Definition
Pumice is a volcanic rock that consists of highly vesicular rough textured volcanic glass, which may or may not contain crystals
Dunite is a green to brownish coarse-grained igneous rock mainly consisting of olivine
Discoverer
Unknown
Ferdinand von Hochstetter
Etymology
From Old French pomis, from a Latin dialect variant of pumex
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
Other Categories
Fine Grained Rock, Opaque Rock
Coarse Grained Rock, Opaque Rock
Texture
Vesicular
Phaneritic
Color
Beige, Colourless, Grey, Light Green, Light Grey, Pink, White, Yellow- grey
Dark Greenish - Grey
Durability
Durable
Durable
Scratch Resistant
Yes
Yes
Appearance
Vesicular
Rough and Shiny
Interior Uses
Decorative Aggregates, Flooring, Homes, Interior Decoration
Decorative Aggregates, Interior Decoration
Exterior Uses
As Building Stone, As Facing Stone, Garden Decoration, Paving Stone
As Building Stone, As Facing Stone, Garden Decoration, Paving Stone
Other Architectural Uses
Curbing, Powder
Curbing
Construction Industry
As Dimension Stone, Cement Manufacture, for Road Aggregate, In landscaping and horticulture, Making natural cement, Production of lightweight concrete blocks
As Dimension Stone, Cement Manufacture, Construction Aggregate, for Road Aggregate, Making natural cement, Raw material for the manufacture of mortar
Medical Industry
As an abrasive in skin exfoliating products, In Chemical and Pharmaceutical Industry, Medicines and Cosmetics
Not Yet Used
Antiquity Uses
Artifacts
Artifacts, Monuments, Sculpture, Small Figurines
Commercial Uses
As a traction material on snow-covered roads, As an abrasive in pencil erasers, Fine abrasive used for polishing, Manufacture of Soap, Solvents, Dyes, Plastics and Fibres, Used in aquariums
Creating Artwork, Gemstone, Jewelry, Source of Chromite, Platinum, Nickel and Garnet, Source of Diamonds
Types
Scoria
Not Available
Features
Host Rock for Lead
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
Not Yet Used
Used
Famous Monuments
Not Applicable
Data Not Available
Sculpture
Not Yet Used
Used
Famous Sculptures
Not Applicable
Data Not Available
Figurines
Not Yet Used
Used
Formation
Pumice rock forms when the magma cools so quickly that atoms in the melt are not able to arrange themselves into a crystalline structure.
Dunite is a plutonic ultramafic igneous rock consisting almost m olivine. It can be formed in two ways.
Mineral Content
Aluminum Oxides, Calcite, Carbonate, Iron Oxides, Silica
Amphibole, Chromite, Garnet, Magnesium, Olivine, Phlogopite, Plagioclase, Pyroxene
Compound Content
Al, Aluminium Oxide, CaO, Carbon Dioxide, MgO, Silicon Dioxide
Ca, CaO, Fe, Potassium, Silicon Dioxide, Sodium, Titanium Dioxide
Types of Metamorphism
Burial Metamorphism, Impact Metamorphism
Burial Metamorphism, Cataclastic Metamorphism, Contact Metamorphism
Types of Weathering
Biological Weathering, Chemical Weathering, Mechanical Weathering
Biological Weathering, Chemical Weathering, Mechanical Weathering
Types of Erosion
Chemical Erosion, Coastal Erosion, Glacier Erosion, Sea Erosion, Water Erosion, Wind Erosion
Coastal Erosion, Glacier Erosion, Water Erosion
Grain Size
Fine Grained
Coarse Grained
Fracture
Planar
Irregular
Streak
White, Greenish White or Grey
White
Porosity
Highly Porous
Less Porous
Cleavage
Perfect
Imperfect
Specific Gravity
2.86
3-3.01
Transparency
Opaque
Translucent to Opaque
Density
0.25-0.3 g/cm3
2.84-2.85 g/cm3
Resistance
Impact Resistant, Pressure 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
Ethiopia, Kenya, Tanzania
Morocco, South Africa
Europe
Greece, Hungary, Iceland, Italy, Turkey
Finland, France, Georgia, Germany, Great Britain, Italy, Kazakhstan, Netherlands, Norway, Spain, Switzerland, Venezuela
Others
Not Yet Found
Not Yet Found
Deposits in Western Continents
North America
Bahamas, Barbados, Canada, Costa Rica, Cuba, Jamaica, Mexico, USA
Canada, USA
South America
Argentina, Chile, Ecuador, Peru
Argentina, Brazil, Colombia, Ecuador, Venezuela
Deposits in Oceania Continent
Australia
New Zealand, Western Australia
New Zealand, Western Australia
Pumice vs Dunite 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. Pumice vs Dunite characteristics assist us to distinguish and recognize rocks. Also you can check about Properties of Pumice and Properties of Dunite. Learn more about Pumice vs Dunite in the next section. The interior uses of Pumice include Decorative aggregates, Flooring, Homes and Interior decoration whereas the interior uses of Dunite include Decorative aggregates and Interior decoration. Due to some exceptional properties of Pumice and Dunite, they have various applications in construction industry. The uses of Pumice in construction industry include As dimension stone, Cement manufacture, For road aggregate, In landscaping and horticulture, Making natural cement, Production of lightweight concrete blocks and that of Dunite include As dimension stone, Cement manufacture, Construction aggregate, For road aggregate, Making natural cement, Raw material for the manufacture of mortar.
More about Pumice and Dunite
Here you can know more about Pumice and Dunite. The life cycle of a rock consists of formation of rock, composition of rock and transformation of rock. The composition of Pumice and Dunite consists of mineral content and compound content. The mineral content of Pumice includes Aluminum Oxides, Calcite, Carbonate, Iron Oxides, Silica and mineral content of Dunite includes Amphibole, Chromite, Garnet, Magnesium, Olivine, Phlogopite, Plagioclase, Pyroxene. You can also check out the list of all Igneous Rocks. When we have to compare Pumice vs Dunite, the texture, color and appearance plays an important role in determining the type of rock. Pumice is available in beige, colourless, grey, light green, light grey, pink, white, yellow- grey colors whereas, Dunite is available in dark greenish - grey colors. Appearance of Pumice is Vesicular and that of Dunite is Rough and Shiny. Properties of rock is another aspect for Pumice vs Dunite. The hardness of Pumice is 6 and that of Dunite is 3.5-4. The types of Pumice are Scoria whereas types of Dunite are Not Available. Streak of rock is the color of powder produced when it is dragged across an unweathered surface. The streak of Pumice and Dunite is white, greenish white or grey. The specific heat capacity of Pumice is 0.87 kJ/Kg K and that of Dunite is 1.25 kJ/Kg K. Depending on the properties like hardness, toughness, specific heat capacity, porosity etc., rocks are resistant to heat, wear, impact, etc.Pumice is impact resistant, pressure resistant whereas Dunite is heat resistant, pressure resistant, wear resistant.