Definition
Dunite is a green to brownish coarse-grained igneous rock mainly consisting of olivine
Blueschist is a metamorphic rock which is generally blue in color and is formed under conditions of high pressure and low temperature
Discoverer
Ferdinand von Hochstetter
Edgar Bailey
Etymology
From the name of Dun Mountain, New Zealand, + -ite1
From French schiste, Greek skhistos i.e. split
Class
Igneous Rocks
Metamorphic Rocks
Sub-Class
Durable Rock, Medium Hardness Rock
Durable Rock, Medium Hardness Rock
Other Categories
Coarse Grained Rock, Opaque Rock
Fine Grained Rock, Medium Grained Rock, Opaque Rock
Texture
Phaneritic
Foliated
Color
Dark Greenish - Grey
Blue, Bluish - Grey, Purple, Shades of Blue
Durability
Durable
Durable
Appearance
Rough and Shiny
Dull and Banded
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
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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
Antiquity Uses
Artifacts, Monuments, Sculpture, Small Figurines
Artifacts, Monuments, Sculpture
Commercial Uses
Creating Artwork, Gemstone, Jewelry, Source of Chromite, Platinum, Nickel and Garnet, Source of Diamonds
Cemetery Markers, Commemorative Tablets, Creating Artwork, Curling, Tombstones
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
Formation
Dunite is a plutonic ultramafic igneous rock consisting almost m olivine. It can be formed in two ways.
Blueschist forms due to the metamorphism of basalt and other rocks with similar composition at high pressures and low temperatures and approximately corresponding to a depth of 15 to 30 kilometers and 200 to 500 °C.
Mineral Content
Amphibole, Chromite, Garnet, Magnesium, Olivine, Phlogopite, Plagioclase, Pyroxene
Albite, Chlorite, Epidote, Garnet, Glaucophane, Lawsonite, Muscovite or Illite, Quartz
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
Types of Metamorphism
Burial Metamorphism, Cataclastic Metamorphism, Contact Metamorphism
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Types of Weathering
Biological Weathering, Chemical Weathering, Mechanical Weathering
Mechanical Weathering
Types of Erosion
Coastal Erosion, Glacier Erosion, Water Erosion
Chemical Erosion, Coastal Erosion, Water Erosion, Wind Erosion
Grain Size
Coarse Grained
Fine to Medium Grained
Fracture
Irregular
Conchoidal
Streak
White
White to Grey
Porosity
Less Porous
Highly Porous
Specific Gravity
3-3.01
3-3.2
Transparency
Translucent to Opaque
Opaque
Density
2.84-2.85 g/cm3
2.8-2.9 g/cm3
Resistance
Heat Resistant, Pressure Resistant, Wear Resistant
Impact Resistant, Pressure Resistant
Deposits in Eastern Continents
Asia
China, India, Indonesia, Kazakhstan, Russia, South Korea, Thailand, Turkey
Japan, Turkey
Africa
Morocco, South Africa
Egypt, Ethiopia, South Africa
Europe
Finland, France, Georgia, Germany, Great Britain, Italy, Kazakhstan, Netherlands, Norway, Spain, Switzerland
France, Greece, Iceland
Deposits in Western Continents
North America
Canada, USA
USA
South America
Argentina, Brazil, Colombia, Ecuador, Venezuela
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Deposits in Oceania Continent
Australia
New Zealand, Western Australia
New Zealand
Dunite vs Blueschist 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 Blueschist characteristics assist us to distinguish and recognize rocks. Also you can check about Properties of Dunite and Properties of Blueschist. Learn more about Dunite vs Blueschist in the next section. The interior uses of Dunite include Decorative aggregates and Interior decoration whereas the interior uses of Blueschist include Floor tiles, Flooring, Homes, Hotels and Kitchens. Due to some exceptional properties of Dunite and Blueschist, 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 Blueschist include As dimension stone, Cobblestones, Rail track ballast, Roadstone.
More about Dunite and Blueschist
Here you can know more about Dunite and Blueschist. The life cycle of a rock consists of formation of rock, composition of rock and transformation of rock. The composition of Dunite and Blueschist 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 Blueschist includes Albite, Chlorite, Epidote, Garnet, Glaucophane, Lawsonite, Muscovite or Illite, Quartz. You can also check out the list of all Igneous Rocks. When we have to compare Dunite vs Blueschist, the texture, color and appearance plays an important role in determining the type of rock. Dunite is available in dark greenish - grey colors whereas, Blueschist is available in blue, bluish - grey, purple, shades of blue colors. Appearance of Dunite is Rough and Shiny and that of Blueschist is Dull and Banded. Properties of rock is another aspect for Dunite vs Blueschist. Hardness of Dunite and Blueschist is 3.5-4. The types of Dunite are Dunite whereas types of Blueschist are Metamorphic rock. 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 Blueschist is white to grey. The specific heat capacity of Dunite is 1.25 kJ/Kg K and that of Blueschist 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 Blueschist is impact resistant, pressure resistant.