Definition
Shoshonite is a basaltic rock, properly a potassic trachyandesite, composed of olivine, augite and plagioclase phenocrysts in a groundmass with calcic plagioclase and sanidine and some dark-colored volcanic glass
Dunite is a green to brownish coarse-grained igneous rock mainly consisting of olivine
History
Origin
Wyoming,USA
New Zealand
Discoverer
Iddings
Ferdinand von Hochstetter
Etymology
From the place of origin called Shoshone riverin Wyoming
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
Family
Group
Volcanic
Plutonic
Other Categories
Coarse Grained Rock, Fine Grained Rock, Medium Grained Rock, Opaque Rock
Coarse Grained Rock, Opaque Rock
Texture
Porphyritic
Phaneritic
Color
Brown- Black, Dark Brown
Dark Greenish - Grey
Maintenance
Less
Less
Durability
Durable
Durable
Water Resistant
✔
✘
✔
✘
Scratch Resistant
✔
✘
✔
✘
Stain Resistant
✔
✘
✔
✘
Wind Resistant
✔
✘
✔
✘
Acid Resistant
✔
✘
✔
✘
Appearance
Dull
Rough and Shiny
Architecture
Interior Uses
Decorative Aggregates, Homes, Interior Decoration
Decorative Aggregates, Interior Decoration
Exterior Uses
As Building Stone, As Facing Stone
As Building Stone, As Facing Stone, Garden Decoration, Paving Stone
Other Architectural Uses
Curbing
Curbing
Industry
Construction Industry
As Dimension Stone, Cobblestones, Rail Track Ballast, Roadstone
As Dimension Stone, Cement Manufacture, Construction Aggregate, for Road Aggregate, Making natural cement, Raw material for the manufacture of mortar
Medical Industry
-
-
Antiquity Uses
Sculpture
Artifacts, Monuments, Sculpture, Small Figurines
Other Uses
Commercial Uses
Cemetery Markers, Creating Artwork
Creating Artwork, Gemstone, Jewelry, Source of Chromite, Platinum, Nickel and Garnet, Source of Diamonds
Types
Intermediate volcanic rock
Dunite
Features
Has High structural resistance against erosion and climate, Very fine grained rock
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
-
-
Famous Monuments
-
-
Sculpture
-
-
Famous Sculptures
-
-
Pictographs
-
-
Petroglyphs
-
-
Figurines
-
-
Fossils
Absent
Absent
Formation
Shoshonite is a fine-grained, hard rock which is a type of metasomatite, essentially altered basalt. It forms with or without crystallization, either below the surface as intrusive rocks or on the surface as extrusive rocks.
Dunite is a plutonic ultramafic igneous rock consisting almost m olivine. It can be formed in two ways.
Composition
Mineral Content
Pyroxene
Amphibole, Chromite, Garnet, Magnesium, Olivine, Phlogopite, Plagioclase, Pyroxene
Compound Content
Aluminium Oxide, Iron(III) Oxide, Potassium Oxide, Sodium Oxide, Titanium Dioxide
Ca, CaO, Fe, Potassium, Silicon Dioxide, Sodium, Titanium Dioxide
Transformation
Metamorphism
✔
✘
✔
✘
Types of Metamorphism
Burial Metamorphism, Cataclastic Metamorphism, Contact Metamorphism
Burial Metamorphism, Cataclastic Metamorphism, Contact Metamorphism
Weathering
✔
✘
✔
✘
Types of Weathering
Biological Weathering, Chemical Weathering, Mechanical Weathering
Biological Weathering, Chemical Weathering, Mechanical Weathering
Erosion
✔
✘
✔
✘
Types of Erosion
Chemical Erosion, Coastal Erosion, Glacier Erosion
Coastal Erosion, Glacier Erosion, Water Erosion
Physical Properties
Hardness
63.5-4
1
7
👆🏻
Grain Size
Medium to Fine Coarse Grained
Coarse Grained
Fracture
Uneven
Irregular
Streak
White to Grey
White
Porosity
Less Porous
Less Porous
Luster
Dull
Shiny
Compressive Strength
175.00 N/mm2107.55 N/mm2
0.15
450
👆🏻
Cleavage
-
-
Toughness
1.6
2.1
Specific Gravity
2.983-3.01
0
8.4
👆🏻
Transparency
Opaque
Translucent to Opaque
Density
2.9-3 g/cm32.84-2.85 g/cm3
0
1400
👆🏻
Thermal Properties
Specific Heat Capacity
0.79 kJ/Kg K1.25 kJ/Kg K
0.14
3.2
👆🏻
Resistance
Heat Resistant, Pressure Resistant
Heat Resistant, Pressure Resistant, Wear Resistant
Deposits in Eastern Continents
Asia
India, Russia
China, India, Indonesia, Kazakhstan, Russia, South Korea, Thailand, Turkey
Africa
South Africa
Morocco, South Africa
Europe
Iceland
Finland, France, Georgia, Germany, Great Britain, Italy, Kazakhstan, Netherlands, Norway, Spain, Switzerland
Others
-
-
Deposits in Western Continents
North America
Canada, USA
Canada, USA
South America
Brazil
Argentina, Brazil, Colombia, Ecuador, Venezuela
Deposits in Oceania Continent
Australia
-
New Zealand, Western Australia