Definition
An iron rich extrusive rock found as a member of the alkali basalt magma series
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
Isle of Mull, Scotland
USA, Australia
Discoverer
Ben More
Tornebohm
Etymology
From the name of discoverer, Ben More
From an old Swedish mining term originally used to describe a type of silicate gangue or waste rock.
Class
Igneous Rocks
Metamorphic Rocks
Sub-Class
Durable Rock, Medium Hardness Rock
Durable Rock, Hard Rock
Group
Volcanic
Not Applicable
Other Categories
Fine Grained Rock, Opaque Rock
Fine Grained Rock, Opaque Rock
Texture
Glassy, Massive, Porphyritic, Scoriaceous, Trachytic, Vesicular
Earthy, Mud-rich, Rough
Color
Black, Brown, Light to Dark Grey
Black, Brown, Colourless, Green, Grey, White
Durability
Durable
Durable
Scratch Resistant
Yes
Yes
Appearance
Rough and Dull
Dull
Interior Uses
Floor Tiles, Homes, Hotels, Kitchens
Decorative Aggregates, Entryways, Interior Decoration
Exterior Uses
As Building Stone, Paving Stone, Garden Decoration, Office Buildings
As Building Stone, As Facing Stone, Garden Decoration, Paving Stone
Other Architectural Uses
Curbing
Curbing
Construction Industry
As Dimension Stone, Cobblestones, Rail Track Ballast, 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, Monuments, Sculpture
Artifacts, Monuments, Sculpture
Commercial Uses
Commemorative Tablets, Creating Artwork, Curling
Creating Artwork, Gemstone, Jewelry, Metallurgical Flux, Source of Magnesia (MgO)
Types
Alkaline Basalt, Boninite, High Alumina Basalt, Mid Ocean Ridge Basalt (MORB) and Tholeiitic Basalt
Endoskarns
Features
Has High structural resistance against erosion and climate, Very fine grained rock
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
Used
Not Used
Petroglyphs
Used
Not Used
Formation
Benmoreite is a type of Igneous rock which is formed through the cooling and solidification of lava or magma. It forms with or without crystallization, either below the surface as intrusive rocks or on the surface as extrusive rocks.
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
Alkali feldspar, Biotite, Olivine, Plagioclase, Pyroxene, Sodic plagioclase
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
Burial Metamorphism, Cataclastic Metamorphism, Contact Metamorphism, Hydrothermal Metamorphism, Impact Metamorphism, Regional Metamorphism
Burial Metamorphism, Cataclastic Metamorphism, Contact Metamorphism, Hydrothermal Metamorphism, Impact Metamorphism, Regional Metamorphism
Types of Weathering
Biological Weathering, Chemical Weathering, Mechanical Weathering
Not Applicable
Types of Erosion
Chemical Erosion, Coastal Erosion, Glacier Erosion, Sea Erosion, Water Erosion, Wind Erosion
Not Applicable
Grain Size
Fine Grained
Fine Grained
Fracture
Conchoidal
Irregular
Streak
Black
Light to dark brown
Porosity
Less Porous
Less Porous
Luster
Earthy
Waxy and Dull
Compressive Strength
Not Available
Specific Gravity
2.8-3
2.86
Transparency
Opaque
Opaque
Density
2.9-3.1 g/cm3
2.8-2.9 g/cm3
Resistance
Heat Resistant, Pressure Resistant, Wear Resistant
Heat Resistant
Deposits in Eastern Continents
Asia
India, Russia
China, India, Russia, Saudi Arabia, South Korea, Sri Lanka
Africa
South Africa
South Africa, Western Africa
Europe
Iceland
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
Not Yet Found
Central Australia, Western Australia
Benmoreite 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. Benmoreite vs Skarn characteristics assist us to distinguish and recognize rocks. Also you can check about Properties of Benmoreite and Properties of Skarn. Learn more about Benmoreite vs Skarn in the next section. The interior uses of Benmoreite include Floor tiles, Homes, Hotels and Kitchens whereas the interior uses of Skarn include Decorative aggregates, Entryways and Interior decoration. Due to some exceptional properties of Benmoreite and Skarn, they have various applications in construction industry. The uses of Benmoreite in construction industry include As dimension stone, Cobblestones, Rail track ballast, 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 Benmoreite and Skarn
Here you can know more about Benmoreite and Skarn. The life cycle of a rock consists of formation of rock, composition of rock and transformation of rock. The composition of Benmoreite and Skarn consists of mineral content and compound content. The mineral content of Benmoreite includes Alkali feldspar, Biotite, Olivine, Plagioclase, Pyroxene, Sodic plagioclase 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 Benmoreite vs Skarn, the texture, color and appearance plays an important role in determining the type of rock. Benmoreite is available in black, brown, light to dark grey colors whereas, Skarn is available in black, brown, colourless, green, grey, white colors. Appearance of Benmoreite is Rough and Dull and that of Skarn is Dull. Properties of rock is another aspect for Benmoreite vs Skarn. The hardness of Benmoreite is 6 and that of Skarn is 6.5. The types of Benmoreite are Alkaline Basalt, Boninite, High Alumina Basalt, Mid Ocean Ridge Basalt (MORB) and Tholeiitic Basalt 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 Benmoreite is black while that of Skarn is light to dark brown. The specific heat capacity of Benmoreite is 0.84 kJ/Kg K 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.Benmoreite is heat resistant, pressure resistant, wear resistant whereas Skarn is heat resistant.