Definition
Schist is a medium grade metamorphic rock with medium to large, flat, sheet like grains in a preferred orientation
  
Dunite is a green to brownish coarse-grained igneous rock mainly consisting of olivine
  
History
  
  
Origin
Unknown
  
New Zealand
  
Discoverer
Unknown
  
Ferdinand von Hochstetter
  
Etymology
From French schiste, Greek skhistos i.e. split
  
From the name of Dun Mountain, New Zealand, + -ite1
  
Class
Metamorphic Rocks
  
Igneous Rocks
  
Sub-Class
Durable Rock, Medium Hardness Rock
  
Durable Rock, Medium Hardness Rock
  
Family
  
  
Group
Not Applicable
  
Plutonic
  
Other Categories
Coarse Grained Rock, Fine Grained Rock, Medium Grained Rock, Opaque Rock
  
Coarse Grained Rock, Opaque Rock
  
Texture
Foliated, Platy
  
Phaneritic
  
Color
Black, Blue, Brown, Dark Brown, Green, Grey, Silver
  
Dark Greenish - Grey
  
Maintenance
Less
  
Less
  
Durability
Durable
  
Durable
  
Water Resistant
Yes
  
Yes
  
Scratch Resistant
No
  
Yes
  
Stain Resistant
No
  
Yes
  
Wind Resistant
No
  
No
  
Acid Resistant
No
  
No
  
Appearance
Layered and Shiny
  
Rough and Shiny
  
Architecture
  
  
Interior Uses
Decorative Aggregates, Floor Tiles, Interior Decoration
  
Decorative Aggregates, Interior Decoration
  
Exterior Uses
Garden Decoration, Paving Stone
  
As Building Stone, As Facing Stone, Garden Decoration, Paving Stone
  
Other Architectural Uses
Not Yet Used
  
Curbing
  
Industry
  
  
Construction Industry
As Dimension Stone, Building houses or walls, Cement Manufacture, for Road Aggregate, Roadstone
  
As Dimension Stone, Cement Manufacture, Construction Aggregate, for Road Aggregate, Making natural cement, Raw material for the manufacture of mortar
  
Medical Industry
Not Yet Used
  
Not Yet Used
  
Antiquity Uses
Artifacts
  
Artifacts, Monuments, Sculpture, Small Figurines
  
Other Uses
  
  
Commercial Uses
Used in aquariums, Writing Slates
  
Creating Artwork, Gemstone, Jewelry, Source of Chromite, Platinum, Nickel and Garnet, Source of Diamonds
  
Types
Mica Schists, Calc-Silicate Schists, Graphite Schists, Blueschists, Whiteschists, Greenschists, Hornblende Schist, Talc Schist, Chlorite Schist, Garnet Schist, Glaucophane schist.
  
Not Available
  
Features
Easily splits into thin plates, Smooth to touch
  
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
  
Pictographs
Used
  
Used
  
Petroglyphs
Used
  
Used
  
Figurines
Not Yet Used
  
Used
  
Fossils
Absent
  
Absent
  
Formation
Schist formed by dynamic metamorphism at high temperatures and pressures that aligns the grains of mica, hornblende and other elongated minerals into thin layers.
  
Dunite is a plutonic ultramafic igneous rock consisting almost m olivine. It can be formed in two ways.
  
Composition
  
  
Mineral Content
Alusite, Amphibole, Biotite, Chlorite, Epidote, Feldspar, Garnet, Graphite, Hornblade, Kyanite, Micas, Muscovite or Illite, Porphyroblasts, Quartz, Sillimanite, Staurolite, Talc
  
Amphibole, Chromite, Garnet, Magnesium, Olivine, Phlogopite, Plagioclase, Pyroxene
  
Compound Content
CaO, Carbon Dioxide, MgO
  
Ca, CaO, Fe, Potassium, Silicon Dioxide, Sodium, Titanium Dioxide
  
Transformation
  
  
Metamorphism
No
  
Yes
  
Types of Metamorphism
Not Applicable
  
Burial Metamorphism, Cataclastic Metamorphism, Contact Metamorphism
  
Weathering
Yes
  
Yes
  
Types of Weathering
Biological Weathering, Chemical Weathering, Mechanical Weathering
  
Biological Weathering, Chemical Weathering, Mechanical Weathering
  
Erosion
Yes
  
Yes
  
Types of Erosion
Chemical Erosion, Coastal Erosion, Glacier Erosion
  
Coastal Erosion, Glacier Erosion, Water Erosion
  
Physical Properties
  
  
Hardness
3.5-4
  
3.5-4
  
Grain Size
Medium to Fine Coarse Grained
  
Coarse Grained
  
Fracture
Conchoidal
  
Irregular
  
Streak
White
  
White
  
Porosity
Highly Porous
  
Less Porous
  
Luster
Shiny
  
Shiny
  
Compressive Strength
Not Available
  
107.55 N/mm
2
  
19
Cleavage
Slaty
  
Imperfect
  
Toughness
1.5
  
2.1
  
Specific Gravity
2.5-2.9
  
3-3.01
  
Transparency
Opaque
  
Translucent to Opaque
  
Density
2.8-2.9 g/cm3
  
2.84-2.85 g/cm3
  
Thermal Properties
  
  
Specific Heat Capacity
Not Available
  
1.25 kJ/Kg K
  
6
Resistance
Impact Resistant, Pressure Resistant, Water Resistant
  
Heat Resistant, Pressure Resistant, Wear Resistant
  
Deposits in Eastern Continents
  
  
Asia
Afghanistan, Bangladesh, Bhutan, China, India, Japan, Kazakhstan, Malaysia, Pakistan, Russia, Thailand, Turkey, Vietnam
  
China, India, Indonesia, Kazakhstan, Russia, South Korea, Thailand, Turkey
  
Africa
Egypt, Ethiopia, Morocco, Nigeria, South Africa
  
Morocco, South Africa
  
Europe
Austria, England, France, Georgia, Germany, Italy, Liechtenstein, Monaco, Norway, Slovenia, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland
  
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
Canada, Costa Rica, Cuba, Mexico, Panama, USA
  
Canada, USA
  
South America
Brazil, Colombia, Guyana
  
Argentina, Brazil, Colombia, Ecuador, Venezuela
  
Deposits in Oceania Continent
  
  
Australia
New South Wales, New Zealand, Queensland
  
New Zealand, Western Australia
  
Schist 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. Schist vs Dunite characteristics assist us to distinguish and recognize rocks. Also you can check about Properties of Schist and Properties of Dunite. Learn more about Schist vs Dunite in the next section. The interior uses of Schist include Decorative aggregates, Floor tiles and Interior decoration whereas the interior uses of Dunite include Decorative aggregates and Interior decoration. Due to some exceptional properties of Schist and Dunite, they have various applications in construction industry. The uses of Schist in construction industry include As dimension stone, Building houses or walls, Cement manufacture, For road aggregate, Roadstone 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 Schist and Dunite
Here you can know more about Schist and Dunite. The life cycle of a rock consists of formation of rock, composition of rock and transformation of rock. The composition of Schist and Dunite consists of mineral content and compound content. The mineral content of Schist includes Alusite, Amphibole, Biotite, Chlorite, Epidote, Feldspar, Garnet, Graphite, Hornblade, Kyanite, Micas, Muscovite or Illite, Porphyroblasts, Quartz, Sillimanite, Staurolite, Talc and mineral content of Dunite includes Amphibole, Chromite, Garnet, Magnesium, Olivine, Phlogopite, Plagioclase, Pyroxene. You can also check out the list of all Metamorphic Rocks. When we have to compare Schist vs Dunite, the texture, color and appearance plays an important role in determining the type of rock. Schist is available in black, blue, brown, dark brown, green, grey, silver colors whereas, Dunite is available in dark greenish - grey colors. Appearance of Schist is Layered and Shiny and that of Dunite is Rough and Shiny. Properties of rock is another aspect for Schist vs Dunite. Hardness of Schist and Dunite is 3.5-4. The types of Schist are Mica Schists, Calc-Silicate Schists, Graphite Schists, Blueschists, Whiteschists, Greenschists, Hornblende Schist, Talc Schist, Chlorite Schist, Garnet Schist, Glaucophane schist. 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 Schist and Dunite is white. The specific heat capacity of Schist is Not Available 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.Schist is impact resistant, pressure resistant, water resistant whereas Dunite is heat resistant, pressure resistant, wear resistant.