Definition
Anorthosite is a granular igneous rock composed largely of labradorite or plagioclase
Gossan is intensely oxidized, weathered or decomposed rock, usually the upper and exposed part of an ore deposit or mineral vein.
Discoverer
Unknown
Cornish Gossen
Etymology
From French anorthose plagioclase + -ite1
From Cornish gossen from gos, blood from Old Cornish guit
Class
Igneous Rocks
Metamorphic Rocks
Sub-Class
Durable Rock, Medium Hardness Rock
Durable Rock, Medium Hardness Rock
Group
Plutonic
Not Applicable
Other Categories
Coarse Grained Rock, Opaque Rock
Fine Grained Rock, Medium Grained Rock, Opaque Rock
Texture
Foliated, Glassy
Rough, Sandy
Color
Black, Bluish - Grey, Brown, Green, Grey, Light Greenish Grey, Pink, White
Brown, Brown- Black, Gold, Green, Rust
Durability
Durable
Durable
Appearance
Layered, Banded, Veined and Shiny
Dull and Banded
Interior Uses
Decorative Aggregates, Floor Tiles, Homes, Interior Decoration
Countertops, Decorative Aggregates, Interior Decoration
Exterior Uses
As Building Stone, As Facing Stone, Garden Decoration
As Building Stone, As Facing Stone, Paving Stone, Garden Decoration, Office Buildings
Other Architectural Uses
Curbing
Curbing
Construction Industry
As Dimension Stone, Cement Manufacture, for Road Aggregate
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
Creating Artwork, Curling
Cemetery Markers, Commemorative Tablets, Gemstone
Types
Proterozoic Anorthosite and Archean Anorthosite
Translocated gossan and Leakage gossan
Features
Generally rough to touch, Is one of the oldest rock
Clasts are smooth to touch, Easily splits into thin plates
Archaeological Significance
Monuments
Not Yet Used
Not Yet Used
Famous Monuments
Not Applicable
Not Applicable
Sculpture
Used
Not Yet Used
Famous Sculptures
Not Applicable
Not Applicable
Pictographs
Not Used
Used
Petroglyphs
Not Used
Used
Figurines
Used
Not Yet Used
Formation
Anorthosite is a phaneritic, intrusive igneous rock which is characterized by a predominance of plagioclase feldspar which is almost 90–100%, and a minimal mafic component.
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, Clinopyroxene, Ilmenite, Magnetite, Olivine, Orthopyroxene
Apatite, Augite, Biotite, Bronzite, Calcite, Chert, Epidote, Feldspar, Hornblende, Micas, Plagioclase, Pyroxene, Quartz, Sulfides, Zircon
Compound Content
Ca, CaO, Chromium(III) Oxide, MgO, Sulfur Trioxide
Aluminium Oxide, CaO, Fe, FeO, Silicon Dioxide, Sulphur
Types of Metamorphism
Cataclastic Metamorphism, Contact Metamorphism
Not Applicable
Types of Weathering
Biological Weathering
Not Applicable
Types of Erosion
Chemical Erosion, Wind Erosion
Chemical Erosion, Sea Erosion, Wind Erosion
Grain Size
Coarse Grained
Fine to Medium Grained
Fracture
Irregular
Conchoidal
Streak
White
White to Grey
Porosity
Less Porous
Highly Porous
Luster
Pearly to Subvitreous
Metallic
Cleavage
Irregular
Not Available
Toughness
Not Available
Not Available
Specific Gravity
2.62-2.82
2.0
Transparency
Translucent
Opaque
Density
2.7-4 g/cm3
Not Available
Resistance
Heat Resistant, Impact Resistant, Pressure Resistant, Scratch Resistant, Wear Resistant
Heat Resistant, Impact Resistant, Pressure Resistant
Deposits in Eastern Continents
Asia
Not Yet Found
China, India, Indonesia, Russia, Singapore, South Korea
Africa
Not Yet Found
Cape Verde, Ethiopia, Ghana, South Africa, Western Africa
Europe
Bulgaria, France, Germany, Greece, Hungary, Italy, Latvia, Lithuania, Malta, Poland, Portugal, Romania, Slovenia, Spain, Sweden, The Czech Republic
Albania, France, Germany, Great Britain, United Kingdom
Others
Not Yet Found
Not Yet Found
Deposits in Western Continents
North America
Canada
Canada, USA
South America
Bolivia, Colombia
Brazil, Colombia, Ecuador
Deposits in Oceania Continent
Australia
Central Australia, South Australia, Western Australia
New South Wales, South Australia, Western Australia
Anorthosite 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. Anorthosite vs Gossan characteristics assist us to distinguish and recognize rocks. Also you can check about Properties of Anorthosite and Properties of Gossan. Learn more about Anorthosite vs Gossan in the next section. The interior uses of Anorthosite include Decorative aggregates, Floor tiles, Homes and Interior decoration whereas the interior uses of Gossan include Countertops, Decorative aggregates and Interior decoration. Due to some exceptional properties of Anorthosite and Gossan, they have various applications in construction industry. The uses of Anorthosite in construction industry include As dimension stone, Cement manufacture, For road aggregate and that of Gossan include As dimension stone, Cement manufacture, Construction aggregate, For road aggregate.
More about Anorthosite and Gossan
Here you can know more about Anorthosite and Gossan. The life cycle of a rock consists of formation of rock, composition of rock and transformation of rock. The composition of Anorthosite and Gossan consists of mineral content and compound content. The mineral content of Anorthosite includes Amphibole, Clinopyroxene, Ilmenite, Magnetite, Olivine, Orthopyroxene 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 Anorthosite vs Gossan, the texture, color and appearance plays an important role in determining the type of rock. Anorthosite is available in black, bluish - grey, brown, green, grey, light greenish grey, pink, white colors whereas, Gossan is available in brown, brown- black, gold, green, rust colors. Appearance of Anorthosite is Layered, Banded, Veined and Shiny and that of Gossan is Dull and Banded. Properties of rock is another aspect for Anorthosite vs Gossan. The hardness of Anorthosite is 5-6 and that of Gossan is 4-5. The types of Anorthosite are Proterozoic Anorthosite and Archean Anorthosite 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 Anorthosite is white while that of Gossan is white to grey. The specific heat capacity of Anorthosite is 0.84 kJ/Kg K 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.Anorthosite is heat resistant, impact resistant, pressure resistant, scratch resistant, wear resistant whereas Gossan is heat resistant, impact resistant, pressure resistant.