Definition
Amphibolite can be defined as a granular metamorphic rock which mainly consist of hornblende and plagioclase
  
Skarns are formed during regional or contact metamorphism and from a variety of metasomatic processes involving fluids of magmatic, metamorphic, and/or marine origin
  
History
  
  
Origin
Unknown
  
USA, Australia
  
Discoverer
Alexandre Brongniart
  
Tornebohm
  
Etymology
From Amphibole + -ite
  
From an old Swedish mining term originally used to describe a type of silicate gangue or waste rock.
  
Class
Metamorphic Rocks
  
Metamorphic Rocks
  
Sub-Class
Durable Rock, Hard Rock
  
Durable Rock, Hard Rock
  
Family
  
  
Group
Not Applicable
  
Not Applicable
  
Other Categories
Coarse Grained Rock, Medium Grained Rock, Opaque Rock
  
Fine Grained Rock, Opaque Rock
  
Texture
Banded, Foliated, Massive
  
Earthy, Mud-rich, Rough
  
Color
Black, Brown, Green, Grey
  
Black, Brown, Colourless, Green, Grey, White
  
Maintenance
Less
  
Less
  
Durability
Durable
  
Durable
  
Water Resistant
Yes
  
Yes
  
Scratch Resistant
Yes
  
Yes
  
Stain Resistant
Yes
  
No
  
Wind Resistant
No
  
Yes
  
Acid Resistant
Yes
  
Yes
  
Appearance
Foliated
  
Dull
  
Architecture
  
  
Interior Uses
Countertops, Decorative Aggregates, Entryways, Floor Tiles, Flooring, Homes, Hotels, Kitchens
  
Decorative Aggregates, Entryways, Interior Decoration
  
Exterior Uses
As Building Stone, As Facing Stone, Paving Stone, Office Buildings
  
As Building Stone, As Facing Stone, Garden Decoration, Paving Stone
  
Other Architectural Uses
Curbing
  
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 a Flux in the Production of Steel and Pig Iron, As a Sintering Agent in Steel Industry to process Iron Ore, As Dimension Stone, Gold and Silver production, Manufacture of Magnesium and Dolomite Refractories
  
Medical Industry
Not Yet Used
  
Not Applicable
  
Antiquity Uses
Artifacts, Sculpture, Small Figurines
  
Artifacts, Monuments, Sculpture
  
Other Uses
  
  
Commercial Uses
Cemetery Markers, Commemorative Tablets, Creating Artwork
  
Creating Artwork, Gemstone, Jewelry, Metallurgical Flux, Source of Magnesia (MgO)
  
Types
Hornblendite
  
Endoskarns
  
Features
Clasts are smooth to touch, Matrix variable, Surfaces are often shiny
  
Host Rock for Lead, Zinc and Copper Deposits
  
Archaeological Significance
  
  
Monuments
Used
  
Used
  
Famous Monuments
Data Not Available
  
Data Not Available
  
Sculpture
Used
  
Used
  
Famous Sculptures
Data Not Available
  
Data Not Available
  
Pictographs
Not Used
  
Not Used
  
Petroglyphs
Not Used
  
Not Used
  
Figurines
Used
  
Used
  
Fossils
Absent
  
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.
  
Due to change in environmental conditions, rocks are heated and pressurized deep inside the Earth's surface. Skarn is formed from the extreme heat caused by magma or by the intense collisions and friction of tectonic plates.
  
Composition
  
  
Mineral Content
Amphibole, Andalusite, Biotite, Calcite, Epidote, Garnet, Hornblade, Kyanite, Magnetite, Olivine, Plagioclase, Pyroxene, Staurolite, Wollastonite
  
Calcite, Enstatite, Epidote, Garnet, Magnetite, Pyroxene, Titanite
  
Compound Content
Aluminium Oxide, CaO, Iron(III) Oxide, FeO, Potassium Oxide, MgO, MnO, Sodium Oxide, Phosphorus Pentoxide, Silicon Dioxide, Titanium Dioxide
  
Au, CaO, Carbon Dioxide, Cu, Fe, MgO
  
Transformation
  
  
Metamorphism
No
  
Yes
  
Types of Metamorphism
Not Applicable
  
Burial Metamorphism, Cataclastic Metamorphism, Contact Metamorphism, Hydrothermal Metamorphism, Impact Metamorphism, Regional Metamorphism
  
Weathering
Yes
  
No
  
Types of Weathering
Chemical Weathering, Mechanical Weathering
  
Not Applicable
  
Erosion
Yes
  
No
  
Types of Erosion
Chemical Erosion, Glacier Erosion, Sea Erosion, Wind Erosion
  
Not Applicable
  
Physical Properties
  
  
Hardness
6-7
  
6.5
  
Grain Size
Medium to Coarse Grained
  
Fine Grained
  
Fracture
Irregular to Conchoidal
  
Irregular
  
Streak
White to Grey
  
Light to dark brown
  
Porosity
Less Porous
  
Less Porous
  
Luster
Vitreous to Dull
  
Waxy and Dull
  
Cleavage
Irregular
  
Slaty
  
Toughness
2.3
  
2.4
  
Specific Gravity
2.5
  
2.86
  
Transparency
Opaque
  
Opaque
  
Density
2.85-3.07 g/cm3
  
2.8-2.9 g/cm3
  
Thermal Properties
  
  
Specific Heat Capacity
Not Available
  
0.92 kJ/Kg K
  
10
Resistance
Heat Resistant, Pressure Resistant, Wear Resistant
  
Heat Resistant
  
Deposits in Eastern Continents
  
  
Asia
Russia, Turkey
  
China, India, Russia, Saudi Arabia, South Korea, Sri Lanka
  
Africa
Burundi, Djibouti, Eritrea, Ethiopia, Kenya, Madagascar, Rwanda, Somalia, South Africa, Sudan, Tanzania, Uganda
  
South Africa, Western Africa
  
Europe
Germany, Greece, Iceland, Norway, Poland
  
United Kingdom
  
Others
Not Yet Found
  
Not Yet Found
  
Deposits in Western Continents
  
  
North America
Canada, USA
  
Canada
  
South America
Brazil
  
Brazil, Colombia, Paraguay
  
Deposits in Oceania Continent
  
  
Australia
South Australia, Western Australia
  
Central Australia, Western Australia