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Story: Rock and mineral names

Dunite

Image
Dunite

This fresh, 7-centimetre specimen of dunite was collected on Dun Mountain. The rock is composed almost entirely of interlocking grains of yellowish-green olivine, with tiny black grains of chromite.

Using this item

GNS Science

Reference: GNS_RC_Dn_09

by Richard Cook

Permission of GNS Science must be obtained before any use of this image.

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How to cite this page

Simon Nathan, Rock and mineral names – Rocks named in New Zealand, Te Ara – the Encyclopedia of New Zealand, https://teara.govt.nz/en/photograph/9075/dunite (accessed 7 June 2026).

Story by Simon Nathan, published 2 March 2009.