Definition
Blueschist is a metamorphic rock which is generally blue in color and is formed under conditions of high pressure and low temperature
Gossan is intensely oxidized, weathered or decomposed rock, usually the upper and exposed part of an ore deposit or mineral vein.
Discoverer
Edgar Bailey
Cornish Gossen
Etymology
From French schiste, Greek skhistos i.e. split
From Cornish gossen from gos, blood from Old Cornish guit
Class
Metamorphic Rocks
Metamorphic Rocks
Sub-Class
Durable Rock, Medium Hardness Rock
Durable Rock, Medium Hardness Rock
Group
Not Applicable
Not Applicable
Other Categories
Fine Grained Rock, Medium Grained Rock, Opaque Rock
Fine Grained Rock, Medium Grained Rock, Opaque Rock
Texture
Foliated
Rough, Sandy
Color
Blue, Bluish - Grey, Purple, Shades of Blue
Brown, Brown- Black, Gold, Green, Rust
Durability
Durable
Durable
Appearance
Dull and Banded
Dull and Banded
Interior Uses
Floor Tiles, Flooring, Homes, Hotels, Kitchens
Countertops, Decorative Aggregates, Interior Decoration
Exterior Uses
Garden Decoration, Office Buildings
As Building Stone, As Facing Stone, Paving Stone, Garden Decoration, Office Buildings
Other Architectural Uses
Not Yet Used
Curbing
Construction Industry
As Dimension Stone, Cobblestones, Rail Track Ballast, Roadstone
As Dimension Stone, Cement Manufacture, Construction Aggregate, for Road Aggregate
Medical Industry
Not Yet Used
Not Yet Used
Antiquity Uses
Artifacts, Monuments, Sculpture
Artifacts
Commercial Uses
Cemetery Markers, Commemorative Tablets, Creating Artwork, Curling, Tombstones
Cemetery Markers, Commemorative Tablets, Gemstone
Types
Not Available
Translocated gossan and Leakage gossan
Features
Has High structural resistance against erosion and climate, Very fine grained rock
Clasts are smooth to touch, Easily splits into thin plates
Archaeological Significance
Monuments
Used
Not Yet Used
Famous Monuments
Data Not Available
Not Applicable
Sculpture
Used
Not Yet Used
Famous Sculptures
Data Not Available
Not Applicable
Figurines
Used
Not Yet Used
Formation
Blueschist forms due to the metamorphism of basalt and other rocks with similar composition at high pressures and low temperatures and approximately corresponding to a depth of 15 to 30 kilometers and 200 to 500 °C.
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
Albite, Chlorite, Epidote, Garnet, Glaucophane, Lawsonite, Muscovite or Illite, Quartz
Apatite, Augite, Biotite, Bronzite, Calcite, Chert, Epidote, Feldspar, Hornblende, Micas, Plagioclase, Pyroxene, Quartz, Sulfides, Zircon
Compound Content
Aluminium Oxide, CaO, Iron(III) Oxide, FeO, Potassium Oxide, MgO, MnO, Sodium Oxide, Phosphorus Pentoxide, Silicon Dioxide, Titanium Dioxide
Aluminium Oxide, CaO, Fe, FeO, Silicon Dioxide, Sulphur
Types of Metamorphism
Not Applicable
Not Applicable
Types of Weathering
Mechanical Weathering
Not Applicable
Types of Erosion
Chemical Erosion, Coastal Erosion, Water Erosion, Wind Erosion
Chemical Erosion, Sea Erosion, Wind Erosion
Grain Size
Fine to Medium Grained
Fine to Medium Grained
Fracture
Conchoidal
Conchoidal
Streak
White to Grey
White to Grey
Porosity
Highly Porous
Highly Porous
Cleavage
Slaty
Not Available
Toughness
1.5
Not Available
Specific Gravity
3-3.2
2.0
Transparency
Opaque
Opaque
Density
2.8-2.9 g/cm3
Not Available
Specific Heat Capacity
Not Available
Resistance
Impact Resistant, Pressure Resistant
Heat Resistant, Impact Resistant, Pressure Resistant
Deposits in Eastern Continents
Asia
Japan, Turkey
China, India, Indonesia, Russia, Singapore, South Korea
Africa
Egypt, Ethiopia, South Africa
Cape Verde, Ethiopia, Ghana, South Africa, Western Africa
Europe
France, Greece, Iceland
Albania, France, Germany, Great Britain, United Kingdom
Others
Not Yet Found
Not Yet Found
Deposits in Western Continents
North America
USA
Canada, USA
South America
Not Yet Found
Brazil, Colombia, Ecuador
Deposits in Oceania Continent
Australia
New Zealand
New South Wales, South Australia, Western Australia
All about Blueschist and Gossan Properties
Know all about Blueschist and Gossan properties here. All properties of rocks are important as they define the type of rock and its application. Blueschist and Gossan belong to Metamorphic Rocks.Texture of Blueschist is Foliated whereas that of Gossan is Rough, Sandy. Blueschist appears Dull and Banded and Gossan appears Dull and Banded. The luster of Blueschist is dull while that of Gossan is metallic. Blueschist is available in blue, bluish - grey, purple, shades of blue colors whereas Gossan is available in brown, brown- black, gold, green, rust colors. The commercial uses of Blueschist are cemetery markers, commemorative tablets, creating artwork, curling, tombstones and that of Gossan are cemetery markers, commemorative tablets, gemstone.