Definition
Dunite is a green to brownish coarse-grained igneous rock mainly consisting of olivine
Lherzolite is a type of ultramafic igneous rock which contains essential olivine and clinopyroxene and orthopyroxene in equal proportions
Origin
New Zealand
France
Discoverer
Ferdinand von Hochstetter
Unknown
Etymology
From the name of Dun Mountain, New Zealand, + -ite1
From the Lherz Massif, an alpine peridotite complex, at Étang de Lers, near Massat in the French Pyrenees; Lherz is the archaic spelling of this location
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, Opaque Rock
Texture
Phaneritic
Grenue
Color
Dark Greenish - Grey
Black, Dark Greenish - Grey, Green, Pink, Purple
Durability
Durable
Durable
Scratch Resistant
Yes
Yes
Appearance
Rough and Shiny
Glassy, Vesicular and Foilated
Interior Uses
Decorative Aggregates, Interior Decoration
Decorative Aggregates, Entryways, Homes, Interior Decoration
Exterior Uses
As Building Stone, As Facing Stone, Garden Decoration, Paving Stone
As Building Stone, As Facing Stone, 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
Landscaping, Manufacture of Magnesium and Dolomite Refractories, Used for flooring, stair treads, borders and window sills.
Antiquity Uses
Artifacts, Monuments, Sculpture, Small Figurines
Artifacts, Sculpture
Commercial Uses
Creating Artwork, Gemstone, Jewelry, Source of Chromite, Platinum, Nickel and Garnet, Source of Diamonds
As armour rock for sea walls, Source of Magnesia (MgO), Used in aquariums
Types
Dunite
Garnet Lherzolite
Features
Constitutes upper part of the Earth's mantle, Generally rough to touch, Host rock for Diamond, Is one of the oldest rock
Host Rock for Lead
Archaeological Significance
Formation
Dunite is a plutonic ultramafic igneous rock consisting almost m olivine. It can be formed in two ways.
Lherzolite is a fine-grained, hard rock which is a type of metasomatite, essentially altered basalt. It forms with or without crystallization, either below the surface as intrusive rocks or on the surface as extrusive rocks.
Mineral Content
Amphibole, Chromite, Garnet, Magnesium, Olivine, Phlogopite, Plagioclase, Pyroxene
Harzburgite, Olivine, Pyroxene, Pyrrhotite
Compound Content
Ca, CaO, Fe, Potassium, Silicon Dioxide, Sodium, Titanium Dioxide
CaO, Cr, Chromium(III) Oxide, MgO
Types of Metamorphism
Burial Metamorphism, Cataclastic Metamorphism, Contact Metamorphism
Cataclastic Metamorphism, Contact Metamorphism
Types of Weathering
Biological Weathering, Chemical Weathering, Mechanical Weathering
Biological Weathering, Chemical Weathering, Mechanical Weathering
Types of Erosion
Coastal Erosion, Glacier Erosion, Water Erosion
Chemical Erosion, Water Erosion, Wind Erosion
Grain Size
Coarse Grained
Fine Grained
Fracture
Irregular
Conchoidal
Porosity
Less Porous
Less Porous
Luster
Shiny
Subvitreous to Dull
Specific Gravity
3-3.01
2.86
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
Heat Resistant, Impact Resistant, Pressure Resistant, Wear Resistant
Deposits in Eastern Continents
Asia
China, India, Indonesia, Kazakhstan, Russia, South Korea, Thailand, Turkey
Russia, South Korea
Africa
Morocco, South Africa
Western Africa
Europe
Finland, France, Georgia, Germany, Great Britain, Italy, Kazakhstan, Netherlands, Norway, Spain, Switzerland
United Kingdom
Deposits in Western Continents
North America
Canada, USA
USA
South America
Argentina, Brazil, Colombia, Ecuador, Venezuela
-
Deposits in Oceania Continent
Australia
New Zealand, Western Australia
Central Australia, Western Australia
Dunite vs Lherzolite 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 Lherzolite characteristics assist us to distinguish and recognize rocks. Also you can check about Properties of Dunite and Properties of Lherzolite. Learn more about Dunite vs Lherzolite in the next section. The interior uses of Dunite include Decorative aggregates and Interior decoration whereas the interior uses of Lherzolite include Decorative aggregates, Entryways, Homes and Interior decoration. Due to some exceptional properties of Dunite and Lherzolite, 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 Lherzolite include Landscaping, Manufacture of magnesium and dolomite refractories, Used for flooring, stair treads, borders and window sills..
More about Dunite and Lherzolite
Here you can know more about Dunite and Lherzolite. The life cycle of a rock consists of formation of rock, composition of rock and transformation of rock. The composition of Dunite and Lherzolite 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 Lherzolite includes Harzburgite, Olivine, Pyroxene, Pyrrhotite. You can also check out the list of all Igneous Rocks. When we have to compare Dunite vs Lherzolite, the texture, color and appearance plays an important role in determining the type of rock. Dunite is available in dark greenish - grey colors whereas, Lherzolite is available in black, dark greenish - grey, green, pink, purple colors. Appearance of Dunite is Rough and Shiny and that of Lherzolite is Glassy, Vesicular and Foilated. Properties of rock is another aspect for Dunite vs Lherzolite. The hardness of Dunite is 3.5-4 and that of Lherzolite is 6.5. The types of Dunite are Dunite whereas types of Lherzolite are Garnet Lherzolite. Streak of rock is the color of powder produced when it is dragged across an unweathered surface. The streak of Dunite and Lherzolite is white. The specific heat capacity of Dunite is 1.25 kJ/Kg K and that of Lherzolite is 0.95 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 Lherzolite is heat resistant, impact resistant, pressure resistant, wear resistant.