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Oolite vs Dolomite


Dolomite vs Oolite


Definition

Definition
Oolite is a sedimentary rock formed from ooids, spherical grains which are composed of concentric layers of calcite  
Dolomite is a sedimentary rock containing more than 50 percent of the mineral dolomite by weight  

History
  
  

Origin
-  
Southern Alps, France  

Discoverer
William Smith  
Dolomieu  

Etymology
From oo- + -lite, after German Oolit. A rock consisting of fine grains of carbonate of lime  
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, Medium Hardness Rock  
Durable Rock, Medium Hardness Rock  

Family
  
  

Group
Volcanic  
-  

Other Categories
Fine Grained Rock, Opaque Rock  
Coarse Grained Rock, Fine Grained Rock, Medium Grained Rock, Opaque Rock  

Texture

Texture
Clastic or Non-Clastic  
Earthy  

Color
Black, Blue, Brown, Cream, Green, Grey, Pink, Red, Silver, White, Yellow  
Black, Brown, Green, Grey, Pink, White  

Maintenance
Less  
Less  

Durability
Durable  
Durable  

Water Resistant
No  
No  

Scratch Resistant
Yes  
Yes  

Stain Resistant
Yes  
No  

Wind Resistant
No  
No  

Acid Resistant
No  
No  

Appearance
Rounded and Rough  
Glassy or Pearly  

Uses

Architecture
  
  

Interior Uses
Decorative Aggregates, Flooring, Interior Decoration  
Decorative Aggregates, Homes, Interior Decoration  

Exterior Uses
As Building Stone, As Facing Stone, Garden Decoration, Paving Stone  
Garden Decoration, Office Buildings  

Other Architectural Uses
-  
-  

Industry
  
  

Construction Industry
Cement Manufacture, Cobblestones, Landscaping  
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
-  
Taken as a Supplement for Calcium or Magnesium  

Antiquity Uses
Artifacts  
Artifacts, Jewellery, Monuments, Sculpture, Small Figurines  

Other Uses
  
  

Commercial Uses
Creating Artwork, Jewelry, Used in aquariums  
An Oil and Gas Reservoir, As a Feed Additive for Livestock, Gemstone, Metallurgical Flux, Production of Lime, Soil Conditioner, Source of Magnesia (MgO)  

Types

Types
Pisolitic Oolite and Oncolitic Oolite  
Boninite and Jasperoid  

Features
Available in lots of colors, Generally rough to touch, Very fine grained rock  
Host Rock for Lead, Traps for subsurface fluids like Oil and Natural Gas., Zinc and Copper Deposits  

Archaeological Significance
  
  

Monuments
-  
-  

Famous Monuments
-  
-  

Sculpture
-  
-  

Famous Sculptures
-  
-  

Pictographs
-  
-  

Petroglyphs
-  
-  

Figurines
-  
-  

Fossils
Present  
Present  

Formation

Formation
Oolites form when layers of calcite are deposited around a sand grain or fossil piece and are rolled around in calm water, which makes them round.  
Dolomite rocks are originally deposited as calcite or aragonite rich limestone, but during diagenesis process, the calcite or aragonite is transformed into dolomite.  

Composition
  
  

Mineral Content
Calcite, Chert, Clay, Dolomite, Quartz, Sand, Silt  
Clay Minerals, Pyrite, Quartz, Sulfides  

Compound Content
Aluminium Oxide, Ca, NaCl, CaO, Iron(III) Oxide, FeO, MgO  
NaCl, CaO, Carbon Dioxide, Magnesium Carbonate, MgO  

Transformation
  
  

Metamorphism
No  
Yes  

Types of Metamorphism
-  
Burial Metamorphism, Cataclastic Metamorphism, Contact Metamorphism  

Weathering
Yes  
No  

Types of Weathering
Biological Weathering, Chemical Weathering, Mechanical Weathering  
-  

Erosion
Yes  
No  

Types of Erosion
Chemical Erosion, Coastal Erosion  
-  

Properties

Physical Properties
  
  

Hardness
3-4  
3.5-4  

Grain Size
Fine Grained  
Medium to Fine Coarse Grained  

Fracture
Conchoidal  
Conchoidal  

Streak
White  
White  

Porosity
Less Porous  
Less Porous  

Luster
Pearly to Shiny  
Vitreous and Pearly  

Compressive Strength
40.00 N/mm2  
40
140.00 N/mm2  
23

Cleavage
-  
Perfect  

Toughness
1  
1  

Specific Gravity
-9999  
2.8-3  

Transparency
Opaque  
Transparent to Translucent  

Density
-9999 g/cm3  
2.8-2.9 g/cm3  

Thermal Properties
  
  

Specific Heat Capacity
0.65 kJ/Kg K  
25
0.92 kJ/Kg K  
10

Resistance
Heat Resistant, Wear Resistant  
Heat Resistant, Pressure Resistant, Wear Resistant  

Reserves

Deposits in Eastern Continents
  
  

Asia
Brunei, India, Indonesia, Malaysia, Singapore, Thailand, Vietnam  
China, India  

Africa
Cameroon, Chad, Ghana, Kenya, Malawi, Sudan, Tanzania, Togo, Zambia, Zimbabwe  
Morocco, Namibia  

Europe
United Kingdom  
Austria, Italy, Romania, Spain, Switzerland  

Others
-  
-  

Deposits in Western Continents
  
  

North America
USA  
Mexico, USA  

South America
Colombia  
Brazil, Colombia  

Deposits in Oceania Continent
  
  

Australia
Adelaide, New Zealand, Queensland, Victoria, Yorke Peninsula  
New South Wales, Queensland, Yorke Peninsula  

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Oolite vs Dolomite Information

Earth’s outer layer is covered by rocks and these rocks have different physical and chemical properties. As two rocks are not same, it’s fun to compare them. You can also know more about Oolite and Dolomite Reserves. Oolite is a sedimentary rock formed from ooids, spherical grains which are composed of concentric layers of calcite. Dolomite is a sedimentary rock containing more than 50 percent of the mineral dolomite by weight. These rocks are composed of many distinct minerals. The process of formation of rocks is different for various rocks. Rocks are quarried from many years for various purposes. You can check out Oolite vs Dolomite information and Oolite vs Dolomite characteristics in the upcoming sections.

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Oolite 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. Oolite vs Dolomite characteristics assist us to distinguish and recognize rocks. Also you can check about Properties of Oolite and Properties of Dolomite. Learn more about Oolite vs Dolomite in the next section. The interior uses of Oolite include Decorative aggregates, Flooring and Interior decoration whereas the interior uses of Dolomite include Decorative aggregates, Homes and Interior decoration. Due to some exceptional properties of Oolite and Dolomite, they have various applications in construction industry. The uses of Oolite in construction industry include Cement manufacture, Cobblestones, Landscaping 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 Oolite and Dolomite

Here you can know more about Oolite and Dolomite. The life cycle of a rock consists of formation of rock, composition of rock and transformation of rock. The composition of Oolite and Dolomite consists of mineral content and compound content. The mineral content of Oolite includes Calcite, Chert, Clay, Dolomite, Quartz, Sand, Silt 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 Oolite vs Dolomite, the texture, color and appearance plays an important role in determining the type of rock. Oolite is available in black, blue, brown, cream, green, grey, pink, red, silver, white, yellow colors whereas, Dolomite is available in black, brown, green, grey, pink, white colors. Appearance of Oolite is Rounded and Rough and that of Dolomite is Glassy or Pearly. Properties of rock is another aspect for Oolite vs Dolomite. The hardness of Oolite is 3-4 and that of Dolomite is 3.5-4. The types of Oolite are Pisolitic Oolite and Oncolitic Oolite 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 Oolite and Dolomite is white. The specific heat capacity of Oolite is 0.65 kJ/Kg K 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.Oolite is heat resistant, wear resistant whereas Dolomite is heat resistant, pressure resistant, wear resistant.

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