Definition
Oolite is a sedimentary rock formed from ooids, spherical grains which are composed of concentric layers of calcite
Tonalite is a coarse-grained plutonic rock consisting mainly of sodic plagioclase, quartz, and hornblende or other mafic minerals with phaneritic texture
Origin
Unknown
Tonale, Italy
Discoverer
Unknown
Unknown
Etymology
From oo- + -lite, after German Oolit. A rock consisting of fine grains of carbonate of lime
From Tonale Pass, northern Italy, + -ite1
Class
Sedimentary Rocks
Igneous Rocks
Sub-Class
Durable Rock, Medium Hardness Rock
Durable Rock, Hard Rock
Other Categories
Fine Grained Rock, Opaque Rock
Coarse Grained Rock, Fine Grained Rock, Medium Grained Rock, Opaque Rock
Texture
Clastic or Non-Clastic
Phaneritic
Color
Black, Blue, Brown, Cream, Green, Grey, Pink, Red, Silver, White, Yellow
Black, Brown, Light to Dark Grey, White
Durability
Durable
Durable
Scratch Resistant
Yes
Yes
Appearance
Rounded and Rough
Banded and Foilated
Interior Uses
Decorative Aggregates, Flooring, Interior Decoration
Decorative Aggregates, Entryways, Flooring, Homes, Interior Decoration
Exterior Uses
As Building Stone, As Facing Stone, Garden Decoration, Paving Stone
As Building Stone, As Facing Stone, Paving Stone, Garden Decoration, Office Buildings
Other Architectural Uses
Not Yet Used
Curbing
Construction Industry
Cement Manufacture, Cobblestones, Landscaping
As Dimension Stone, Cement Manufacture, Cobblestones, Construction Aggregate, for Road Aggregate
Medical Industry
Not Yet Used
Not Yet Used
Antiquity Uses
Artifacts
Artifacts, Sculpture
Commercial Uses
Creating Artwork, Jewelry, Used in aquariums
Cemetery Markers, Creating Artwork
Types
Not Available
Dacite
Features
Available in lots of colors, Generally rough to touch, Very fine grained rock
Is one of the oldest rock, Typically speckled black and white.
Archaeological Significance
Monuments
Not Yet Used
Not Yet Used
Famous Monuments
Not Applicable
Not Applicable
Sculpture
Not Yet Used
Used
Famous Sculptures
Not Applicable
Data Not Available
Pictographs
Used
Not Used
Petroglyphs
Used
Not Used
Figurines
Not Yet Used
Used
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.
When alkali feldspar is extracted from granite, it changes to granitoid and later, it becomes tonalite with quartz as major mineral.
Mineral Content
Calcite, Chert, Clay, Dolomite, Quartz, Sand, Silt
Albite, Amphibole, Apatite, Biotite, Feldspar, Hornblade, Ilmenite, Magnetite, Manganese Oxides, Olivine, Plagioclase, Pyroxene, Quartz, Sulfides, Titanite, Zircon
Compound Content
Aluminium Oxide, Ca, NaCl, CaO, Iron(III) Oxide, FeO, MgO
NaCl, CaO, MgO, Silicon Dioxide
Types of Metamorphism
Not Applicable
Burial Metamorphism, Cataclastic Metamorphism, Contact Metamorphism, Hydrothermal Metamorphism, Impact Metamorphism, Regional Metamorphism
Types of Weathering
Biological Weathering, Chemical Weathering, Mechanical Weathering
Biological Weathering, Chemical Weathering, Mechanical Weathering
Types of Erosion
Chemical Erosion, Coastal Erosion
Wind Erosion
Grain Size
Fine Grained
Medium to Fine Coarse Grained
Fracture
Conchoidal
Conchoidal
Streak
White
Bluish Black
Porosity
Less Porous
Very Less Porous
Luster
Pearly to Shiny
Subvitreous to Dull
Cleavage
Non-Existent
Not Available
Specific Gravity
Not Available
2.86-3
Transparency
Opaque
Opaque
Density
Not Available
2.73 g/cm3
Specific Heat Capacity
Not Available
Resistance
Heat Resistant, Wear Resistant
Heat Resistant, Pressure Resistant, Water Resistant
Deposits in Eastern Continents
Asia
Brunei, India, Indonesia, Malaysia, Singapore, Thailand, Vietnam
Not Yet Found
Africa
Cameroon, Chad, Ghana, Kenya, Malawi, Sudan, Tanzania, Togo, Zambia, Zimbabwe
Egypt
Europe
United Kingdom
Finland, Germany, Italy, Romania, Sweden, Turkey
Others
Not Yet Found
Not Yet Found
Deposits in Western Continents
South America
Colombia
Argentina, Bolivia, Chile, Colombia, Ecuador, Peru
Deposits in Oceania Continent
Australia
Adelaide, New Zealand, Queensland, Tonga, Victoria, Yorke Peninsula
New Zealand, South Australia, Western Australia
Oolite vs Tonalite 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 Tonalite characteristics assist us to distinguish and recognize rocks. Also you can check about Properties of Oolite and Properties of Tonalite. Learn more about Oolite vs Tonalite in the next section. The interior uses of Oolite include Decorative aggregates, Flooring and Interior decoration whereas the interior uses of Tonalite include Decorative aggregates, Entryways, Flooring, Homes and Interior decoration. Due to some exceptional properties of Oolite and Tonalite, they have various applications in construction industry. The uses of Oolite in construction industry include Cement manufacture, Cobblestones, Landscaping and that of Tonalite include As dimension stone, Cement manufacture, Cobblestones, Construction aggregate, For road aggregate.
More about Oolite and Tonalite
Here you can know more about Oolite and Tonalite. The life cycle of a rock consists of formation of rock, composition of rock and transformation of rock. The composition of Oolite and Tonalite consists of mineral content and compound content. The mineral content of Oolite includes Calcite, Chert, Clay, Dolomite, Quartz, Sand, Silt and mineral content of Tonalite includes Albite, Amphibole, Apatite, Biotite, Feldspar, Hornblade, Ilmenite, Magnetite, Manganese Oxides, Olivine, Plagioclase, Pyroxene, Quartz, Sulfides, Titanite, Zircon. You can also check out the list of all Sedimentary Rocks. When we have to compare Oolite vs Tonalite, 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, Tonalite is available in black, brown, light to dark grey, white colors. Appearance of Oolite is Rounded and Rough and that of Tonalite is Banded and Foilated. Properties of rock is another aspect for Oolite vs Tonalite. The hardness of Oolite is 3-4 and that of Tonalite is 6-7. The types of Oolite are Not Available whereas types of Tonalite are Dacite. Streak of rock is the color of powder produced when it is dragged across an unweathered surface. The streak of Oolite is white while that of Tonalite is bluish black. The specific heat capacity of Oolite is Not Available and that of Tonalite 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 Tonalite is heat resistant, pressure resistant, water resistant.