Syenite

Dunite

Syenite vs Dunite

Syenite

Dunite

Add ⊕

Definition

Syenite is a coarse-grained igneous rock which is composed mainly of alkali feldspar and various ferromagnesian minerals

Dunite is a green to brownish coarse-grained igneous rock mainly consisting of olivine

History

Origin

New Zealand

Discoverer

Unknown

Ferdinand von Hochstetter

Etymology

From French syénite, from Latin Syenites (lapis ) (stone) of Syene

From the name of Dun Mountain, New Zealand, + -ite1

Class

Igneous Rocks

Sub-Class

Durable Rock, Medium Hardness Rock

Family

Group

Plutonic

Other Categories

Coarse Grained Rock, Fine Grained Rock, Medium Grained Rock, Opaque Rock

Coarse Grained Rock, Opaque Rock

Texture

Earthy

Phaneritic

Color

Brown, Buff, Cream, Green, Grey, Pink, White

Dark Greenish - Grey

Maintenance

Less

Durability

Durable

Water Resistant

✔ ✘

Scratch Resistant

✔ ✘

Stain Resistant

✔ ✘

Wind Resistant

✔ ✘

Acid Resistant

✔ ✘

Appearance

Banded and Foilated

Rough and Shiny

Uses

Architecture

Interior Uses

Flooring, Homes, Hotels, Interior Decoration

Decorative Aggregates, Interior Decoration

Exterior Uses

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

As Building Stone, As Facing Stone, Garden Decoration, Paving Stone

Other Architectural Uses

Curbing

Industry

Construction Industry

As Dimension Stone, Cement Manufacture, Construction Aggregate, for Road Aggregate, Landscaping, Making natural cement, Manufacture of Magnesium and Dolomite Refractories

As Dimension Stone, Cement Manufacture, Construction Aggregate, for Road Aggregate, Making natural cement, Raw material for the manufacture of mortar

Medical Industry

Antiquity Uses

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

Shonkinite

Dunite

Features

Available in Lots of Colors and Patterns, Is one of the oldest rock, Matrix variable

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

Formation

Syenites are formed due to alkaline igneous activities and are generally formed in thick continental crustal areas or in Cordilleran subduction zones.

Dunite is a plutonic ultramafic igneous rock consisting almost m olivine. It can be formed in two ways.

Composition

Mineral Content

Amphibole, Biotite, Feldspar, Hornblade, Micas, Muscovite or Illite, Plagioclase, Pyroxene, Quartz

Amphibole, Chromite, Garnet, Magnesium, Olivine, Phlogopite, Plagioclase, Pyroxene

Compound Content

Aluminium Oxide, CaO, Iron(III) Oxide, FeO, Potassium Oxide, MgO, MnO, Sodium Oxide, Phosphorus Pentoxide, Silicon Dioxide, Titanium Dioxide

Ca, CaO, Fe, Potassium, Silicon Dioxide, Sodium, Titanium Dioxide

Transformation

Metamorphism

✔ ✘

Types of Metamorphism

Burial Metamorphism, Cataclastic Metamorphism, Contact Metamorphism, Hydrothermal Metamorphism, Impact Metamorphism, Regional Metamorphism

Burial Metamorphism, Cataclastic Metamorphism, Contact Metamorphism

Weathering

✔ ✘

Types of Weathering

Biological Weathering, Chemical Weathering, Mechanical Weathering

Erosion

✔ ✘

Types of Erosion

Chemical Erosion, Coastal Erosion, Glacier Erosion, Sea Erosion, Water Erosion, Wind Erosion

Coastal Erosion, Glacier Erosion, Water Erosion

Properties

Physical Properties

Hardness

5.5-63.5-4

1 7

👆🏻

Grain Size

Medium to Fine Coarse Grained

Coarse Grained

Fracture

Irregular

Streak

White

Porosity

Less Porous

Luster

Subvitreous to Dull

Shiny

Compressive Strength

150.00 N/mm²107.55 N/mm²

0.15 450

👆🏻

Cleavage

Perfect

Toughness

2.1

Specific Gravity

2.6-2.73-3.01

0 8.4

👆🏻

Transparency

Opaque

Translucent to Opaque

Density

2.6-2.8 g/cm³2.84-2.85 g/cm³

0 1400

👆🏻

Thermal Properties

Specific Heat Capacity

0.92 kJ/Kg K1.25 kJ/Kg K

0.14 3.2

👆🏻

Resistance

Heat Resistant, Impact Resistant, Wear Resistant

Heat Resistant, Pressure Resistant, Wear Resistant

Reserves

Deposits in Eastern Continents

Asia

China, India, Iran, Saudi Arabia, Sri Lanka, Taiwan, Thailand, Turkey, Vietnam

China, India, Indonesia, Kazakhstan, Russia, South Korea, Thailand, Turkey

Africa

Angola, Egypt, Madagascar, Namibia, Nigeria, South Africa

Morocco, South Africa

Europe

Bulgaria, England, Germany, Norway, Romania, Switzerland

Finland, France, Georgia, Germany, Great Britain, Italy, Kazakhstan, Netherlands, Norway, Spain, Switzerland

Others

Deposits in Western Continents

North America

USA

Canada, USA

South America

Brazil, Chile

Argentina, Brazil, Colombia, Ecuador, Venezuela

Deposits in Oceania Continent

Australia

New Zealand, Queensland, South Australia, Western Australia

New Zealand, Western Australia

Syenite vs Dunite 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 Syenite and Dunite Reserves. Syenite is a coarse-grained igneous rock which is composed mainly of alkali feldspar and various ferromagnesian minerals. Dunite is a green to brownish coarse-grained igneous rock mainly consisting of olivine. 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 Syenite vs Dunite information and Syenite vs Dunite characteristics in the upcoming sections.

Compare Igneous Rocks » More

Syenite vs Trachyte

Syenite vs Nepheline Syenite

Syenite vs Carbonatite

» More Compare Igneous Rocks

Syenite 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. Syenite vs Dunite characteristics assist us to distinguish and recognize rocks. Also you can check about Properties of Syenite and Properties of Dunite. Learn more about Syenite vs Dunite in the next section. The interior uses of Syenite include Flooring, Homes, Hotels and Interior decoration whereas the interior uses of Dunite include Decorative aggregates and Interior decoration. Due to some exceptional properties of Syenite and Dunite, they have various applications in construction industry. The uses of Syenite in construction industry include As dimension stone, Cement manufacture, Construction aggregate, For road aggregate, Landscaping, Making natural cement, Manufacture of magnesium and dolomite refractories 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 Syenite and Dunite

Here you can know more about Syenite and Dunite. The life cycle of a rock consists of formation of rock, composition of rock and transformation of rock. The composition of Syenite and Dunite consists of mineral content and compound content. The mineral content of Syenite includes Amphibole, Biotite, Feldspar, Hornblade, Micas, Muscovite or Illite, Plagioclase, Pyroxene, Quartz 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 Syenite vs Dunite, the texture, color and appearance plays an important role in determining the type of rock. Syenite is available in brown, buff, cream, green, grey, pink, white colors whereas, Dunite is available in dark greenish - grey colors. Appearance of Syenite is Banded and Foilated and that of Dunite is Rough and Shiny. Properties of rock is another aspect for Syenite vs Dunite. The hardness of Syenite is 5.5-6 and that of Dunite is 3.5-4. The types of Syenite are Shonkinite whereas types of Dunite are Dunite. Streak of rock is the color of powder produced when it is dragged across an unweathered surface. The streak of Syenite and Dunite is white. The specific heat capacity of Syenite is 0.92 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.Syenite is heat resistant, impact resistant, wear resistant whereas Dunite is heat resistant, pressure resistant, wear resistant.