Definition
Dunite is a green to brownish coarse-grained igneous rock mainly consisting of olivine
Charnockite is a variety of granite containing minerals like orthopyroxene, quartz, and feldspar
Origin
New Zealand
Tamil Nadu, India
Discoverer
Ferdinand von Hochstetter
T. H. Holland
Etymology
From the name of Dun Mountain, New Zealand, + -ite1
From Job Charnock, an administtrator of East India Company
Class
Igneous Rocks
Igneous Rocks
Sub-Class
Durable Rock, Medium Hardness Rock
Durable Rock, Hard Rock
Other Categories
Coarse Grained Rock, Opaque Rock
Coarse Grained Rock, Opaque Rock
Texture
Phaneritic
Granular
Color
Dark Greenish - Grey
Black, Grey, Orange, Pink, White
Durability
Durable
Durable
Scratch Resistant
Yes
Yes
Appearance
Rough and Shiny
Veined or Pebbled
Interior Uses
Decorative Aggregates, Interior Decoration
Bathrooms, Countertops, Decorative Aggregates, Entryways, Floor Tiles, Homes, Hotels, Kitchens, Stair Treads
Exterior Uses
As Building Stone, As Facing Stone, Garden Decoration, Paving Stone
As Building Stone, As Facing Stone, Bridges, Paving Stone, Garden Decoration, Office Buildings, Resorts
Other Architectural Uses
Curbing
Curbing
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
Medical Industry
Not Yet Used
Not Yet Used
Antiquity Uses
Artifacts, Monuments, Sculpture, Small Figurines
Artifacts, Monuments, Sculpture, Small Figurines
Commercial Uses
Creating Artwork, Gemstone, Jewelry, Source of Chromite, Platinum, Nickel and Garnet, Source of Diamonds
Curling, Gemstone, Laboratory bench tops, Tombstones
Types
Not Available
Enderbite
Features
Constitutes upper part of the Earth's mantle, Generally rough to touch, Host rock for Diamond, Is one of the oldest rock
Available in Lots of Colors and Patterns, It is One of the Oldest, Strongest and Hardest Rock
Archaeological Significance
Famous Monuments
Data Not Available
Data Not Available
Famous Sculptures
Data Not Available
Data Not Available
Pictographs
Used
Not Used
Petroglyphs
Used
Not Used
Formation
Dunite is a plutonic ultramafic igneous rock consisting almost m olivine. It can be formed in two ways.
Charnockite is an intrusive igneous rock which is very hard and is formed due to weathering of existing rocks.
Mineral Content
Amphibole, Chromite, Garnet, Magnesium, Olivine, Phlogopite, Plagioclase, Pyroxene
Amphibole, Biotite, Feldspar, Hornblade, Micas, Muscovite or Illite, Olivine, Plagioclase, Pyroxene, 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
Burial Metamorphism, Contact Metamorphism, Regional Metamorphism
Types of Weathering
Biological Weathering, Chemical Weathering, Mechanical Weathering
Biological Weathering
Types of Erosion
Coastal Erosion, Glacier Erosion, Water Erosion
Chemical Erosion, Water Erosion, Wind Erosion
Grain Size
Coarse Grained
Coarse Grained
Fracture
Irregular
Not Available
Porosity
Less Porous
Very Less Porous
Luster
Shiny
Not Available
Compressive Strength
Not Available
Cleavage
Imperfect
Not Available
Toughness
2.1
Not Available
Specific Gravity
3-3.01
Not Available
Transparency
Translucent to Opaque
Opaque
Density
2.84-2.85 g/cm3
2.6 g/cm3
Specific Heat Capacity
Not Available
Resistance
Heat Resistant, Pressure Resistant, Wear Resistant
Heat Resistant, Wear Resistant
Deposits in Eastern Continents
Asia
China, India, Indonesia, Kazakhstan, Russia, South Korea, Thailand, Turkey
India
Africa
Morocco, South Africa
East Africa, Ethiopia, Madagascar, Morocco, Mozambique
Europe
Finland, France, Georgia, Germany, Great Britain, Italy, Kazakhstan, Netherlands, Norway, Spain, Switzerland, Venezuela
Albania, Romania, Scotland, United Kingdom
Others
Not Yet Found
Not Yet Found
Deposits in Western Continents
North America
Canada, USA
USA
South America
Argentina, Brazil, Colombia, Ecuador, Venezuela
Brazil, Colombia, Venezuela
Deposits in Oceania Continent
Australia
New Zealand, Western Australia
Central Australia, Western Australia
Dunite vs Charnockite 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 Charnockite characteristics assist us to distinguish and recognize rocks. Also you can check about Properties of Dunite and Properties of Charnockite. Learn more about Dunite vs Charnockite in the next section. The interior uses of Dunite include Decorative aggregates and Interior decoration whereas the interior uses of Charnockite include Bathrooms, Countertops, Decorative aggregates, Entryways, Floor tiles, Homes, Hotels, Kitchens and Stair treads. Due to some exceptional properties of Dunite and Charnockite, 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 Charnockite include As dimension stone.
More about Dunite and Charnockite
Here you can know more about Dunite and Charnockite. The life cycle of a rock consists of formation of rock, composition of rock and transformation of rock. The composition of Dunite and Charnockite 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 Charnockite includes Amphibole, Biotite, Feldspar, Hornblade, Micas, Muscovite or Illite, Olivine, Plagioclase, Pyroxene, Quartz. You can also check out the list of all Igneous Rocks. When we have to compare Dunite vs Charnockite, the texture, color and appearance plays an important role in determining the type of rock. Dunite is available in dark greenish - grey colors whereas, Charnockite is available in black, grey, orange, pink, white colors. Appearance of Dunite is Rough and Shiny and that of Charnockite is Veined or Pebbled. Properties of rock is another aspect for Dunite vs Charnockite. The hardness of Dunite is 3.5-4 and that of Charnockite is 6-7. The types of Dunite are Not Available whereas types of Charnockite are Enderbite. Streak of rock is the color of powder produced when it is dragged across an unweathered surface. The streak of Dunite and Charnockite is white. The specific heat capacity of Dunite is 1.25 kJ/Kg K and that of Charnockite is Not Available. 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 Charnockite is heat resistant, wear resistant.
