Definition
Dunite is a green to brownish coarse-grained igneous rock mainly consisting of olivine
Nephelinite is a fine-grained or aphanitic igneous rock made up almost entirely of nepheline and clinopyroxene (variety augite).
Origin
New Zealand
Brazil
Discoverer
Ferdinand von Hochstetter
Unknown
Etymology
From the name of Dun Mountain, New Zealand, + -ite1
from French néphéline, from Greek nephelē
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
Aphanitic
Color
Dark Greenish - Grey
Black, Brown, Colourless, Green, Grey, White
Durability
Durable
Durable
Scratch Resistant
Yes
Yes
Appearance
Rough and Shiny
Skeletal
Interior Uses
Decorative Aggregates, Interior Decoration
Decorative Aggregates, Homes, Interior Decoration
Exterior Uses
As Building Stone, As Facing Stone, Garden Decoration, Paving Stone
As Building Stone, As Facing Stone, Garden Decoration, Office Buildings, Paving Stone
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, 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
Creating Artwork, Soil Conditioner, Source of Magnesia (MgO)
Types
Not Available
Peralkaline Nephelinite
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
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.
Nephelinite 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
Clinopyroxene, Nepheline, Plagioclase
Compound Content
Ca, CaO, Fe, Potassium, Silicon Dioxide, Sodium, Titanium Dioxide
Ca, CaO, Carbon, Cl, MgO
Types of Metamorphism
Burial Metamorphism, Cataclastic Metamorphism, Contact 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
Porosity
Less Porous
Less Porous
Luster
Shiny
Vitreous to Metallic
Cleavage
Imperfect
Imperfect
Specific Gravity
3-3.01
2.4-2.9
Transparency
Translucent to Opaque
Opaque
Density
2.84-2.85 g/cm3
2.5-3 g/cm3
Resistance
Heat Resistant, Pressure Resistant, Wear Resistant
Heat Resistant
Deposits in Eastern Continents
Asia
China, India, Indonesia, Kazakhstan, Russia, South Korea, Thailand, Turkey
Japan
Africa
Morocco, South Africa
Rwanda, Tanzania
Europe
Finland, France, Georgia, Germany, Great Britain, Italy, Kazakhstan, Netherlands, Norway, Spain, Switzerland, Venezuela
Not Yet Found
Others
Not Yet Found
Hawaii Islands
Deposits in Western Continents
North America
Canada, USA
Canada, USA
South America
Argentina, Brazil, Colombia, Ecuador, Venezuela
Colombia
Deposits in Oceania Continent
Australia
New Zealand, Western Australia
Not Yet Found
Dunite vs Nephelinite 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 Nephelinite characteristics assist us to distinguish and recognize rocks. Also you can check about Properties of Dunite and Properties of Nephelinite. Learn more about Dunite vs Nephelinite in the next section. The interior uses of Dunite include Decorative aggregates and Interior decoration whereas the interior uses of Nephelinite include Decorative aggregates, Homes and Interior decoration. Due to some exceptional properties of Dunite and Nephelinite, 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 Nephelinite include As dimension stone, Cement manufacture, Construction aggregate, For road aggregate.
More about Dunite and Nephelinite
Here you can know more about Dunite and Nephelinite. The life cycle of a rock consists of formation of rock, composition of rock and transformation of rock. The composition of Dunite and Nephelinite 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 Nephelinite includes Clinopyroxene, Nepheline, Plagioclase. You can also check out the list of all Igneous Rocks. When we have to compare Dunite vs Nephelinite, the texture, color and appearance plays an important role in determining the type of rock. Dunite is available in dark greenish - grey colors whereas, Nephelinite is available in black, brown, colourless, green, grey, white colors. Appearance of Dunite is Rough and Shiny and that of Nephelinite is Skeletal. Properties of rock is another aspect for Dunite vs Nephelinite. The hardness of Dunite is 3.5-4 and that of Nephelinite is 6.5. The types of Dunite are Not Available whereas types of Nephelinite are Peralkaline Nephelinite. Streak of rock is the color of powder produced when it is dragged across an unweathered surface. The streak of Dunite and Nephelinite is white. The specific heat capacity of Dunite is 1.25 kJ/Kg K and that of Nephelinite is 0.88 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 Nephelinite is heat resistant.