Dunite

Laterite

Dunite and Laterite

Dunite

Laterite

Add ⊕

Definition

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

Laterite rock is a type of Sedimentary rock which is rich in iron and aluminium, formed in hot and wet tropical areas

History

Origin

New Zealand

India

Discoverer

Ferdinand von Hochstetter

Francis Buchanan-Hamilton

Etymology

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

From Latin later brick, tile + -ite1

Class

Igneous Rocks

Sedimentary Rocks

Sub-Class

Durable Rock, Medium Hardness Rock

Durable Rock, Soft Rock

Family

Group

Plutonic

Other Categories

Coarse Grained Rock, Opaque Rock

Fine Grained Rock, Opaque Rock

Texture

Phaneritic

Earthy, Massive, Porphyritic

Color

Dark Greenish - Grey

Brown, Buff, Red

Maintenance

Less

Durability

Durable

Water Resistant

✔ ✘

Scratch Resistant

✔ ✘

Stain Resistant

✔ ✘

Wind Resistant

✔ ✘

Acid Resistant

✔ ✘

Appearance

Rough and Shiny

Rough and Banded

Uses

Architecture

Interior Uses

Decorative Aggregates, Interior Decoration

Decorative Aggregates, Flooring, 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

Cobblestones, for Road Aggregate, Landscaping, Roadstone

Medical Industry

Antiquity Uses

Artifacts, Monuments, Sculpture, Small Figurines

Artifacts, Monuments, Sculpture

Other Uses

Commercial Uses

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

An Oil and Gas Reservoir, Source of bauxite, Used in aquariums

Types

Dunite

Laterite

Features

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

Is one of the oldest rock, Very fine grained rock

Archaeological Significance

Monuments

Famous Monuments

Sculpture

Famous Sculptures

Pictographs

Petroglyphs

Figurines

Fossils

Absent

Present

Formation

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

Laterite is a type of sedimentary rock which is generally a reddish weathering product of basalt.

Composition

Mineral Content

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

Aluminum Oxides, Biotite, Hematite, Hornblade, Iron Oxides, Manganese Oxides, Micas, Muscovite or Illite, 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

✔ ✘

Types of Metamorphism

Burial Metamorphism, Cataclastic Metamorphism, Contact Metamorphism

Weathering

✔ ✘

Types of Weathering

Biological Weathering, Chemical Weathering, Mechanical Weathering

Biological Weathering, Chemical Weathering

Erosion

✔ ✘

Types of Erosion

Coastal Erosion, Glacier Erosion, Water Erosion

Chemical Erosion, Water Erosion, Wind Erosion

Properties

Physical Properties

Hardness

3.5-42

1 7

👆🏻

Grain Size

Coarse Grained

Fine Grained

Fracture

Irregular

Conchoidal

Streak

White

Porosity

Less Porous

Highly Porous

Luster

Shiny

Dull

Compressive Strength

107.55 N/mm²5.00 N/mm²

0.15 450

👆🏻

Cleavage

Toughness

2.1

Specific Gravity

3-3.01-9999

0 8.4

👆🏻

Transparency

Translucent to Opaque

Opaque

Density

2.84-2.85 g/cm³-9999 g/cm³

0 1400

👆🏻

Thermal Properties

Specific Heat Capacity

1.25 kJ/Kg K0.92 kJ/Kg K

0.14 3.2

👆🏻

Resistance

Heat Resistant, Pressure Resistant, Wear Resistant

Heat Resistant, Pressure Resistant

Reserves

Deposits in Eastern Continents

Asia

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

India

Africa

Morocco, South Africa

East Africa, Western Africa

Europe

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

England, Romania, Scotland

Others

Deposits in Western Continents

North America

Canada, USA

South America

Argentina, Brazil, Colombia, Ecuador, Venezuela

Deposits in Oceania Continent

Australia

New Zealand, Western Australia

Central Australia, Western Australia

All about Dunite and Laterite Properties

Know all about Dunite and Laterite properties here. All properties of rocks are important as they define the type of rock and its application. Dunite belongs to Igneous Rocks while Laterite belongs to Sedimentary Rocks.Texture of Dunite is Phaneritic whereas that of Laterite is Earthy, Massive, Porphyritic. Dunite appears Rough and Shiny and Laterite appears Rough and Banded. The luster of Dunite is shiny while that of Laterite is dull. Dunite is available in dark greenish - grey colors whereas Laterite is available in brown, buff, red colors. The commercial uses of Dunite are creating artwork, gemstone, jewelry, source of chromite, platinum, nickel and garnet, source of diamonds and that of Laterite are an oil and gas reservoir, source of bauxite, used in aquariums.