×

Dunite
Dunite

Amphibolite
Amphibolite



ADD
Compare
X
Dunite
X
Amphibolite

Dunite vs Amphibolite

Definition

Definition

Dunite is a green to brownish coarse-grained igneous rock mainly consisting of olivine
Amphibolite can be defined as a granular metamorphic rock which mainly consist of hornblende and plagioclase

History

Origin

New Zealand
-

Discoverer

Ferdinand von Hochstetter
Alexandre Brongniart

Etymology

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

Class

Igneous Rocks
Metamorphic 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, Medium Grained Rock, Opaque Rock

Texture

Texture

Phaneritic
Banded, Foliated, Massive

Color

Dark Greenish - Grey
Black, Brown, Green, Grey

Maintenance

Less
Less

Durability

Durable
Durable

Water Resistant

Scratch Resistant

Stain Resistant

Wind Resistant

Acid Resistant

Appearance

Rough and Shiny
Foliated

Uses

Architecture

Interior Uses

Decorative Aggregates, Interior Decoration
Countertops, Decorative Aggregates, Entryways, Floor Tiles, Flooring, Homes, Hotels, Kitchens

Exterior Uses

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

Other Architectural Uses

Curbing
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, Building houses or walls, Cobblestones, Construction Aggregate, for Road Aggregate, Landscaping, Production of Glass and Ceramics, Roadstone

Medical Industry

-
-

Antiquity Uses

Artifacts, Monuments, Sculpture, Small Figurines
Artifacts, Sculpture, Small Figurines

Other Uses

Commercial Uses

Creating Artwork, Gemstone, Jewelry, Source of Chromite, Platinum, Nickel and Garnet, Source of Diamonds
Cemetery Markers, Commemorative Tablets, Creating Artwork

Types

Types

Dunite
Hornblendite

Features

Constitutes upper part of the Earth's mantle, Generally rough to touch, Host rock for Diamond, Is one of the oldest rock
Clasts are smooth to touch, Matrix variable, Surfaces are often shiny

Archaeological Significance

Monuments

-
-

Famous Monuments

-
-

Sculpture

-
-

Famous Sculptures

-
-

Pictographs

-
-

Petroglyphs

-
-

Figurines

-
-

Fossils

Absent
Absent

Formation

Formation

Dunite is a plutonic ultramafic igneous rock consisting almost m olivine. It can be formed in two ways.
Amphibolite is a coarse-grained metamorphic rock which forms by metamorphism of mafic igneous rocks like basalt and gabbro or from the metamorphism of clay-rich sedimentary rocks like marl or graywacke.

Composition

Mineral Content

Amphibole, Chromite, Garnet, Magnesium, Olivine, Phlogopite, Plagioclase, Pyroxene
Amphibole, Andalusite, Biotite, Calcite, Epidote, Garnet, Hornblade, Kyanite, Magnetite, Olivine, Plagioclase, Pyroxene, Staurolite, Wollastonite

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
Chemical Weathering, Mechanical Weathering

Erosion

Types of Erosion

Coastal Erosion, Glacier Erosion, Water Erosion
Chemical Erosion, Glacier Erosion, Sea Erosion, Wind Erosion

Properties

Physical Properties

Hardness

3.5-46-7
1 7
👆🏻

Grain Size

Coarse Grained
Medium to Coarse Grained

Fracture

Irregular
Irregular to Conchoidal

Streak

White
White to Grey

Porosity

Less Porous
Less Porous

Luster

Shiny
Vitreous to Dull

Compressive Strength

107.55 N/mm290.00 N/mm2
0.15 450
👆🏻

Cleavage

-
-

Toughness

2.1
2.3

Specific Gravity

3-3.012.5
0 8.4
👆🏻

Transparency

Translucent to Opaque
Opaque

Density

2.84-2.85 g/cm32.85-3.07 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
Heat Resistant, Pressure Resistant, Wear Resistant

Reserves

Deposits in Eastern Continents

Asia

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

Africa

Morocco, South Africa
Burundi, Djibouti, Eritrea, Ethiopia, Kenya, Madagascar, Rwanda, Somalia, South Africa, Sudan, Tanzania, Uganda

Europe

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

Others

-
-

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
South Australia, Western Australia

Dunite vs Amphibolite Information

Earth’s outer layer is covered by rocks and these rocks have different physical and chemical properties. As two rocks are not same, it’s fun to compare them. You can also know more about Dunite and Amphibolite Reserves. Dunite is a green to brownish coarse-grained igneous rock mainly consisting of olivine. Amphibolite can be defined as a granular metamorphic rock which mainly consist of hornblende and plagioclase. These rocks are composed of many distinct minerals. The process of formation of rocks is different for various rocks. Rocks are quarried from many years for various purposes. You can check out Dunite vs Amphibolite information and Dunite vs Amphibolite characteristics in the upcoming sections.

Dunite vs Amphibolite Characteristics

Though some rocks look identical, they have certain characteristics which distinguish them from others. Characteristics of rocks include texture, appearance, color, fracture, streak, hardness etc. Dunite vs Amphibolite characteristics assist us to distinguish and recognize rocks. Also you can check about Properties of Dunite and Properties of Amphibolite. Learn more about Dunite vs Amphibolite in the next section. The interior uses of Dunite include Decorative aggregates and Interior decoration whereas the interior uses of Amphibolite include Countertops, Decorative aggregates, Entryways, Floor tiles, Flooring, Homes, Hotels and Kitchens. Due to some exceptional properties of Dunite and Amphibolite, they have various applications in construction industry. The uses of Dunite in construction industry include As dimension stone, Cement manufacture, Construction aggregate, For road aggregate, Making natural cement, Raw material for the manufacture of mortar and that of Amphibolite include As dimension stone, Building houses or walls, Cobblestones, Construction aggregate, For road aggregate, Landscaping, Production of glass and ceramics, Roadstone.

More about Dunite and Amphibolite

Here you can know more about Dunite and Amphibolite. The life cycle of a rock consists of formation of rock, composition of rock and transformation of rock. The composition of Dunite and Amphibolite consists of mineral content and compound content. The mineral content of Dunite includes Amphibole, Chromite, Garnet, Magnesium, Olivine, Phlogopite, Plagioclase, Pyroxene and mineral content of Amphibolite includes Amphibole, Andalusite, Biotite, Calcite, Epidote, Garnet, Hornblade, Kyanite, Magnetite, Olivine, Plagioclase, Pyroxene, Staurolite, Wollastonite. You can also check out the list of all Igneous Rocks. When we have to compare Dunite vs Amphibolite, the texture, color and appearance plays an important role in determining the type of rock. Dunite is available in dark greenish - grey colors whereas, Amphibolite is available in black, brown, green, grey colors. Appearance of Dunite is Rough and Shiny and that of Amphibolite is Foliated. Properties of rock is another aspect for Dunite vs Amphibolite. The hardness of Dunite is 3.5-4 and that of Amphibolite is 6-7. The types of Dunite are Dunite whereas types of Amphibolite are Hornblendite. Streak of rock is the color of powder produced when it is dragged across an unweathered surface. The streak of Dunite is white while that of Amphibolite is white to grey. The specific heat capacity of Dunite is 1.25 kJ/Kg K and that of Amphibolite is 0.84 kJ/Kg K. Depending on the properties like hardness, toughness, specific heat capacity, porosity etc., rocks are resistant to heat, wear, impact, etc.Dunite is heat resistant, pressure resistant, wear resistant whereas Amphibolite is heat resistant, pressure resistant, wear resistant.