Definition
Felsite is a very fine grained volcanic rock that may or may not contain larger crystals and light colored rock that typically requires petrographic examination or chemical analysis for more precise definition
Dunite is a green to brownish coarse-grained igneous rock mainly consisting of olivine
History
Origin
-
New Zealand
Discoverer
Unknown
Ferdinand von Hochstetter
Etymology
From English feldspar and -ite
From the name of Dun Mountain, New Zealand, + -ite1
Class
Igneous Rocks
Igneous Rocks
Sub-Class
Durable Rock, Medium Hardness Rock
Durable Rock, Medium Hardness Rock
Family
Group
Volcanic
Plutonic
Other Categories
Fine Grained Rock, Opaque Rock
Coarse Grained Rock, Opaque Rock
Texture
Arborescent Patterned, Vitreous
Phaneritic
Color
Black, Blue, Brown, Green, Orange, Red, Tan, Yellow
Dark Greenish - Grey
Maintenance
Less
Less
Durability
Durable
Durable
Water Resistant
✔
✘
✔
✘
Scratch Resistant
✔
✘
✔
✘
Stain Resistant
✔
✘
✔
✘
Wind Resistant
✔
✘
✔
✘
Acid Resistant
✔
✘
✔
✘
Appearance
Layered, Banded, Veined and Shiny
Rough and Shiny
Architecture
Interior Uses
Decorative Aggregates, Flooring, Interior Decoration
Decorative Aggregates, Interior Decoration
Exterior Uses
Paving Stone, Garden Decoration
As Building Stone, As Facing Stone, Garden Decoration, Paving Stone
Other Architectural Uses
Curbing
Curbing
Industry
Construction Industry
Arrowheads, Cutting Tool, Knives, Scrapers, Spear Points
As Dimension Stone, Cement Manufacture, Construction Aggregate, for Road Aggregate, Making natural cement, Raw material for the manufacture of mortar
Medical Industry
Surgery
-
Antiquity Uses
Artifacts
Artifacts, Monuments, Sculpture, Small Figurines
Other Uses
Commercial Uses
Mirror, Jewelry
Creating Artwork, Gemstone, Jewelry, Source of Chromite, Platinum, Nickel and Garnet, Source of Diamonds
Types
Igneous rock
Dunite
Features
Available in Lots of Colors and Patterns, Clasts are smooth to touch, Splintery, Very fine grained rock
Constitutes upper part of the Earth's mantle, Generally rough to touch, Host rock for Diamond, Is one of the oldest rock
Archaeological Significance
Monuments
-
-
Famous Monuments
-
-
Sculpture
-
-
Famous Sculptures
-
-
Pictographs
-
-
Petroglyphs
-
-
Figurines
-
-
Fossils
Absent
Absent
Formation
Felsite 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.
Dunite is a plutonic ultramafic igneous rock consisting almost m olivine. It can be formed in two ways.
Composition
Mineral Content
Feldspar, Iron Oxides
Amphibole, Chromite, Garnet, Magnesium, Olivine, Phlogopite, Plagioclase, Pyroxene
Compound Content
Aluminium Oxide, CaO, Iron(III) Oxide, FeO, Potassium Oxide, MgO, MnO, Sodium Oxide, Phosphorus Pentoxide, Silicon Dioxide, Titanium Dioxide
Ca, CaO, Fe, Potassium, Silicon Dioxide, Sodium, Titanium Dioxide
Transformation
Metamorphism
✔
✘
✔
✘
Types of Metamorphism
Burial Metamorphism, Contact Metamorphism, Impact Metamorphism, Regional Metamorphism
Burial Metamorphism, Cataclastic Metamorphism, Contact Metamorphism
Weathering
✔
✘
✔
✘
Types of Weathering
Biological Weathering, Chemical Weathering, Mechanical Weathering
Biological Weathering, Chemical Weathering, Mechanical Weathering
Erosion
✔
✘
✔
✘
Types of Erosion
Chemical Erosion, Glacier Erosion, Water Erosion
Coastal Erosion, Glacier Erosion, Water Erosion
Physical Properties
Hardness
5-5.53.5-4
1
7
👆🏻
Grain Size
Fine Grained
Coarse Grained
Fracture
Conchoidal
Irregular
Streak
White
White
Porosity
Very Less Porous
Less Porous
Luster
Vitreous
Shiny
Compressive Strength
0.15 N/mm2107.55 N/mm2
0.15
450
👆🏻
Cleavage
-
-
Toughness
-
2.1
Specific Gravity
2.6-2.73-3.01
0
8.4
👆🏻
Transparency
Translucent
Translucent to Opaque
Density
2.6 g/cm32.84-2.85 g/cm3
0
1400
👆🏻
Thermal Properties
Specific Heat Capacity
0.92 kJ/Kg K1.25 kJ/Kg K
0.14
3.2
👆🏻
Resistance
Heat Resistant, Impact Resistant
Heat Resistant, Pressure Resistant, Wear Resistant
Deposits in Eastern Continents
Asia
Afghanistan, Indonesia, Japan, Russia
China, India, Indonesia, Kazakhstan, Russia, South Korea, Thailand, Turkey
Africa
Kenya
Morocco, South Africa
Europe
Greece, Hungary, Iceland, Italy, Turkey
Finland, France, Georgia, Germany, Great Britain, Italy, Kazakhstan, Netherlands, Norway, Spain, Switzerland
Others
-
-
Deposits in Western Continents
North America
Canada, Mexico, USA
Canada, USA
South America
Argentina, Chile, Ecuador, Peru
Argentina, Brazil, Colombia, Ecuador, Venezuela
Deposits in Oceania Continent
Australia
New Zealand
New Zealand, Western Australia