Dunite

Anorthosite

Dunite and Anorthosite

Dunite

Anorthosite

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Definition

Dunite is a green to brownish coarse-grained igneous rock mainly consisting of olivine

Anorthosite is a granular igneous rock composed largely of labradorite or plagioclase

History

Origin

New Zealand

Discoverer

Ferdinand von Hochstetter

Unknown

Etymology

From the name of Dun Mountain, New Zealand, + -ite1

From French anorthose plagioclase + -ite1

Class

Igneous Rocks

Sub-Class

Durable Rock, Medium Hardness Rock

Family

Group

Plutonic

Other Categories

Coarse Grained Rock, Opaque Rock

Texture

Phaneritic

Foliated, Glassy

Color

Dark Greenish - Grey

Black, Bluish - Grey, Brown, Green, Grey, Light Greenish Grey, Pink, White

Maintenance

Less

Durability

Durable

Water Resistant

✔ ✘

Scratch Resistant

✔ ✘

Stain Resistant

✔ ✘

Wind Resistant

✔ ✘

Acid Resistant

✔ ✘

Appearance

Rough and Shiny

Layered, Banded, Veined and Shiny

Uses

Architecture

Interior Uses

Decorative Aggregates, Interior Decoration

Decorative Aggregates, Floor Tiles, Homes, Interior Decoration

Exterior Uses

As Building Stone, As Facing Stone, Garden Decoration, Paving Stone

As Building Stone, As Facing Stone, Garden Decoration

Other Architectural Uses

Curbing

Industry

Construction Industry

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

As Dimension Stone, Cement Manufacture, for Road Aggregate

Medical Industry

Antiquity Uses

Artifacts, Monuments, Sculpture, Small Figurines

Artifacts, Sculpture, Small Figurines

Other Uses

Commercial Uses

Creating Artwork, Gemstone, Jewelry, Source of Chromite, Platinum, Nickel and Garnet, Source of Diamonds

Creating Artwork, Curling

Types

Dunite

Proterozoic Anorthosite and Archean Anorthosite

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, Is one of the oldest rock

Archaeological Significance

Monuments

Famous Monuments

Sculpture

Famous Sculptures

Pictographs

Petroglyphs

Figurines

Fossils

Absent

Formation

Dunite is a plutonic ultramafic igneous rock consisting almost m olivine. It can be formed in two ways.

Anorthosite is a phaneritic, intrusive igneous rock which is characterized by a predominance of plagioclase feldspar which is almost 90–100%, and a minimal mafic component.

Composition

Mineral Content

Amphibole, Chromite, Garnet, Magnesium, Olivine, Phlogopite, Plagioclase, Pyroxene

Amphibole, Clinopyroxene, Ilmenite, Magnetite, Olivine, Orthopyroxene

Compound Content

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

Ca, CaO, Chromium(III) Oxide, MgO, Sulfur Trioxide

Transformation

Metamorphism

✔ ✘

Types of Metamorphism

Burial Metamorphism, Cataclastic Metamorphism, Contact Metamorphism

Cataclastic Metamorphism, Contact Metamorphism

Weathering

✔ ✘

Types of Weathering

Biological Weathering, Chemical Weathering, Mechanical Weathering

Biological Weathering

Erosion

✔ ✘

Types of Erosion

Coastal Erosion, Glacier Erosion, Water Erosion

Chemical Erosion, Wind Erosion

Properties

Physical Properties

Hardness

3.5-45-6

1 7

👆🏻

Grain Size

Coarse Grained

Fracture

Irregular

Streak

White

Porosity

Less Porous

Luster

Shiny

Pearly to Subvitreous

Compressive Strength

107.55 N/mm²180.00 N/mm²

0.15 450

👆🏻

Cleavage

Toughness

2.1

Specific Gravity

3-3.012.62-2.82

0 8.4

👆🏻

Transparency

Translucent to Opaque

Translucent

Density

2.84-2.85 g/cm³2.7-4 g/cm³

0 1400

👆🏻

Thermal Properties

Specific Heat Capacity

1.25 kJ/Kg K0.84 kJ/Kg K

0.14 3.2

👆🏻

Resistance

Heat Resistant, Pressure Resistant, Wear Resistant

Heat Resistant, Impact Resistant, Pressure Resistant, Scratch Resistant, Wear Resistant

Reserves

Deposits in Eastern Continents

Asia

China, India, Indonesia, Kazakhstan, Russia, South Korea, Thailand, Turkey

Africa

Morocco, South Africa

Europe

Finland, France, Georgia, Germany, Great Britain, Italy, Kazakhstan, Netherlands, Norway, Spain, Switzerland

Bulgaria, France, Germany, Greece, Hungary, Italy, Latvia, Lithuania, Malta, Poland, Portugal, Romania, Slovenia, Spain, Sweden, The Czech Republic

Others

Deposits in Western Continents

North America

Canada, USA

Canada

South America

Argentina, Brazil, Colombia, Ecuador, Venezuela

Bolivia, Colombia

Deposits in Oceania Continent

Australia

New Zealand, Western Australia

Central Australia, South Australia, Western Australia

All about Dunite and Anorthosite Properties

Know all about Dunite and Anorthosite properties here. All properties of rocks are important as they define the type of rock and its application. Dunite and Anorthosite belong to Igneous Rocks.Texture of Dunite is Phaneritic whereas that of Anorthosite is Foliated, Glassy. Dunite appears Rough and Shiny and Anorthosite appears Layered, Banded, Veined and Shiny. The luster of Dunite is shiny while that of Anorthosite is pearly to subvitreous. Dunite is available in dark greenish - grey colors whereas Anorthosite is available in black, bluish - grey, brown, green, grey, light greenish grey, pink, white colors. The commercial uses of Dunite are creating artwork, gemstone, jewelry, source of chromite, platinum, nickel and garnet, source of diamonds and that of Anorthosite are creating artwork, curling.