Home
Compare Rocks


Anthracite and Gossan


Gossan and Anthracite


Definition

Definition
Anthracite is a type of sedimentary rock which is hard and is variety of coal that has high luster  
Gossan is intensely oxidized, weathered or decomposed rock, usually the upper and exposed part of an ore deposit or mineral vein.  

History
  
  

Origin
Pennsylvania, U.S.  
Indonesia  

Discoverer
Unknown  
Cornish Gossen  

Etymology
From Greek anthrakites, from anthrax, anthrak meaning coal  
From Cornish gossen from gos, blood from Old Cornish guit  

Class
Metamorphic Rocks  
Metamorphic Rocks  

Sub-Class
Durable Rock, Soft Rock  
Durable Rock, Medium Hardness Rock  

Family
  
  

Group
-  
-  

Other Categories
Coarse Grained Rock, Fine Grained Rock, Medium Grained Rock, Opaque Rock  
Fine Grained Rock, Medium Grained Rock, Opaque Rock  

Texture

Texture
Amorphous, Glassy  
Rough, Sandy  

Color
Black, Brown, Dark Brown, Grey, Light to Dark Grey  
Brown, Brown- Black, Gold, Green, Rust  

Maintenance
Less  
Less  

Durability
Durable  
Durable  

Water Resistant
No  
Yes  

Scratch Resistant
No  
Yes  

Stain Resistant
No  
Yes  

Wind Resistant
No  
No  

Acid Resistant
No  
No  

Appearance
Veined or Pebbled  
Dull and Banded  

Uses

Architecture
  
  

Interior Uses
-  
Countertops, Decorative Aggregates, Interior Decoration  

Exterior Uses
-  
As Building Stone, As Facing Stone, Paving Stone, Garden Decoration, Office Buildings  

Other Architectural Uses
-  
Curbing  

Industry
  
  

Construction Industry
Cement Manufacture, for Road Aggregate, Making natural cement, Steel Production  
As Dimension Stone, Cement Manufacture, Construction Aggregate, for Road Aggregate  

Medical Industry
In Chemical and Pharmaceutical Industry, Manufacture of Aspirins  
-  

Antiquity Uses
-  
Artifacts  

Other Uses
  
  

Commercial Uses
Alumina Refineries, Electricity Generation, Liquid Fuel, Manufacture of Soap, Solvents, Dyes, Plastics and Fibres, Paper Industry  
Cemetery Markers, Commemorative Tablets, Gemstone  

Types

Types
Semi-anthracite and Meta-anthracite  
Translocated gossan and Leakage gossan  

Features
Helps in production of Heat and Electricity, Used as fossil fuel  
Clasts are smooth to touch, Easily splits into thin plates  

Archaeological Significance
  
  

Monuments
-  
-  

Famous Monuments
-  
-  

Sculpture
-  
-  

Famous Sculptures
-  
-  

Pictographs
-  
-  

Petroglyphs
-  
-  

Figurines
-  
-  

Fossils
Absent  
Absent  

Formation

Formation
Anthracite forms from the accumulation of plant debris in a swamp environment. When plant debris dies and falls into the swamp, the standing water of the swamp protects it from decay.   
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
Calcite, Clay, Clay Minerals  
Apatite, Augite, Biotite, Bronzite, Calcite, Chert, Epidote, Feldspar, Hornblende, Micas, Plagioclase, Pyroxene, Quartz, Sulfides, Zircon  

Compound Content
Carbon, Hydrogen, Nitrogen, Oxygen, Sulphur  
Aluminium Oxide, CaO, Fe, FeO, Silicon Dioxide, Sulphur  

Transformation
  
  

Metamorphism
Yes  
No  

Types of Metamorphism
Burial Metamorphism, Contact Metamorphism, Regional Metamorphism  
-  

Weathering
No  
No  

Types of Weathering
-  
-  

Erosion
No  
Yes  

Types of Erosion
-  
Chemical Erosion, Sea Erosion, Wind Erosion  

Properties

Physical Properties
  
  

Hardness
1-1.5  
4-5  

Grain Size
Medium to Fine Coarse Grained  
Fine to Medium Grained  

Fracture
Conchoidal  
Conchoidal  

Streak
Black  
White to Grey  

Porosity
Less Porous  
Highly Porous  

Luster
Shiny  
Metallic  

Compressive Strength
-  
-  

Cleavage
-  
-  

Toughness
-  
-  

Specific Gravity
1.1-1.4  
2.0  

Transparency
Opaque  
Opaque  

Density
1.25-2.5 g/cm3  
-9999 g/cm3  

Thermal Properties
  
  

Specific Heat Capacity
1.32 kJ/Kg K  
4
0.24 kJ/Kg K  
31

Resistance
Heat Resistant, Water Resistant  
Heat Resistant, Impact Resistant, Pressure Resistant  

Reserves

Deposits in Eastern Continents
  
  

Asia
Bangladesh, Burma, Cambodia, China, India, Indonesia, Kazakhstan, Malaysia, Mongolia, Pakistan, Turkey, Vietnam  
China, India, Indonesia, Russia, Singapore, South Korea  

Africa
Botswana, Kenya, Morocco, Mozambique, South Africa, Tanzania  
Cape Verde, Ethiopia, Ghana, South Africa, Western Africa  

Europe
Belgium, Bulgaria, England, France, Germany, Greece, Hungary, Kosovo, Netherlands, Norway, Poland, Romania, Serbia, Slovakia, Slovenia, The Czech Republic, Ukraine, United Kingdom  
Albania, France, Germany, Great Britain, United Kingdom  

Others
-  
-  

Deposits in Western Continents
  
  

North America
Canada, Mexico, USA  
Canada, USA  

South America
Brazil, Chile, Colombia, Venezuela  
Brazil, Colombia, Ecuador  

Deposits in Oceania Continent
  
  

Australia
New South Wales, Queensland, Victoria  
New South Wales, South Australia, Western Australia  

Summary >>
<< Reserves

All about Anthracite and Gossan Properties

Know all about Anthracite and Gossan properties here. All properties of rocks are important as they define the type of rock and its application. Anthracite and Gossan belong to Metamorphic Rocks.Texture of Anthracite is Amorphous, Glassy whereas that of Gossan is Rough, Sandy. Anthracite appears Veined or Pebbled and Gossan appears Dull and Banded. The luster of Anthracite is shiny while that of Gossan is metallic. Anthracite is available in black, brown, dark brown, grey, light to dark grey colors whereas Gossan is available in brown, brown- black, gold, green, rust colors. The commercial uses of Anthracite are alumina refineries, electricity generation, liquid fuel, manufacture of soap, solvents, dyes, plastics and fibres, paper industry and that of Gossan are cemetery markers, commemorative tablets, gemstone.

Compare Metamorphic Rocks

Metamorphic Rocks

Metamorphic Rocks

» More Metamorphic Rocks

Compare Metamorphic Rocks

» More Compare Metamorphic Rocks