Amphibolite

Gossan

Amphibolite and Gossan

Amphibolite

Gossan

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Definition

Amphibolite can be defined as a granular metamorphic rock which mainly consist of hornblende and plagioclase

Gossan is intensely oxidized, weathered or decomposed rock, usually the upper and exposed part of an ore deposit or mineral vein.

History

Origin

Indonesia

Discoverer

Alexandre Brongniart

Cornish Gossen

Etymology

From Amphibole + -ite

From Cornish gossen from gos, blood from Old Cornish guit

Class

Metamorphic Rocks

Sub-Class

Durable Rock, Hard Rock

Durable Rock, Medium Hardness Rock

Family

Group

Other Categories

Coarse Grained Rock, Medium Grained Rock, Opaque Rock

Fine Grained Rock, Medium Grained Rock, Opaque Rock

Texture

Banded, Foliated, Massive

Rough, Sandy

Color

Black, Brown, Green, Grey

Brown, Brown- Black, Gold, Green, Rust

Maintenance

Less

Durability

Durable

Water Resistant

✔ ✘

Scratch Resistant

✔ ✘

Stain Resistant

✔ ✘

Wind Resistant

✔ ✘

Acid Resistant

✔ ✘

Appearance

Foliated

Dull and Banded

Uses

Architecture

Interior Uses

Countertops, Decorative Aggregates, Entryways, Floor Tiles, Flooring, Homes, Hotels, Kitchens

Countertops, Decorative Aggregates, Interior Decoration

Exterior Uses

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

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

Other Architectural Uses

Curbing

Industry

Construction Industry

As Dimension Stone, Building houses or walls, Cobblestones, Construction Aggregate, for Road Aggregate, Landscaping, Production of Glass and Ceramics, Roadstone

As Dimension Stone, Cement Manufacture, Construction Aggregate, for Road Aggregate

Medical Industry

Antiquity Uses

Artifacts, Sculpture, Small Figurines

Artifacts

Other Uses

Commercial Uses

Cemetery Markers, Commemorative Tablets, Creating Artwork

Cemetery Markers, Commemorative Tablets, Gemstone

Types

Hornblendite

Translocated gossan and Leakage gossan

Features

Clasts are smooth to touch, Matrix variable, Surfaces are often shiny

Clasts are smooth to touch, Easily splits into thin plates

Archaeological Significance

Monuments

Famous Monuments

Sculpture

Famous Sculptures

Pictographs

Petroglyphs

Figurines

Fossils

Absent

Formation

Amphibolite is a coarse-grained metamorphic rock which forms by metamorphism of mafic igneous rocks like basalt and gabbro or from the metamorphism of clay-rich sedimentary rocks like marl or graywacke.

Earth movements can cause rocks to be either deeply buried or squeezed and hence the rocks are heated and put under great pressure.

Composition

Mineral Content

Amphibole, Andalusite, Biotite, Calcite, Epidote, Garnet, Hornblade, Kyanite, Magnetite, Olivine, Plagioclase, Pyroxene, Staurolite, Wollastonite

Apatite, Augite, Biotite, Bronzite, Calcite, Chert, Epidote, Feldspar, Hornblende, Micas, Plagioclase, Pyroxene, Quartz, Sulfides, Zircon

Compound Content

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

Aluminium Oxide, CaO, Fe, FeO, Silicon Dioxide, Sulphur

Transformation

Metamorphism

✔ ✘

Types of Metamorphism

Weathering

✔ ✘

Types of Weathering

Chemical Weathering, Mechanical Weathering

Erosion

✔ ✘

Types of Erosion

Chemical Erosion, Glacier Erosion, Sea Erosion, Wind Erosion

Chemical Erosion, Sea Erosion, Wind Erosion

Properties

Physical Properties

Hardness

6-74-5

1 7

👆🏻

Grain Size

Medium to Coarse Grained

Fine to Medium Grained

Fracture

Irregular to Conchoidal

Conchoidal

Streak

White to Grey

Porosity

Less Porous

Highly Porous

Luster

Vitreous to Dull

Metallic

Compressive Strength

90.00 N/mm²-

0.15 450

👆🏻

Cleavage

Toughness

2.3

Specific Gravity

2.52.0

0 8.4

👆🏻

Transparency

Opaque

Density

2.85-3.07 g/cm³-9999 g/cm³

0 1400

👆🏻

Thermal Properties

Specific Heat Capacity

0.84 kJ/Kg K0.24 kJ/Kg K

0.14 3.2

👆🏻

Resistance

Heat Resistant, Pressure Resistant, Wear Resistant

Heat Resistant, Impact Resistant, Pressure Resistant

Reserves

Deposits in Eastern Continents

Asia

Russia, Turkey

China, India, Indonesia, Russia, Singapore, South Korea

Africa

Burundi, Djibouti, Eritrea, Ethiopia, Kenya, Madagascar, Rwanda, Somalia, South Africa, Sudan, Tanzania, Uganda

Cape Verde, Ethiopia, Ghana, South Africa, Western Africa

Europe

Germany, Greece, Iceland, Norway, Poland

Albania, France, Germany, Great Britain, United Kingdom

Others

Deposits in Western Continents

North America

Canada, USA

South America

Brazil

Brazil, Colombia, Ecuador

Deposits in Oceania Continent

Australia

South Australia, Western Australia

New South Wales, South Australia, Western Australia

All about Amphibolite and Gossan Properties

Know all about Amphibolite and Gossan properties here. All properties of rocks are important as they define the type of rock and its application. Amphibolite and Gossan belong to Metamorphic Rocks.Texture of Amphibolite is Banded, Foliated, Massive whereas that of Gossan is Rough, Sandy. Amphibolite appears Foliated and Gossan appears Dull and Banded. The luster of Amphibolite is vitreous to dull while that of Gossan is metallic. Amphibolite is available in black, brown, green, grey colors whereas Gossan is available in brown, brown- black, gold, green, rust colors. The commercial uses of Amphibolite are cemetery markers, commemorative tablets, creating artwork and that of Gossan are cemetery markers, commemorative tablets, gemstone.