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.
Discoverer
Alexandre Brongniart
Cornish Gossen
Etymology
From Amphibole + -ite
From Cornish gossen from gos, blood from Old Cornish guit
Class
Metamorphic Rocks
Metamorphic Rocks
Sub-Class
Durable Rock, Hard Rock
Durable Rock, Medium Hardness Rock
Group
Not Applicable
Not Applicable
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
Durability
Durable
Durable
Scratch Resistant
Yes
Yes
Appearance
Foliated
Dull and Banded
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
Curbing
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
Not Yet Used
Not Yet Used
Antiquity Uses
Artifacts, Sculpture, Small Figurines
Artifacts
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
Used
Not Yet Used
Famous Monuments
Data Not Available
Not Applicable
Sculpture
Used
Not Yet Used
Famous Sculptures
Data Not Available
Not Applicable
Pictographs
Not Used
Used
Petroglyphs
Not Used
Used
Figurines
Used
Not Yet Used
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.
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
Types of Metamorphism
Not Applicable
Not Applicable
Types of Weathering
Chemical Weathering, Mechanical Weathering
Not Applicable
Types of Erosion
Chemical Erosion, Glacier Erosion, Sea Erosion, Wind Erosion
Chemical Erosion, Sea Erosion, Wind Erosion
Grain Size
Medium to Coarse Grained
Fine to Medium Grained
Fracture
Irregular to Conchoidal
Conchoidal
Streak
White to Grey
White to Grey
Porosity
Less Porous
Highly Porous
Luster
Vitreous to Dull
Metallic
Cleavage
Irregular
Not Available
Toughness
2.3
Not Available
Transparency
Opaque
Opaque
Density
2.85-3.07 g/cm3
Not Available
Specific Heat Capacity
Not Available
Resistance
Heat Resistant, Pressure Resistant, Wear Resistant
Heat Resistant, Impact Resistant, Pressure Resistant
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
Not Yet Found
Not Yet Found
Deposits in Western Continents
North America
Canada, USA
Canada, USA
South America
Brazil
Brazil, Colombia, Ecuador
Deposits in Oceania Continent
Australia
South Australia, Western Australia
New South Wales, South Australia, Western Australia
Amphibolite vs Gossan Characteristics
Though some rocks look identical, they have certain characteristics which distinguish them from others. Characteristics of rocks include texture, appearance, color, fracture, streak, hardness etc. Amphibolite vs Gossan characteristics assist us to distinguish and recognize rocks. Also you can check about Properties of Amphibolite and Properties of Gossan. Learn more about Amphibolite vs Gossan in the next section. The interior uses of Amphibolite include Countertops, Decorative aggregates, Entryways, Floor tiles, Flooring, Homes, Hotels and Kitchens whereas the interior uses of Gossan include Countertops, Decorative aggregates and Interior decoration. Due to some exceptional properties of Amphibolite and Gossan, they have various applications in construction industry. The uses of Amphibolite in construction industry include As dimension stone, Building houses or walls, Cobblestones, Construction aggregate, For road aggregate, Landscaping, Production of glass and ceramics, Roadstone and that of Gossan include As dimension stone, Cement manufacture, Construction aggregate, For road aggregate.
More about Amphibolite and Gossan
Here you can know more about Amphibolite and Gossan. The life cycle of a rock consists of formation of rock, composition of rock and transformation of rock. The composition of Amphibolite and Gossan consists of mineral content and compound content. The mineral content of Amphibolite includes Amphibole, Andalusite, Biotite, Calcite, Epidote, Garnet, Hornblade, Kyanite, Magnetite, Olivine, Plagioclase, Pyroxene, Staurolite, Wollastonite and mineral content of Gossan includes Apatite, Augite, Biotite, Bronzite, Calcite, Chert, Epidote, Feldspar, Hornblende, Micas, Plagioclase, Pyroxene, Quartz, Sulfides, Zircon. You can also check out the list of all Igneous Rocks. When we have to compare Amphibolite vs Gossan, the texture, color and appearance plays an important role in determining the type of rock. Amphibolite is available in black, brown, green, grey colors whereas, Gossan is available in brown, brown- black, gold, green, rust colors. Appearance of Amphibolite is Foliated and that of Gossan is Dull and Banded. Properties of rock is another aspect for Amphibolite vs Gossan. The hardness of Amphibolite is 6-7 and that of Gossan is 4-5. The types of Amphibolite are Hornblendite whereas types of Gossan are Translocated gossan and Leakage gossan. Streak of rock is the color of powder produced when it is dragged across an unweathered surface. The streak of Amphibolite and Gossan is white to grey. The specific heat capacity of Amphibolite is Not Available and that of Gossan is 0.24 kJ/Kg K. Depending on the properties like hardness, toughness, specific heat capacity, porosity etc., rocks are resistant to heat, wear, impact, etc.Amphibolite is heat resistant, pressure resistant, wear resistant whereas Gossan is heat resistant, impact resistant, pressure resistant.