Definition
Dunite is a green to brownish coarse-grained igneous rock mainly consisting of olivine
History
Origin
New Zealand
Discoverer
Ferdinand von Hochstetter
Etymology
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, Opaque Rock
Texture
Phaneritic
Color
Dark Greenish - Grey
Maintenance
Less
Durability
Durable
Water Resistant
✔
✘
81% - Igneous Rocks Rocks have it !
Scratch Resistant
✔
✘
86% - Igneous Rocks Rocks have it !
Stain Resistant
✔
✘
66% - Igneous Rocks Rocks have it !
Wind Resistant
✔
✘
49% - Igneous Rocks Rocks
Acid Resistant
✔
✘
48% - Igneous Rocks Rocks
Appearance
Rough and Shiny
Architecture
Interior Uses
Decorative Aggregates, Interior Decoration
Exterior Uses
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, Making natural cement, Raw material for the manufacture of mortar
Medical Industry
-
Antiquity Uses
Artifacts, Monuments, Sculpture, Small Figurines
Other Uses
Commercial Uses
Creating Artwork, Gemstone, Jewelry, Source of Chromite, Platinum, Nickel and Garnet, Source of Diamonds
Types
Dunite
Features
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
Dunite is a plutonic ultramafic igneous rock consisting almost m olivine. It can be formed in two ways.
Composition
Mineral Content
Amphibole, Chromite, Garnet, Magnesium, Olivine, Phlogopite, Plagioclase, Pyroxene
Compound Content
Ca, CaO, Fe, Potassium, Silicon Dioxide, Sodium, Titanium Dioxide
Transformation
Metamorphism
✔
✘
97% - Igneous Rocks Rocks have it !
Types of Metamorphism
Burial Metamorphism, Cataclastic Metamorphism, Contact Metamorphism
Weathering
✔
✘
99% - Igneous Rocks Rocks have it !
Types of Weathering
Biological Weathering, Chemical Weathering, Mechanical Weathering
Erosion
✔
✘
92% - Igneous Rocks Rocks have it !
Types of Erosion
Coastal Erosion, Glacier Erosion, Water Erosion
Physical Properties
Hardness
3.5-4
1
7
👆🏻
Grain Size
Coarse Grained
Fracture
Irregular
Streak
White
Porosity
Less Porous
Luster
Shiny
Compressive Strength
107.55 N/mm2
Rank: 28 (Overall)
0.15
450
👆🏻
Cleavage
-
Toughness
2.1
Specific Gravity
3-3.01
0
8.4
👆🏻
Transparency
Translucent to Opaque
Density
2.84-2.85 g/cm3
0
1400
👆🏻
Thermal Properties
Specific Heat Capacity
1.25 kJ/Kg K
Rank: 6 (Overall)
0.14
3.2
👆🏻
Resistance
Heat Resistant, Pressure Resistant, Wear Resistant
Deposits in Eastern Continents
Asia
China, India, Indonesia, Kazakhstan, Russia, South Korea, Thailand, Turkey
Africa
Morocco, South Africa
Europe
Finland, France, Georgia, Germany, Great Britain, Italy, Kazakhstan, Netherlands, Norway, Spain, Switzerland
Others
-
Deposits in Western Continents
North America
Canada, USA
South America
Argentina, Brazil, Colombia, Ecuador, Venezuela
Deposits in Oceania Continent
Australia
New Zealand, Western Australia