Definition
Marl is an unconsolidated sedimentary rock consisting of clay and lime
Dolomite is a sedimentary rock containing more than 50 percent of the mineral dolomite by weight
Origin
Unknown
Southern Alps, France
Discoverer
Unknown
Dolomieu
Etymology
From Old French marle, from Late Latin marglia
From French, from the name of Dolomieu (1750–1801), the French geologist who discovered the rock
Class
Sedimentary Rocks
Sedimentary Rocks
Sub-Class
Durable Rock, Soft Rock
Durable Rock, Medium Hardness Rock
Group
Not Applicable
Not Applicable
Other Categories
Fine Grained Rock, Opaque Rock
Coarse Grained Rock, Fine Grained Rock, Medium Grained Rock, Opaque Rock
Color
Beige, Brown, Green, Grey, White
Black, Brown, Colourless, Green, Grey, Pink, White
Durability
Durable
Durable
Appearance
Rough and Dull
Glassy or Pearly
Interior Uses
Decorative Aggregates, Floor Tiles
Decorative Aggregates, Homes, Interior Decoration
Exterior Uses
As Building Stone, Roof Tiles
Garden Decoration, Office Buildings
Other Architectural Uses
Curbing
Not Yet Used
Construction Industry
Cement Manufacture, Construction Aggregate, for Road Aggregate, Making natural cement, Raw material for the manufacture of mortar
As a Flux in the Production of Steel and Pig Iron, As a Sintering Agent in Steel Industry to process Iron Ore, As Dimension Stone, Cement Manufacture, for Road Aggregate, Making natural cement, Manufacture of Magnesium and Dolomite Refractories, Production of Glass and Ceramics, Serves as an Oil and Gas Reservoir rock
Medical Industry
Not Yet Used
Taken as a Supplement for Calcium or Magnesium
Antiquity Uses
Artifacts, Jewellery, Sculpture, Small Figurines
Artifacts, Jewellery, Monuments, Sculpture, Small Figurines
Commercial Uses
Creating Artwork, Soil Conditioner
An Oil and Gas Reservoir, As a Feed Additive for Livestock, Gemstone, Metallurgical Flux, Production of Lime, Soil Conditioner, Source of Magnesia (MgO)
Types
Clay Marl ,Blue Marl, Red Marl, High Bank Marl, Shell Layer Marl, Under Shell Layer Marl, Sand Marl, Green Marl, Grey Marl and Clayey Marl
Boninite and Jasperoid
Features
Generally rough to touch, Is one of the oldest rock, Splintery, Very fine grained rock
Host Rock for Lead, Traps for subsurface fluids like Oil and Natural Gas., Zinc and Copper Deposits
Archaeological Significance
Monuments
Not Yet Used
Used
Famous Monuments
Not Applicable
Data Not Available
Famous Sculptures
Data Not Available
Data Not Available
Formation
Marl forms when very fine-grained clay particles are deposited in water which settles at the bottom of water bodies and are compacted by overlying sediment; the water squeezes out and hence forming Marl rock.
Dolomite rocks are originally deposited as calcite or aragonite rich limestone, but during diagenesis process, the calcite or aragonite is transformed into dolomite.
Mineral Content
Calcite, Clay, Dolomite, Gypsum, Micas, Pyrite, Quartz
Clay Minerals, Pyrite, Quartz, Sulfides
Compound Content
Aluminium Oxide, NaCl, CaO, Iron(III) Oxide, Silicon Dioxide
NaCl, CaO, Carbon Dioxide, Magnesium Carbonate, MgO
Types of Metamorphism
Not Applicable
Burial Metamorphism, Cataclastic Metamorphism, Contact Metamorphism
Types of Weathering
Biological Weathering, Chemical Weathering
Not Applicable
Types of Erosion
Chemical Erosion, Coastal Erosion, Water Erosion, Wind Erosion
Not Applicable
Grain Size
Very fine-grained
Medium to Fine Coarse Grained
Fracture
Conchoidal
Conchoidal
Porosity
Highly Porous
Less Porous
Luster
Dull
Vitreous and Pearly
Compressive Strength
Not Available
Cleavage
Not Available
Perfect
Specific Gravity
2.2-2.8
2.8-3
Transparency
Opaque
Transparent to Translucent
Density
2.4-2.8 g/cm3
2.8-2.9 g/cm3
Specific Heat Capacity
Not Available
Resistance
Heat Resistant, Impact Resistant
Heat Resistant, Pressure Resistant, Wear Resistant
Deposits in Eastern Continents
Asia
India, Pakistan, Russia
China, India
Africa
Ethiopia, Kenya, Morocco, South Africa
Morocco, Namibia
Europe
Austria, France, Germany, Greece, Italy, Romania, Scotland, Spain, Switzerland
Austria, Italy, Romania, Spain, Switzerland
Others
Not Yet Found
Not Yet Found
Deposits in Western Continents
North America
USA
Mexico, USA
South America
Colombia, Ecuador, Peru
Brazil, Colombia
Deposits in Oceania Continent
Australia
New South Wales, Victoria, Western Australia
New South Wales, Queensland, Yorke Peninsula
Marl vs Dolomite 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. Marl vs Dolomite characteristics assist us to distinguish and recognize rocks. Also you can check about Properties of Marl and Properties of Dolomite. Learn more about Marl vs Dolomite in the next section. The interior uses of Marl include Decorative aggregates and Floor tiles whereas the interior uses of Dolomite include Decorative aggregates, Homes and Interior decoration. Due to some exceptional properties of Marl and Dolomite, they have various applications in construction industry. The uses of Marl in construction industry include Cement manufacture, Construction aggregate, For road aggregate, Making natural cement, Raw material for the manufacture of mortar and that of Dolomite include As a flux in the production of steel and pig iron, As a sintering agent in steel industry to process iron ore, As dimension stone, Cement manufacture, For road aggregate, Making natural cement, Manufacture of magnesium and dolomite refractories, Production of glass and ceramics, Serves as an oil and gas reservoir rock.
More about Marl and Dolomite
Here you can know more about Marl and Dolomite. The life cycle of a rock consists of formation of rock, composition of rock and transformation of rock. The composition of Marl and Dolomite consists of mineral content and compound content. The mineral content of Marl includes Calcite, Clay, Dolomite, Gypsum, Micas, Pyrite, Quartz and mineral content of Dolomite includes Clay Minerals, Pyrite, Quartz, Sulfides. You can also check out the list of all Sedimentary Rocks. When we have to compare Marl vs Dolomite, the texture, color and appearance plays an important role in determining the type of rock. Marl is available in beige, brown, green, grey, white colors whereas, Dolomite is available in black, brown, colourless, green, grey, pink, white colors. Appearance of Marl is Rough and Dull and that of Dolomite is Glassy or Pearly. Properties of rock is another aspect for Marl vs Dolomite. The hardness of Marl is 2-3 and that of Dolomite is 3.5-4. The types of Marl are Clay Marl ,Blue Marl, Red Marl, High Bank Marl, Shell Layer Marl, Under Shell Layer Marl, Sand Marl, Green Marl, Grey Marl and Clayey Marl whereas types of Dolomite are Boninite and Jasperoid. Streak of rock is the color of powder produced when it is dragged across an unweathered surface. The streak of Marl and Dolomite is white. The specific heat capacity of Marl is Not Available and that of Dolomite is 0.92 kJ/Kg K. Depending on the properties like hardness, toughness, specific heat capacity, porosity etc., rocks are resistant to heat, wear, impact, etc.Marl is heat resistant, impact resistant whereas Dolomite is heat resistant, pressure resistant, wear resistant.