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Dunite
Dunite

Anorthosite
Anorthosite



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Dunite vs Anorthosite

Definition

Definition

Dunite is a green to brownish coarse-grained igneous rock mainly consisting of olivine
Anorthosite is a granular igneous rock composed largely of labradorite or plagioclase

History

Origin

New Zealand
-

Discoverer

Ferdinand von Hochstetter
Unknown

Etymology

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

Class

Igneous Rocks
Igneous Rocks

Sub-Class

Durable Rock, Medium Hardness Rock
Durable Rock, Medium Hardness Rock

Family

Group

Plutonic
Plutonic

Other Categories

Coarse Grained Rock, Opaque Rock
Coarse Grained Rock, Opaque Rock

Texture

Texture

Phaneritic
Foliated, Glassy

Color

Dark Greenish - Grey
Black, Bluish - Grey, Brown, Green, Grey, Light Greenish Grey, Pink, White

Maintenance

Less
Less

Durability

Durable
Durable

Water Resistant

Scratch Resistant

Stain Resistant

Wind Resistant

Acid Resistant

Appearance

Rough and Shiny
Layered, Banded, Veined and Shiny

Uses

Architecture

Interior Uses

Decorative Aggregates, Interior Decoration
Decorative Aggregates, Floor Tiles, Homes, 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
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, for Road Aggregate

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
Creating Artwork, Curling

Types

Types

Dunite
Proterozoic Anorthosite and Archean Anorthosite

Features

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

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.
Anorthosite is a phaneritic, intrusive igneous rock which is characterized by a predominance of plagioclase feldspar which is almost 90–100%, and a minimal mafic component.

Composition

Mineral Content

Amphibole, Chromite, Garnet, Magnesium, Olivine, Phlogopite, Plagioclase, Pyroxene
Amphibole, Clinopyroxene, Ilmenite, Magnetite, Olivine, Orthopyroxene

Compound Content

Ca, CaO, Fe, Potassium, Silicon Dioxide, Sodium, Titanium Dioxide
Ca, CaO, Chromium(III) Oxide, MgO, Sulfur Trioxide

Transformation

Metamorphism

Types of Metamorphism

Burial Metamorphism, Cataclastic Metamorphism, Contact Metamorphism
Cataclastic Metamorphism, Contact Metamorphism

Weathering

Types of Weathering

Biological Weathering, Chemical Weathering, Mechanical Weathering
Biological Weathering

Erosion

Types of Erosion

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

Properties

Physical Properties

Hardness

3.5-45-6
1 7
👆🏻

Grain Size

Coarse Grained
Coarse Grained

Fracture

Irregular
Irregular

Streak

White
White

Porosity

Less Porous
Less Porous

Luster

Shiny
Pearly to Subvitreous

Compressive Strength

107.55 N/mm2180.00 N/mm2
0.15 450
👆🏻

Cleavage

-
-

Toughness

2.1
-

Specific Gravity

3-3.012.62-2.82
0 8.4
👆🏻

Transparency

Translucent to Opaque
Translucent

Density

2.84-2.85 g/cm32.7-4 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, Impact Resistant, Pressure Resistant, Scratch Resistant, Wear 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
Bulgaria, France, Germany, Greece, Hungary, Italy, Latvia, Lithuania, Malta, Poland, Portugal, Romania, Slovenia, Spain, Sweden, The Czech Republic

Others

-
-

Deposits in Western Continents

North America

Canada, USA
Canada

South America

Argentina, Brazil, Colombia, Ecuador, Venezuela
Bolivia, Colombia

Deposits in Oceania Continent

Australia

New Zealand, Western Australia
Central Australia, South Australia, Western Australia

Dunite vs Anorthosite 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 Anorthosite Reserves. Dunite is a green to brownish coarse-grained igneous rock mainly consisting of olivine. Anorthosite is a granular igneous rock composed largely of labradorite or 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 Anorthosite information and Dunite vs Anorthosite characteristics in the upcoming sections.

Dunite vs Anorthosite 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 Anorthosite characteristics assist us to distinguish and recognize rocks. Also you can check about Properties of Dunite and Properties of Anorthosite. Learn more about Dunite vs Anorthosite in the next section. The interior uses of Dunite include Decorative aggregates and Interior decoration whereas the interior uses of Anorthosite include Decorative aggregates, Floor tiles, Homes and Interior decoration. Due to some exceptional properties of Dunite and Anorthosite, 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 Anorthosite include As dimension stone, Cement manufacture, For road aggregate.

More about Dunite and Anorthosite

Here you can know more about Dunite and Anorthosite. The life cycle of a rock consists of formation of rock, composition of rock and transformation of rock. The composition of Dunite and Anorthosite 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 Anorthosite includes Amphibole, Clinopyroxene, Ilmenite, Magnetite, Olivine, Orthopyroxene. You can also check out the list of all Igneous Rocks. When we have to compare Dunite vs Anorthosite, the texture, color and appearance plays an important role in determining the type of rock. Dunite is available in dark greenish - grey colors whereas, Anorthosite is available in black, bluish - grey, brown, green, grey, light greenish grey, pink, white colors. Appearance of Dunite is Rough and Shiny and that of Anorthosite is Layered, Banded, Veined and Shiny. Properties of rock is another aspect for Dunite vs Anorthosite. The hardness of Dunite is 3.5-4 and that of Anorthosite is 5-6. The types of Dunite are Dunite whereas types of Anorthosite are Proterozoic Anorthosite and Archean Anorthosite. Streak of rock is the color of powder produced when it is dragged across an unweathered surface. The streak of Dunite and Anorthosite is white. The specific heat capacity of Dunite is 1.25 kJ/Kg K and that of Anorthosite 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 Anorthosite is heat resistant, impact resistant, pressure resistant, scratch resistant, wear resistant.