
Medium to Fine Coarse Grained
Very fine-grained
Fracture
Conchoidal
Conchoidal
Porosity
Less Porous
Highly Porous
Luster
Vitreous and Pearly
Dull
Specific Gravity
2.8-3
2.2-2.8
Transparency
Transparent to Translucent
Opaque
Density
2.8-2.9 g/cm3
2.4-2.8 g/cm3
Resistance
Heat Resistant, Pressure Resistant, Wear Resistant
Heat Resistant, Impact Resistant
Deposits in Eastern Continents
Asia
China, India
India, Pakistan, Russia
Africa
Morocco, Namibia
Ethiopia, Kenya, Morocco, South Africa
Europe
Austria, Italy, Romania, Spain, Switzerland
Austria, France, Germany, Greece, Italy, Romania, Scotland, Spain, Switzerland
Deposits in Western Continents
North America
Mexico, USA
USA
South America
Brazil, Colombia
Colombia, Ecuador, Peru
Deposits in Oceania Continent
Australia
New South Wales, Queensland, Yorke Peninsula
New South Wales, Victoria, Western Australia
Dolomite vs Marl 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 Marl characteristics assist us to distinguish and recognize rocks. Also you can check about Properties of Dolomite and Properties of Marl. Learn more about Dolomite vs Marl in the next section. The interior uses of Dolomite include Decorative aggregates, Homes and Interior decoration whereas the interior uses of Marl include Decorative aggregates and Floor tiles. Due to some exceptional properties of Dolomite and Marl, 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 Marl include Cement manufacture, Construction aggregate, For road aggregate, Making natural cement, Raw material for the manufacture of mortar.
More about Dolomite and Marl
Here you can know more about Dolomite and Marl. The life cycle of a rock consists of formation of rock, composition of rock and transformation of rock. The composition of Dolomite and Marl consists of mineral content and compound content. The mineral content of Dolomite includes Clay Minerals, Pyrite, Quartz, Sulfides and mineral content of Marl includes Calcite, Clay, Dolomite, Gypsum, Micas, Pyrite, Quartz. You can also check out the list of all Sedimentary Rocks. When we have to compare Dolomite vs Marl, the texture, color and appearance plays an important role in determining the type of rock. Dolomite is available in black, brown, green, grey, pink, white colors whereas, Marl is available in beige, brown, green, grey, white colors. Appearance of Dolomite is Glassy or Pearly and that of Marl is Rough and Dull. Properties of rock is another aspect for Dolomite vs Marl. The hardness of Dolomite is 3.5-4 and that of Marl is 2-3. The types of Dolomite are Boninite and Jasperoid whereas types of Marl are Clay Marl ,Blue Marl, Red Marl, High Bank Marl, Shell Layer Marl, Under Shell Layer Marl, Sand Marl, Green Marl, Grey Marl and Clayey Marl. Streak of rock is the color of powder produced when it is dragged across an unweathered surface. The streak of Dolomite and Marl is white. The specific heat capacity of Dolomite is 0.92 kJ/Kg K and that of Marl is 0.80 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 Marl is heat resistant, impact resistant.