Definition
Tephrite is an aphanitic to porphyritic textured, volcanic igneous rock
Dolomite is a sedimentary rock containing more than 50 percent of the mineral dolomite by weight
Origin
Germany
Southern Alps, France
Discoverer
Van Tooren
Dolomieu
Etymology
From Greek tephra, ashes from Indo-European base, to burn
From French, from the name of Dolomieu (1750–1801), the French geologist who discovered the rock
Class
Igneous Rocks
Sedimentary Rocks
Sub-Class
Durable Rock, Hard Rock
Durable Rock, Medium Hardness Rock
Other Categories
Coarse Grained Rock, Fine Grained Rock, Medium Grained Rock, Opaque Rock
Coarse Grained Rock, Fine Grained Rock, Medium Grained Rock, Opaque Rock
Texture
Aphanitic to Porphyritic
Earthy
Color
Black, Brown, Green, Grey, White
Black, Brown, Green, Grey, Pink, White
Durability
Durable
Durable
Scratch Resistant
Yes
Yes
Appearance
Vesicular
Glassy or Pearly
Interior Uses
Decorative Aggregates, Flooring, Homes, Interior Decoration
Decorative Aggregates, Homes, Interior Decoration
Exterior Uses
As Building Stone, As Facing Stone, Garden Decoration, Office Buildings
Garden Decoration, Office Buildings
Other Architectural Uses
Curbing
-
Construction Industry
Landscaping
As a Flux in the Production of Steel and Pig Iron, As a Sintering Agent in Steel Industry to process Iron Ore, As Dimension Stone, Cement Manufacture, for Road Aggregate, Making natural cement, Manufacture of Magnesium and Dolomite Refractories, Production of Glass and Ceramics, Serves as an Oil and Gas Reservoir rock
Medical Industry
-
Taken as a Supplement for Calcium or Magnesium
Antiquity Uses
Artifacts, Sculpture
Artifacts, Jewellery, Monuments, Sculpture, Small Figurines
Commercial Uses
Production of Lime, Soil Conditioner
An Oil and Gas Reservoir, As a Feed Additive for Livestock, Gemstone, Metallurgical Flux, Production of Lime, Soil Conditioner, Source of Magnesia (MgO)
Types
Igneous rock
Boninite and Jasperoid
Features
Host Rock for Lead
Host Rock for Lead, Traps for subsurface fluids like Oil and Natural Gas., Zinc and Copper Deposits
Archaeological Significance
Formation
Tephrite 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.
Dolomite rocks are originally deposited as calcite or aragonite rich limestone, but during diagenesis process, the calcite or aragonite is transformed into dolomite.
Mineral Content
Alkali feldspar, Nepheline, Plagioclase, Pyroxene
Clay Minerals, Pyrite, Quartz, Sulfides
Compound Content
CaO, Carbon Dioxide, MgO, Silicon Dioxide
NaCl, CaO, Carbon Dioxide, Magnesium Carbonate, MgO
Types of Metamorphism
Cataclastic Metamorphism, Contact Metamorphism, Impact Metamorphism, Regional Metamorphism
Burial Metamorphism, Cataclastic Metamorphism, Contact Metamorphism
Types of Weathering
Biological Weathering, Chemical Weathering, Mechanical Weathering
-
Types of Erosion
Chemical Erosion, Coastal Erosion, Glacier Erosion, Sea Erosion, Water Erosion
-
Grain Size
Medium to Fine Coarse Grained
Medium to Fine Coarse Grained
Fracture
Uneven
Conchoidal
Streak
Bluish Black
White
Porosity
Very Less Porous
Less Porous
Luster
Subvitreous to Dull
Vitreous and Pearly
Cleavage
Crenulation and Pervasive
Perfect
Specific Gravity
2.86
2.8-3
Transparency
Opaque
Transparent to Translucent
Density
2.8-2.9 g/cm3
2.8-2.9 g/cm3
Resistance
Heat Resistant, Impact Resistant
Heat Resistant, Pressure Resistant, Wear Resistant
Deposits in Eastern Continents
Africa
Namibia, Uganda
Morocco, Namibia
Europe
Germany, Hungary, Italy, Portugal, Spain
Austria, Italy, Romania, Spain, Switzerland
Deposits in Western Continents
North America
USA
Mexico, USA
South America
-
Brazil, Colombia
Deposits in Oceania Continent
Australia
New Zealand, Western Australia
New South Wales, Queensland, Yorke Peninsula
Tephrite vs Dolomite 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. Tephrite vs Dolomite characteristics assist us to distinguish and recognize rocks. Also you can check about Properties of Tephrite and Properties of Dolomite. Learn more about Tephrite vs Dolomite in the next section. The interior uses of Tephrite include Decorative aggregates, Flooring, Homes and Interior decoration whereas the interior uses of Dolomite include Decorative aggregates, Homes and Interior decoration. Due to some exceptional properties of Tephrite and Dolomite, they have various applications in construction industry. The uses of Tephrite in construction industry include Landscaping and that of Dolomite include As a flux in the production of steel and pig iron, As a sintering agent in steel industry to process iron ore, As dimension stone, Cement manufacture, For road aggregate, Making natural cement, Manufacture of magnesium and dolomite refractories, Production of glass and ceramics, Serves as an oil and gas reservoir rock.
More about Tephrite and Dolomite
Here you can know more about Tephrite and Dolomite. The life cycle of a rock consists of formation of rock, composition of rock and transformation of rock. The composition of Tephrite and Dolomite consists of mineral content and compound content. The mineral content of Tephrite includes Alkali feldspar, Nepheline, Plagioclase, Pyroxene and mineral content of Dolomite includes Clay Minerals, Pyrite, Quartz, Sulfides. You can also check out the list of all Igneous Rocks. When we have to compare Tephrite vs Dolomite, the texture, color and appearance plays an important role in determining the type of rock. Tephrite is available in black, brown, green, grey, white colors whereas, Dolomite is available in black, brown, green, grey, pink, white colors. Appearance of Tephrite is Vesicular and that of Dolomite is Glassy or Pearly. Properties of rock is another aspect for Tephrite vs Dolomite. The hardness of Tephrite is 6.5 and that of Dolomite is 3.5-4. The types of Tephrite are Igneous rock whereas types of Dolomite are Boninite and Jasperoid. Streak of rock is the color of powder produced when it is dragged across an unweathered surface. The streak of Tephrite is bluish black while that of Dolomite is white. The specific heat capacity of Tephrite is 0.92 kJ/Kg K and that of Dolomite 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.Tephrite is heat resistant, impact resistant whereas Dolomite is heat resistant, pressure resistant, wear resistant.