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
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
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
Durability
Durable
Durable
Scratch Resistant
Yes
Yes
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
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
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
Famous Monuments
Data Not Available
Data Not Available
Famous Sculptures
Data Not Available
Data Not Available
Pictographs
Not Used
Not Used
Petroglyphs
Not Used
Not 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.
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.
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
Types of Metamorphism
Not Applicable
Burial Metamorphism, Cataclastic Metamorphism, Contact Metamorphism, Hydrothermal Metamorphism, Impact Metamorphism, Regional Metamorphism
Types of Weathering
Chemical Weathering, Mechanical Weathering
Not Applicable
Types of Erosion
Chemical Erosion, Glacier Erosion, Sea Erosion, Wind Erosion
Not Applicable
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
Specific Gravity
2.5
2.86
Transparency
Opaque
Opaque
Density
2.85-3.07 g/cm3
2.8-2.9 g/cm3
Specific Heat Capacity
Not Available
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
Amphibolite vs Skarn 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 Skarn characteristics assist us to distinguish and recognize rocks. Also you can check about Properties of Amphibolite and Properties of Skarn. Learn more about Amphibolite vs Skarn 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 Skarn include Decorative aggregates, Entryways and Interior decoration. Due to some exceptional properties of Amphibolite and Skarn, 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 Skarn include 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.
More about Amphibolite and Skarn
Here you can know more about Amphibolite and Skarn. The life cycle of a rock consists of formation of rock, composition of rock and transformation of rock. The composition of Amphibolite and Skarn 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 Skarn includes Calcite, Enstatite, Epidote, Garnet, Magnetite, Pyroxene, Titanite. You can also check out the list of all Igneous Rocks. When we have to compare Amphibolite vs Skarn, 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, Skarn is available in black, brown, colourless, green, grey, white colors. Appearance of Amphibolite is Foliated and that of Skarn is Dull. Properties of rock is another aspect for Amphibolite vs Skarn. The hardness of Amphibolite is 6-7 and that of Skarn is 6.5. The types of Amphibolite are Hornblendite whereas types of Skarn are Endoskarns. Streak of rock is the color of powder produced when it is dragged across an unweathered surface. The streak of Amphibolite is white to grey while that of Skarn is light to dark brown. The specific heat capacity of Amphibolite is Not Available and that of Skarn is 0.92 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 Skarn is heat resistant.