Definition
Dolomite is a sedimentary rock containing more than 50 percent of the mineral dolomite by weight
A carbonate rock which is matrix supported and contains over 10% allochems in a carbonate mud matrix.
History
Origin
Southern Alps, France
-
Discoverer
Dolomieu
Unknown
Etymology
From French, from the name of Dolomieu (1750–1801), the French geologist who discovered the rock
From the English mud and stone, from low German mudde and stainaz
Class
Sedimentary Rocks
Sedimentary Rocks
Sub-Class
Durable Rock, Medium Hardness Rock
Durable Rock, Soft Rock
Family
Group
-
-
Other Categories
Coarse Grained Rock, Fine Grained Rock, Medium Grained Rock, Opaque Rock
Fine Grained Rock, Opaque Rock
Texture
Earthy
Clastic
Color
Black, Brown, Green, Grey, Pink, White
Black, Blue, Brown, Green, Grey, Orange, Red, White, Yellow
Maintenance
Less
Less
Durability
Durable
Durable
Water Resistant
✔
✘
✔
✘
Scratch Resistant
✔
✘
✔
✘
Stain Resistant
✔
✘
✔
✘
Wind Resistant
✔
✘
✔
✘
Acid Resistant
✔
✘
✔
✘
Appearance
Glassy or Pearly
Rough and Dull
Architecture
Interior Uses
Decorative Aggregates, Homes, Interior Decoration
Decorative Aggregates, Flooring, Interior Decoration
Exterior Uses
Garden Decoration, Office Buildings
As Facing Stone, Garden Decoration, Roof Tiles
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, 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
-
Antiquity Uses
Artifacts, Jewellery, Monuments, Sculpture, Small Figurines
Artifacts, Sculpture
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)
Cemetery Markers, Pottery
Types
Boninite and Jasperoid
Marl, Shale and Argillite
Features
Host Rock for Lead, Traps for subsurface fluids like Oil and Natural Gas., Zinc and Copper Deposits
Available in Lots of Colors and Patterns, Smooth to touch, Very fine grained rock
Archaeological Significance
Monuments
-
-
Famous Monuments
-
-
Sculpture
-
-
Famous Sculptures
-
-
Pictographs
-
-
Petroglyphs
-
-
Figurines
-
-
Fossils
Present
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.
Wackestone is a type of sedimentary rock formed when a river carries or transports pieces of broken rock as it flows. These particles settle down and are then compacted due to high temperature and pressure hence forming Wackestone.
Composition
Mineral Content
Clay Minerals, Pyrite, Quartz, Sulfides
Biotite, Chlorite, Feldspar, Micas, Muscovite or Illite, Plagioclase, Pyrite, Quartz
Compound Content
NaCl, CaO, Carbon Dioxide, Magnesium Carbonate, MgO
Aluminium Oxide, NaCl, CaO, Iron(III) Oxide, Silicon Dioxide
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, Sea Erosion, Wind Erosion
Physical Properties
Hardness
3.5-42-3
1
7
👆🏻
Grain Size
Medium to Fine Coarse Grained
Very fine-grained
Fracture
Conchoidal
Conchoidal
Streak
White
White
Porosity
Less Porous
Highly Porous
Luster
Vitreous and Pearly
Dull
Compressive Strength
140.00 N/mm2225.00 N/mm2
0.15
450
👆🏻
Cleavage
Perfect
Perfect
Toughness
1
2.6
Specific Gravity
2.8-32.2-2.8
0
8.4
👆🏻
Transparency
Transparent to Translucent
Opaque
Density
2.8-2.9 g/cm32.4-2.8 g/cm3
0
1400
👆🏻
Thermal Properties
Specific Heat Capacity
0.92 kJ/Kg K0.39 kJ/Kg K
0.14
3.2
👆🏻
Resistance
Heat Resistant, Pressure Resistant, Wear Resistant
Heat Resistant, Impact Resistant
Deposits in Eastern Continents
Asia
China, India
Bangladesh, China, India, Russia
Africa
Morocco, Namibia
Ethiopia, Kenya, Morocco, South Africa, Tanzania
Europe
Austria, Italy, Romania, Spain, Switzerland
Austria, France, Germany, Greece, Italy, Romania, Scotland, Spain, Switzerland
Others
-
-
Deposits in Western Continents
North America
Mexico, USA
USA
South America
Brazil, Colombia
Bolivia, Chile, Colombia, Ecuador, Peru, Venezuela
Deposits in Oceania Continent
Australia
New South Wales, Queensland, Yorke Peninsula
New South Wales, New Zealand, Queensland, Victoria, Western Australia