Dolomite

Stone Corral dolomite
Stone Corral Dolomite. Photo courtesy William C. Johnson.

 

The mineral dolomite is the main component of the sedimentary rock that is also called dolomite. It is similar to the mineral calcite but contains magnesium as well as calcium. Just based on looks, the rock dolomite is often impossible to distinguish from limestone, which is composed mainly of calcite. Dolomite crystals are usually rhombic-shaped but, unlike most other minerals, the crystal faces typically are curved.

Chemical compound: calcium magnesium carbonate
Chemical formula: CaMg(CO3)2 (Ca = calcium, Mg = magnesium, C = carbon, O = oxygen)
Color: white, gray, greenish, brown, pink
Luster: often glassy
Hardness: 3.5–4
Specific gravity: 2.8
Amount of transparency: transparent to translucent

Resources

Buchanan, R., 2010, Kansas Geology: An Introduction to Landscapes, Rocks, Minerals, and Fossils (2nd ed.): Lawrence, Kansas, University Press of Kansas, 240 p.

Buchanan, R., and McCauley, J. R., 2010, Roadside Kansas: A Traveler's Guide to Its Geology and Landmarks (2nd ed.): Lawrence, Kansas, University Press of Kansas, 392 p.

Kansas Rocks and Minerals, Kansas Geological Survey Educational Series 2

Grisafe, D. A., 1999, Primer of industrial minerals for Kansas: Kansas Geological Survey, Educational Series 13, 28 p.