Home
Compare Rocks


Dunite and Andesite


Andesite and Dunite


Definition

Definition
Dunite is a green to brownish coarse-grained igneous rock mainly consisting of olivine  
Andesite is a dark, fine-grained, brown or greyish intermediate volcanic rock which is a commonly found in lava  

History
  
  

Origin
New Zealand  
North America  

Discoverer
Ferdinand von Hochstetter  
Theodor von Gümbel  

Etymology
From the name of Dun Mountain, New Zealand, + -ite1  
From Andes mountains, where it is found in abundance  

Class
Igneous Rocks  
Igneous Rocks  

Sub-Class
Durable Rock, Medium Hardness Rock  
Durable Rock, Hard Rock  

Family
  
  

Group
Plutonic  
Volcanic  

Other Categories
Coarse Grained Rock, Opaque Rock  
Fine Grained Rock, Opaque Rock  

Texture

Texture
Phaneritic  
Aphanitic to Porphyritic  

Color
Dark Greenish - Grey  
Bluish - Grey, Grey, Pink, Yellow  

Maintenance
Less  
More  

Durability
Durable  
Durable  

Water Resistant
Yes  
No  

Scratch Resistant
Yes  
Yes  

Stain Resistant
Yes  
Yes  

Wind Resistant
No  
No  

Acid Resistant
No  
Yes  

Appearance
Rough and Shiny  
Dull and Soft  

Uses

Architecture
  
  

Interior Uses
Decorative Aggregates, Interior Decoration  
Decorative Aggregates, Floor Tiles, Homes, Interior Decoration, Kitchens  

Exterior Uses
As Building Stone, As Facing Stone, Garden Decoration, Paving Stone  
Office Buildings, Roof Tiles  

Other Architectural Uses
Curbing  
Curbing  

Industry
  
  

Construction Industry
As Dimension Stone, Cement Manufacture, Construction Aggregate, for Road Aggregate, Making natural cement, Raw material for the manufacture of mortar  
Cobblestones, Construction Aggregate, for Road Aggregate  

Medical Industry
-  
-  

Antiquity Uses
Artifacts, Monuments, Sculpture, Small Figurines  
Artifacts, Monuments, Sculpture, Small Figurines  

Other Uses
  
  

Commercial Uses
Creating Artwork, Gemstone, Jewelry, Source of Chromite, Platinum, Nickel and Garnet, Source of Diamonds  
Commemorative Tablets, Creating Artwork  

Types

Types
Dunite  
Icelandite  

Features
Constitutes upper part of the Earth's mantle, Generally rough to touch, Host rock for Diamond, Is one of the oldest rock  
Generally rough to touch, High silica content, Is one of the oldest rock  

Archaeological Significance
  
  

Monuments
-  
-  

Famous Monuments
-  
Middle of the Earth in Ecuador  

Sculpture
-  
-  

Famous Sculptures
-  
-  

Pictographs
-  
-  

Petroglyphs
-  
-  

Figurines
-  
-  

Fossils
Absent  
Absent  

Formation

Formation
Dunite is a plutonic ultramafic igneous rock consisting almost m olivine. It can be formed in two ways.   
Andesite is a fine-grained igneous rock that forms when the magma is erupted onto the surface and is crystallized quickly.   

Composition
  
  

Mineral Content
Amphibole, Chromite, Garnet, Magnesium, Olivine, Phlogopite, Plagioclase, Pyroxene  
Amphibole, Apatite, Biotite, Feldspar, Garnet, Hornblade, Ilmenite, Magnetite, Plagioclase, Pyroxene, Zircon  

Compound Content
Ca, CaO, Fe, Potassium, Silicon Dioxide, Sodium, Titanium Dioxide  
Silicon Dioxide  

Transformation
  
  

Metamorphism
Yes  
Yes  

Types of Metamorphism
Burial Metamorphism, Cataclastic Metamorphism, Contact Metamorphism  
Burial Metamorphism, Cataclastic Metamorphism, Contact Metamorphism, Hydrothermal Metamorphism, Impact Metamorphism, Regional Metamorphism  

Weathering
Yes  
Yes  

Types of Weathering
Biological Weathering, Chemical Weathering, Mechanical Weathering  
Biological Weathering, Chemical Weathering, Mechanical Weathering  

Erosion
Yes  
Yes  

Types of Erosion
Coastal Erosion, Glacier Erosion, Water Erosion  
Chemical Erosion, Coastal Erosion, Glacier Erosion  

Properties

Physical Properties
  
  

Hardness
3.5-4  
7  

Grain Size
Coarse Grained  
Very fine-grained  

Fracture
Irregular  
Uneven  

Streak
White  
White  

Porosity
Less Porous  
Less Porous  

Luster
Shiny  
Vitreous  

Compressive Strength
107.55 N/mm2  
28
225.00 N/mm2  
8

Cleavage
-  
-  

Toughness
2.1  
1.1  

Specific Gravity
3-3.01  
2.5-2.8  

Transparency
Translucent to Opaque  
Opaque  

Density
2.84-2.85 g/cm3  
2.11-2.36 g/cm3  

Thermal Properties
  
  

Specific Heat Capacity
1.25 kJ/Kg K  
6
2.39 kJ/Kg K  
2

Resistance
Heat Resistant, Pressure Resistant, Wear Resistant  
Heat Resistant, Pressure Resistant, Wear Resistant  

Reserves

Deposits in Eastern Continents
  
  

Asia
China, India, Indonesia, Kazakhstan, Russia, South Korea, Thailand, Turkey  
India, Indonesia, Japan, Nepal, South Korea  

Africa
Morocco, South Africa  
Egypt, Ethiopia, Morocco, Namibia, South Africa, Tanzania  

Europe
Finland, France, Georgia, Germany, Great Britain, Italy, Kazakhstan, Netherlands, Norway, Spain, Switzerland  
Austria, Finland, Germany, Italy, Romania, Turkey, United Kingdom  

Others
-  
-  

Deposits in Western Continents
  
  

North America
Canada, USA  
Mexico, USA  

South America
Argentina, Brazil, Colombia, Ecuador, Venezuela  
Argentina, Bolivia, Chile, Colombia, Ecuador, Peru, Venezuela  

Deposits in Oceania Continent
  
  

Australia
New Zealand, Western Australia  
New South Wales, New Zealand, Western Australia  

Summary >>
<< Reserves

All about Dunite and Andesite Properties

Know all about Dunite and Andesite properties here. All properties of rocks are important as they define the type of rock and its application. Dunite and Andesite belong to Igneous Rocks.Texture of Dunite is Phaneritic whereas that of Andesite is Aphanitic to Porphyritic. Dunite appears Rough and Shiny and Andesite appears Dull and Soft. The luster of Dunite is shiny while that of Andesite is vitreous. Dunite is available in dark greenish - grey colors whereas Andesite is available in bluish - grey, grey, pink, yellow colors. The commercial uses of Dunite are creating artwork, gemstone, jewelry, source of chromite, platinum, nickel and garnet, source of diamonds and that of Andesite are commemorative tablets, creating artwork.

Compare Igneous Rocks

Igneous Rocks

Igneous Rocks

» More Igneous Rocks

Compare Igneous Rocks

» More Compare Igneous Rocks