Dunite and Tonalite

Dunite

Tonalite

Definition

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

Tonalite is a coarse-grained plutonic rock consisting mainly of sodic plagioclase, quartz, and hornblende or other mafic minerals with phaneritic texture

History

Origin

New Zealand

Tonale, Italy

Discoverer

Ferdinand von Hochstetter

Unknown

Etymology

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

From Tonale Pass, northern Italy, + -ite1

Class

Igneous Rocks

Sub-Class

Durable Rock, Medium Hardness Rock

Durable Rock, Hard Rock

Family

Group

Plutonic

Other Categories

Coarse Grained Rock, Opaque Rock

Coarse Grained Rock, Fine Grained Rock, Medium Grained Rock, Opaque Rock

Texture

Phaneritic

Color

Dark Greenish - Grey

Black, Brown, Light to Dark Grey, White

Maintenance

Less

Durability

Durable

Water Resistant

Yes

Scratch Resistant

Yes

Stain Resistant

Yes

Wind Resistant

Acid Resistant

Yes

Appearance

Rough and Shiny

Banded and Foilated

Uses

Architecture

Interior Uses

Decorative Aggregates, Interior Decoration

Decorative Aggregates, Entryways, Flooring, Homes, Interior Decoration

Exterior Uses

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

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

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, Cobblestones, Construction Aggregate, for Road Aggregate

Medical Industry

Not Yet Used

Antiquity Uses

Artifacts, Monuments, Sculpture, Small Figurines

Artifacts, Sculpture

Other Uses

Commercial Uses

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

Cemetery Markers, Creating Artwork

Types

Not Available

Dacite

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, Typically speckled black and white.

Archaeological Significance

Monuments

Used

Not Yet Used

Famous Monuments

Data Not Available

Not Applicable

Sculpture

Used

Famous Sculptures

Data Not Available

Pictographs

Used

Not Used

Petroglyphs

Used

Not Used

Figurines

Used

Fossils

Absent

Formation

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

When alkali feldspar is extracted from granite, it changes to granitoid and later, it becomes tonalite with quartz as major mineral.

Composition

Mineral Content

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

Albite, Amphibole, Apatite, Biotite, Feldspar, Hornblade, Ilmenite, Magnetite, Manganese Oxides, Olivine, Plagioclase, Pyroxene, Quartz, Sulfides, Titanite, Zircon

Compound Content

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

NaCl, CaO, MgO, Silicon Dioxide

Transformation

Metamorphism

Yes

Types of Metamorphism

Burial Metamorphism, Cataclastic Metamorphism, Contact Metamorphism

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

Weathering

Yes

Types of Weathering

Biological Weathering, Chemical Weathering, Mechanical Weathering

Erosion

Yes

Types of Erosion

Coastal Erosion, Glacier Erosion, Water Erosion

Wind Erosion

Properties

Physical Properties

Hardness

3.5-4

6-7

Grain Size

Coarse Grained

Medium to Fine Coarse Grained

Fracture

Irregular

Conchoidal

Streak

White

Bluish Black

Porosity

Less Porous

Very Less Porous

Luster

Shiny

Subvitreous to Dull

Compressive Strength

107.55 N/mm²

Not Available

Cleavage

Imperfect

Not Available

Toughness

2.1

Specific Gravity

3-3.01

2.86-3

Transparency

Translucent to Opaque

Opaque

Density

2.84-2.85 g/cm³

2.73 g/cm³

Thermal Properties

Specific Heat Capacity

1.25 kJ/Kg K

0.92 kJ/Kg K

Resistance

Heat Resistant, Pressure Resistant, Wear Resistant

Heat Resistant, Pressure Resistant, Water Resistant

Reserves

Deposits in Eastern Continents

Asia

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

Not Yet Found

Africa

Morocco, South Africa

Egypt

Europe

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

Finland, Germany, Italy, Romania, Sweden, Turkey

Others

Not Yet Found

Deposits in Western Continents

North America

Canada, USA

USA

South America

Argentina, Brazil, Colombia, Ecuador, Venezuela

Argentina, Bolivia, Chile, Colombia, Ecuador, Peru

Deposits in Oceania Continent

Australia

New Zealand, Western Australia

New Zealand, South Australia, Western Australia

Summary >>

<< Reserves

All about Dunite and Tonalite Properties

Know all about Dunite and Tonalite properties here. All properties of rocks are important as they define the type of rock and its application. Dunite and Tonalite belong to Igneous Rocks.Texture of Dunite is Phaneritic whereas that of Tonalite is Phaneritic. Dunite appears Rough and Shiny and Tonalite appears Banded and Foilated. The luster of Dunite is shiny while that of Tonalite is subvitreous to dull. Dunite is available in dark greenish - grey colors whereas Tonalite is available in black, brown, light to dark grey, 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 Tonalite are cemetery markers, creating artwork.