Dunite and Wehrlite

Dunite

Wehrlite

Definition

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

Wehrlite is an ultramafic and ultrabasic rock that is a mixture of olivine and clinopyroxene. It is a subdivision of the peridotites

History

Origin

New Zealand

Egypt

Discoverer

Ferdinand von Hochstetter

Alois Wehrle

Etymology

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

From the name of a professor, Alois Wehrle

Class

Igneous Rocks

Sub-Class

Durable Rock, Medium Hardness Rock

Family

Group

Plutonic

Other Categories

Coarse Grained Rock, Opaque Rock

Texture

Phaneritic

Banded

Color

Dark Greenish - Grey

Dark Greenish - Grey, Green

Maintenance

Less

Durability

Durable

Water Resistant

Yes

Scratch Resistant

Yes

Stain Resistant

Yes

Wind Resistant

Acid Resistant

Appearance

Rough and Shiny

Rough and Banded

Uses

Architecture

Interior Uses

Decorative Aggregates, Interior Decoration

Exterior Uses

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

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

Medical Industry

Not Yet Used

Antiquity Uses

Artifacts, Monuments, Sculpture, Small Figurines

Other Uses

Commercial Uses

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

Cemetery Markers, Creating Artwork, Gemstone, Jewelry

Types

Not Available

Features

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

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

Archaeological Significance

Monuments

Used

Famous Monuments

Data Not Available

Sculpture

Used

Famous Sculptures

Data Not Available

Pictographs

Used

Petroglyphs

Used

Figurines

Used

Fossils

Absent

Formation

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

Wehrlite is a fine-grained, hard rock which is a type of metasomatite, essentially altered basalt. It forms with or without crystallization, either below the surface as intrusive rocks or on the surface as extrusive rocks.

Composition

Mineral Content

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

Pyroxene

Compound Content

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

Aluminium Oxide, CaO, Carbon Dioxide, Iron(III) Oxide, FeO, Potassium Oxide, MgO, Sodium Oxide, Phosphorus Pentoxide, Silicon Dioxide, Titanium Dioxide

Transformation

Metamorphism

Yes

Types of Metamorphism

Burial Metamorphism, Cataclastic Metamorphism, Contact Metamorphism

Burial Metamorphism, Cataclastic Metamorphism, Contact 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

Chemical Erosion, Coastal Erosion, Water Erosion

Properties

Physical Properties

Hardness

3.5-4

5.5-6

Grain Size

Coarse Grained

Fracture

Irregular

Streak

White

Porosity

Less Porous

Luster

Shiny

Metallic

Compressive Strength

107.55 N/mm²

Not Available

Cleavage

Imperfect

Perfect

Toughness

2.1

Specific Gravity

3-3.01

8.4

Transparency

Translucent to Opaque

Opaque

Density

2.84-2.85 g/cm³

2.6-3.7 g/cm³

Thermal Properties

Specific Heat Capacity

1.25 kJ/Kg K

0.63 kJ/Kg K

Resistance

Heat Resistant, Pressure Resistant, Wear Resistant

Heat Resistant, Impact Resistant, Pressure 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, Venezuela

Others

Not Yet Found

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

Summary >>

<< Reserves

All about Dunite and Wehrlite Properties

Know all about Dunite and Wehrlite properties here. All properties of rocks are important as they define the type of rock and its application. Dunite and Wehrlite belong to Igneous Rocks.Texture of Dunite is Phaneritic whereas that of Wehrlite is Banded. Dunite appears Rough and Shiny and Wehrlite appears Rough and Banded. The luster of Dunite is shiny while that of Wehrlite is metallic. Dunite is available in dark greenish - grey colors whereas Wehrlite is available in dark greenish - grey, green colors. The commercial uses of Dunite are creating artwork, gemstone, jewelry, source of chromite, platinum, nickel and garnet, source of diamonds and that of Wehrlite are cemetery markers, creating artwork, gemstone, jewelry.