Dunite

Variolite

Dunite and Variolite

Dunite

Variolite

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Definition

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

Variolites are a group of dark green basic igneous rocks which exhibit pale colored spots, or spherules, especially on weathered surfaces, that give them a pockmarked appearance

History

Origin

New Zealand

France

Discoverer

Ferdinand von Hochstetter

Unknown

Etymology

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

From Latin varius, speckled, variegated

Class

Igneous Rocks

Sub-Class

Durable Rock, Medium Hardness Rock

Durable Rock, Hard Rock

Family

Group

Plutonic

Volcanic

Other Categories

Coarse Grained Rock, Opaque Rock

Opaque Rock

Texture

Phaneritic

Glassy, Massive, Porphyritic, Scoriaceous, Vesicular

Color

Dark Greenish - Grey

Black, Brown, Light to Dark Grey

Maintenance

Less

Durability

Durable

Water Resistant

✔ ✘

Scratch Resistant

✔ ✘

Stain Resistant

✔ ✘

Wind Resistant

✔ ✘

Acid Resistant

✔ ✘

Appearance

Rough and Shiny

Dull and Soft

Uses

Architecture

Interior Uses

Decorative Aggregates, Interior Decoration

Floor Tiles, Flooring, Homes, Hotels, Kitchens

Exterior Uses

As Building Stone, As Facing Stone, Garden Decoration, 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, Cobblestones, Rail Track Ballast, 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

Cemetery Markers, Creating Artwork

Types

Dunite

Metamorphic rock

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

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.

Variolites are a group of dark green basic igneous rocks that exhibit pale colored spots on weathered surfaces that give them a pockmarked appearance.

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

✔ ✘

Types of Metamorphism

Burial Metamorphism, Cataclastic Metamorphism, Contact Metamorphism

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

Weathering

✔ ✘

Types of Weathering

Biological Weathering, Chemical Weathering, Mechanical Weathering

Erosion

✔ ✘

Types of Erosion

Coastal Erosion, Glacier Erosion, Water Erosion

Properties

Physical Properties

Hardness

3.5-46

1 7

👆🏻

Grain Size

Coarse Grained

Fracture

Irregular

Conchoidal

Streak

White

White to Grey

Porosity

Less Porous

Luster

Shiny

Compressive Strength

107.55 N/mm²37.50 N/mm²

0.15 450

👆🏻

Cleavage

Toughness

2.1

2.3

Specific Gravity

3-3.012.8-3

0 8.4

👆🏻

Transparency

Translucent to Opaque

Opaque

Density

2.84-2.85 g/cm³2.9-3.1 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

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

Iceland

Others

Deposits in Western Continents

North America

Canada, USA

South America

Argentina, Brazil, Colombia, Ecuador, Venezuela

Brazil

Deposits in Oceania Continent

Australia

New Zealand, Western Australia

All about Dunite and Variolite Properties

Know all about Dunite and Variolite properties here. All properties of rocks are important as they define the type of rock and its application. Dunite and Variolite belong to Igneous Rocks.Texture of Dunite is Phaneritic whereas that of Variolite is Glassy, Massive, Porphyritic, Scoriaceous, Vesicular. Dunite appears Rough and Shiny and Variolite appears Dull and Soft. The luster of Dunite is shiny while that of Variolite is . Dunite is available in dark greenish - grey colors whereas Variolite 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 Variolite are cemetery markers, creating artwork.