Dunite and Basalt
Definition
Definition
Dunite is a green to brownish coarse-grained igneous rock mainly consisting of olivine
Basalt is a common extrusive igneous rock formed by the rapid cooling of basaltic lava exposed at or very near the surface of Earth
History
Origin
New Zealand
Egypt
Discoverer
Ferdinand von Hochstetter
Georgius Agricola
Etymology
From the name of Dun Mountain, New Zealand, + -ite1
From Late Latin Basaltes (variant of basanites ), very hard stone, which was imported from Ancient Greek Basanites
Class
Igneous Rocks
Igneous Rocks
Sub-Class
Durable Rock, Medium Hardness Rock
Durable Rock, Medium Hardness Rock
Family
Group
Plutonic
Volcanic
Other Categories
Coarse Grained Rock, Opaque Rock
Fine Grained Rock, Opaque Rock
Texture
Texture
Phaneritic
Glassy, Massive, Porphyritic, Scoriaceous, Vesicular
Color
Dark Greenish - Grey
Black, Brown, Light to Dark Grey
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
Floor Tiles, Homes, Hotels, Kitchens
Exterior Uses
As Building Stone, As Facing Stone, Garden Decoration, Paving Stone
As Building Stone, Paving Stone, Garden Decoration, Office Buildings
Other Architectural Uses
Curbing
Curbing, Whetstones
Industry
Construction Industry
As Dimension Stone, Cement Manufacture, Construction Aggregate, for Road Aggregate, Making natural cement, Raw material for the manufacture of mortar
Arrowheads, As Dimension Stone, Cobblestones, Cutting Tool, Rail Track Ballast, Roadstone
Medical Industry
Not Yet Used
Not Yet Used
Antiquity Uses
Artifacts, Monuments, Sculpture, Small Figurines
Artifacts, Monuments
Other Uses
Commercial Uses
Creating Artwork, Gemstone, Jewelry, Source of Chromite, Platinum, Nickel and Garnet, Source of Diamonds
An Oil and Gas Reservoir, Commemorative Tablets, Creating Artwork, Used in aquariums
Types
Types
Not Available
Alkaline Basalt, Boninite, High Alumina Basalt, Mid Ocean Ridge Basalt (MORB), Tholeiitic Basalt, Basaltic trachyandesite, Mugearite and Shoshonite
Features
Constitutes upper part of the Earth's mantle, Generally rough to touch, Host rock for Diamond, Is one of the oldest rock
Has High structural resistance against erosion and climate, Very fine grained rock
Archaeological Significance
Monuments
Used
Used
Famous Monuments
Data Not Available
Easter Island in the Polynesian Triangle, Pacific Ocean, Gateway of India in Mumbai, India, Gol Gumbaz in Karnataka, India
Sculpture
Used
Used
Famous Sculptures
Data Not Available
Data Not Available
Pictographs
Used
Used
Petroglyphs
Used
Used
Figurines
Used
Used
Fossils
Absent
Absent
Formation
Formation
Dunite is a plutonic ultramafic igneous rock consisting almost m olivine. It can be formed in two ways.
Basalt forms when lava reaches the Earth's surface near an active volcano. The temperature of lava is between 1100 to 1250° C when it gets to the surface.
Composition
Mineral Content
Amphibole, Chromite, Garnet, Magnesium, Olivine, Phlogopite, Plagioclase, Pyroxene
Olivine, Plagioclase, Pyroxene
Compound Content
Ca, CaO, Fe, Potassium, Silicon Dioxide, Sodium, Titanium Dioxide
Aluminium Oxide, CaO, Iron(III) Oxide, FeO, Potassium Oxide, MgO, MnO, Sodium Oxide, Phosphorus Pentoxide, Silicon Dioxide, Titanium Dioxide
Transformation
Metamorphism
Yes
Yes
Types of Metamorphism
Burial Metamorphism, Cataclastic Metamorphism, Contact Metamorphism
Contact Metamorphism
Weathering
Yes
Yes
Types of Weathering
Biological Weathering, Chemical Weathering, Mechanical Weathering
Biological Weathering
Erosion
Yes
No
Types of Erosion
Coastal Erosion, Glacier Erosion, Water Erosion
Not Available
Properties
Physical Properties
Hardness
3.5-4
6
Grain Size
Coarse Grained
Fine Grained
Fracture
Irregular
Conchoidal
Streak
White
White to Grey
Porosity
Less Porous
Less Porous
Luster
Shiny
Not Available
Compressive Strength
107.55 N/mm2
19
37.40 N/mm2
28
Cleavage
Imperfect
Not Available
Toughness
2.1
2.3
Specific Gravity
3-3.01
2.8-3
Transparency
Translucent to Opaque
Opaque
Density
2.84-2.85 g/cm3
2.9-3.1 g/cm3
Thermal Properties
Specific Heat Capacity
1.25 kJ/Kg K
6
0.84 kJ/Kg K
15
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, Russia
Africa
Morocco, South Africa
South Africa
Europe
Finland, France, Georgia, Germany, Great Britain, Italy, Kazakhstan, Netherlands, Norway, Spain, Switzerland, Venezuela
Iceland
Others
Not Yet Found
Not Yet Found
Deposits in Western Continents
North America
Canada, USA
Canada, USA
South America
Argentina, Brazil, Colombia, Ecuador, Venezuela
Brazil
Deposits in Oceania Continent
Australia
New Zealand, Western Australia
Not Yet Found
All about Dunite and Basalt Properties
Know all about Dunite and Basalt properties here. All properties of rocks are important as they define the type of rock and its application. Dunite and Basalt belong to Igneous Rocks.Texture of Dunite is Phaneritic whereas that of Basalt is Glassy, Massive, Porphyritic, Scoriaceous, Vesicular. Dunite appears Rough and Shiny and Basalt appears Dull and Soft. The luster of Dunite is shiny while that of Basalt is not available. Dunite is available in dark greenish - grey colors whereas Basalt is available in black, brown, light to dark grey colors. The commercial uses of Dunite are creating artwork, gemstone, jewelry, source of chromite, platinum, nickel and garnet, source of diamonds and that of Basalt are an oil and gas reservoir, commemorative tablets, creating artwork, used in aquariums.
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