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Arkose and Gossan


Gossan and Arkose


Definition

Definition
Arkose is a sedimentary rock, specifically a type of sandstone containing at least 25% feldspar   
Gossan is intensely oxidized, weathered or decomposed rock, usually the upper and exposed part of an ore deposit or mineral vein.   

History
  
  

Origin
France   
Indonesia   

Discoverer
Alexandre Brongniart   
Cornish Gossen   

Etymology
From Auvergne region of France used by a French geologist Alexandre Brongniart in 1826 who applied this term to some feldspathic sandstones   
From Cornish gossen from gos, blood from Old Cornish guit   

Class
Sedimentary Rocks   
Metamorphic Rocks   

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

Family
  
  

Group
Not Applicable   
Not Applicable   

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

Texture

Texture
Clastic   
Rough, Sandy   

Color
Reddish Brown   
Brown, Brown- Black, Gold, Green, Rust   

Maintenance
Less   
Less   

Durability
Durable   
Durable   

Water Resistant
Yes   
Yes   

Scratch Resistant
Yes   
Yes   

Stain Resistant
Yes   
Yes   

Wind Resistant
No   
No   

Acid Resistant
Yes   
No   

Appearance
Rough and Dull   
Dull and Banded   

Uses

Architecture
  
  

Interior Uses
Decorative Aggregates, Homes, Interior Decoration   
Countertops, Decorative Aggregates, Interior Decoration   

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

Other Architectural Uses
Whetstones   
Curbing   

Industry
  
  

Construction Industry
Cement Manufacture, Construction Aggregate, for Road Aggregate, Production of Glass and Ceramics, Raw material for the manufacture of mortar   
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   

Other Uses
  
  

Commercial Uses
In aquifers, Soil Conditioner, Source of Magnesia (MgO), Tombstones   
Cemetery Markers, Commemorative Tablets, Gemstone   

Types

Types
Not Available   
Translocated gossan and Leakage gossan   

Features
Available in Lots of Colors and Patterns, 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
Data Not Available   
Not Applicable   

Pictographs
Not Used   
Used   

Petroglyphs
Not Used   
Used   

Figurines
Used   
Not Yet Used   

Fossils
Present   
Absent   

Formation

Formation
Arkose rock forms from the weathering of feldspar-rich igneous or metamorphic rock, most commonly granitic rocks, which are primarily composed of quartz and feldspar.   
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, Feldspar, Micas, Quartz   
Apatite, Augite, Biotite, Bronzite, Calcite, Chert, Epidote, Feldspar, Hornblende, Micas, Plagioclase, Pyroxene, Quartz, Sulfides, Zircon   

Compound Content
Aluminium Oxide, CaO, Iron(III) Oxide, Potassium Oxide, MgO, Sodium Oxide, Silicon Dioxide   
Aluminium Oxide, CaO, Fe, FeO, Silicon Dioxide, Sulphur   

Transformation
  
  

Metamorphism
No   
No   

Types of Metamorphism
Not Applicable   
Not Applicable   

Weathering
Yes   
No   

Types of Weathering
Biological Weathering, Chemical Weathering, Mechanical Weathering   
Not Applicable   

Erosion
Yes   
Yes   

Types of Erosion
Coastal Erosion, Glacier Erosion, Water Erosion, Wind Erosion   
Chemical Erosion, Sea Erosion, Wind Erosion   

Properties

Physical Properties
  
  

Hardness
6-7   
4-5   

Grain Size
Coarse Grained   
Fine to Medium Grained   

Fracture
Conchoidal   
Conchoidal   

Streak
White   
White to Grey   

Porosity
Highly Porous   
Highly Porous   

Luster
Dull   
Metallic   

Cleavage
Not Available   
Not Available   

Toughness
Not Available   
Not Available   

Specific Gravity
0   
2.0   

Transparency
Opaque   
Opaque   

Density
Not Available   
Not Available   

Thermal Properties
  
  

Specific Heat Capacity
Not Available   
0.24 kJ/Kg K   
24

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

Reserves

Deposits in Eastern Continents
  
  

Asia
China, India, Kazakhstan, Mongolia, Russia, Uzbekistan   
China, India, Indonesia, Russia, Singapore, South Korea   

Africa
Namibia, Nigeria, South Africa   
Cape Verde, Ethiopia, Ghana, South Africa, Western Africa   

Europe
Austria, Denmark, Germany, Great Britain, Netherlands, Norway, Poland, Sweden, Switzerland, United Kingdom   
Albania, France, Germany, Great Britain, United Kingdom   

Others
Greenland   
Not Yet Found   

Deposits in Western Continents
  
  

North America
Canada, USA   
Canada, USA   

South America
Brazil   
Brazil, Colombia, Ecuador   

Deposits in Oceania Continent
  
  

Australia
New South Wales, New Zealand   
New South Wales, South Australia, Western Australia   

Summary >>
<< Reserves

All about Arkose and Gossan Properties

Know all about Arkose and Gossan properties here. All properties of rocks are important as they define the type of rock and its application. Arkose belongs to Sedimentary Rocks while Gossan belongs to Metamorphic Rocks.Texture of Arkose is Clastic whereas that of Gossan is Rough, Sandy. Arkose appears Rough and Dull and Gossan appears Dull and Banded. The luster of Arkose is dull while that of Gossan is metallic. Arkose is available in reddish brown colors whereas Gossan is available in brown, brown- black, gold, green, rust colors. The commercial uses of Arkose are in aquifers, soil conditioner, source of magnesia (mgo), tombstones and that of Gossan are cemetery markers, commemorative tablets, gemstone.

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