Definition
Dunite is a green to brownish coarse-grained igneous rock mainly consisting of olivine
Diabase is a fine-grained igneous rock which is composed mostly of pyroxene and feldspar
Origin
New Zealand
Germany
Discoverer
Ferdinand von Hochstetter
Christian Leopold von Buch
Etymology
From the name of Dun Mountain, New Zealand, + -ite1
From Greek di + base
Class
Igneous Rocks
Igneous Rocks
Sub-Class
Durable Rock, Medium Hardness Rock
Durable Rock, Hard Rock
Other Categories
Coarse Grained Rock, Opaque Rock
Fine Grained Rock, Medium Grained Rock, Opaque Rock
Texture
Phaneritic
Aphanitic, Granular
Color
Dark Greenish - Grey
Dark Grey to Black
Durability
Durable
Durable
Scratch Resistant
Yes
Yes
Appearance
Rough and Shiny
Vesicular
Interior Uses
Decorative Aggregates, Interior Decoration
Countertops, Decorative Aggregates, Homes, Interior Decoration, Kitchens
Exterior Uses
As Building Stone, As Facing Stone, Garden Decoration, Paving Stone
As Building Stone, As Facing Stone, Paving Stone, Garden Decoration, Office Buildings
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, Building houses or walls, Cement Manufacture, Construction Aggregate, for Road Aggregate
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
An Oil and Gas Reservoir, Cemetery Markers, Commemorative Tablets, Laboratory bench tops, Jewelry, Sea Defence, Tombstones
Types
Not Available
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
Smooth to touch
Archaeological Significance
Famous Monuments
Data Not Available
Stonehenge in English county of Wiltshire
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.
Diabase forms when molten igneous rock is squeezed up into a vertical crack in other rocks, the crack is usually forced apart and the molten rock cools in the space to form a tabular igneous intrusion cutting across the surrounding rocks and is known as a dike.
Mineral Content
Amphibole, Chromite, Garnet, Magnesium, Olivine, Phlogopite, Plagioclase, Pyroxene
Augite, Chlorite, Olivine, Plagioclase, Pyroxene, Pyrrhotite, Serpentine
Compound Content
Ca, CaO, Fe, Potassium, Silicon Dioxide, Sodium, Titanium Dioxide
Aluminium Oxide, CaO, Chromium(III) Oxide, Iron(III) Oxide, Potassium Oxide, MgO, Sodium Oxide, Silicon Dioxide, Sulfur Trioxide
Types of Metamorphism
Burial Metamorphism, Cataclastic Metamorphism, Contact Metamorphism
Burial Metamorphism, Cataclastic Metamorphism, Contact Metamorphism, Regional Metamorphism
Types of Weathering
Biological Weathering, Chemical Weathering, Mechanical Weathering
Biological Weathering, Chemical Weathering
Types of Erosion
Coastal Erosion, Glacier Erosion, Water Erosion
Chemical Erosion, Coastal Erosion, Water Erosion
Grain Size
Coarse Grained
Fine to Medium Grained
Fracture
Irregular
Conchoidal
Porosity
Less Porous
Highly Porous
Luster
Shiny
Not Available
Cleavage
Imperfect
Not Available
Specific Gravity
3-3.01
2.86-2.87
Transparency
Translucent to Opaque
Opaque
Density
2.84-2.85 g/cm3
2.7-3.3 g/cm3
Specific Heat Capacity
Not Available
Resistance
Heat Resistant, Pressure Resistant, Wear Resistant
Heat Resistant, Impact Resistant, Pressure Resistant, Wear Resistant
Deposits in Eastern Continents
Asia
China, India, Indonesia, Kazakhstan, Russia, South Korea, Thailand, Turkey
India
Africa
Morocco, South Africa
South Africa, Tanzania
Europe
Finland, France, Georgia, Germany, Great Britain, Italy, Kazakhstan, Netherlands, Norway, Spain, Switzerland, Venezuela
Germany, Greece, Italy, Scotland, Turkey
Others
Not Yet Found
Antarctica, Greenland
Deposits in Western Continents
North America
Canada, USA
Canada, USA
South America
Argentina, Brazil, Colombia, Ecuador, Venezuela
Argentina, Brazil, Colombia, Venezuela
Deposits in Oceania Continent
Australia
New Zealand, Western Australia
Central Australia, New Zealand, Queensland, Western Australia
Dunite vs Diabase 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 Diabase characteristics assist us to distinguish and recognize rocks. Also you can check about Properties of Dunite and Properties of Diabase. Learn more about Dunite vs Diabase in the next section. The interior uses of Dunite include Decorative aggregates and Interior decoration whereas the interior uses of Diabase include Countertops, Decorative aggregates, Homes, Interior decoration and Kitchens. Due to some exceptional properties of Dunite and Diabase, 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 Diabase include As dimension stone, Building houses or walls, Cement manufacture, Construction aggregate, For road aggregate.
More about Dunite and Diabase
Here you can know more about Dunite and Diabase. The life cycle of a rock consists of formation of rock, composition of rock and transformation of rock. The composition of Dunite and Diabase 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 Diabase includes Augite, Chlorite, Olivine, Plagioclase, Pyroxene, Pyrrhotite, Serpentine. You can also check out the list of all Igneous Rocks. When we have to compare Dunite vs Diabase, the texture, color and appearance plays an important role in determining the type of rock. Dunite is available in dark greenish - grey colors whereas, Diabase is available in dark grey to black colors. Appearance of Dunite is Rough and Shiny and that of Diabase is Vesicular. Properties of rock is another aspect for Dunite vs Diabase. The hardness of Dunite is 3.5-4 and that of Diabase is 7. The types of Dunite are Not Available whereas types of Diabase are Not Available. 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 Diabase is black. The specific heat capacity of Dunite is 1.25 kJ/Kg K and that of Diabase 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 Diabase is heat resistant, impact resistant, pressure resistant, wear resistant.