Definition
Carbonatite is intrusive or extrusive igneous rock which is defined by mineralogic composition, consisting of greater than 50 percent carbonate minerals
Hornfels is a metamorphic rock formed by the contact between mudstone or other clay rich rock, and a hot igneous body, and represents a heat altered equivalent of the original rock
Origin
Tanzania
New Zealand
Discoverer
Unknown
Unknown
Etymology
From any intrusive igneous rock, having a majority of carbonate minerals
From German which means hornstone
Class
Igneous Rocks
Metamorphic Rocks
Sub-Class
Durable Rock, Soft Rock
Durable Rock, Soft Rock
Other Categories
Coarse Grained Rock, Fine Grained Rock, Medium Grained Rock, Opaque Rock
Fine Grained Rock, Opaque Rock
Texture
Granular, Poikiloblastic
Granular, Platy
Color
Black, Brown, Green, Grey, Pink, White
Brown, Dark Greenish - Grey, Green, Reddish Brown
Durability
Durable
Durable
Appearance
Dull, Banded and Foilated
Dull
Interior Uses
Decorative Aggregates, Interior Decoration
Decorative Aggregates, Flooring, Homes, Interior Decoration
Exterior Uses
As Facing Stone, Garden Decoration
As Building Stone, As Facing Stone, Garden Decoration, Office Buildings, Paving Stone
Other Architectural Uses
Curbing
Curbing
Construction Industry
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, Cement Manufacture, for Road Aggregate, Making natural cement, Manufacture of Magnesium and Dolomite Refractories
for Road Aggregate, Roadstone
Medical Industry
Taken as a Supplement for Calcium or Magnesium
-
Antiquity Uses
Artifacts
Artifacts, Monuments
Commercial Uses
An Oil and Gas Reservoir, As a Feed Additive for Livestock, Gemstone, Metallurgical Flux
Cemetery Markers, Commemorative Tablets, Creating Artwork
Types
Carbonatite
Biotite hornfels
Features
Available in lots of colors, Generally rough to touch, Is one of the oldest rock
Smooth to touch
Archaeological Significance
Formation
Carbonatites are intrusive or extrusive igneous rocks which are defined by mineralogic composition consisting of greater than 50 percent carbonate minerals and are formed due to low degrees of partial melting of rocks.
Due to change in environmental conditions, rocks are heated and pressurized deep inside the Earth's surface. Hornfels is formed from the extreme heat caused by magma or by the intense collisions and friction of tectonic plates.
Mineral Content
Ancylite, Apatite, Barite, Fluorite, Magnetite, Natrolite, Sodalite
Andalusite
Compound Content
CaO, Carbon Dioxide, Sodium Oxide
Fe, Mg
Types of Metamorphism
Burial Metamorphism, Contact Metamorphism
-
Types of Weathering
Biological Weathering, Chemical Weathering, Mechanical Weathering
Biological Weathering
Types of Erosion
Chemical Erosion, Wind Erosion
Chemical Erosion, Glacier Erosion, Sea Erosion, Water Erosion, Wind Erosion
Grain Size
Medium to Fine Coarse Grained
Fine Grained
Fracture
Conchoidal
Conchoidal
Porosity
Less Porous
Highly Porous
Luster
Subvitreous to Dull
Shiny
Specific Gravity
2.86-2.87
3.4-3.9
Transparency
Opaque
Opaque
Density
2.84-2.86 g/cm3
0.25-0.30 g/cm3
Resistance
Heat Resistant, Pressure Resistant, Water Resistant
Heat Resistant, Impact Resistant, Pressure Resistant
Deposits in Eastern Continents
Asia
China, India, Kazakhstan, Mongolia, Russia, Uzbekistan
Bangladesh, Bhutan, China, India, North Korea, Qatar, Russia, Saudi Arabia, South Korea, Thailand
Africa
Namibia, Nigeria, South Africa
Cameroon, East Africa, Tanzania, Western Africa
Europe
Austria, Denmark, Germany, Great Britain, Netherlands, Norway, Poland, Sweden, Switzerland, United Kingdom
United Kingdom
Deposits in Western Continents
North America
Canada, USA
Canada, USA
South America
Brazil
Bolivia, Brazil, Colombia, Ecuador
Deposits in Oceania Continent
Australia
New South Wales, New Zealand
New South Wales, New Zealand, Queensland, Western Australia
Carbonatite vs Hornfels 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. Carbonatite vs Hornfels characteristics assist us to distinguish and recognize rocks. Also you can check about Properties of Carbonatite and Properties of Hornfels. Learn more about Carbonatite vs Hornfels in the next section. The interior uses of Carbonatite include Decorative aggregates and Interior decoration whereas the interior uses of Hornfels include Decorative aggregates, Flooring, Homes and Interior decoration. Due to some exceptional properties of Carbonatite and Hornfels, they have various applications in construction industry. The uses of Carbonatite in construction industry 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, Cement manufacture, For road aggregate, Making natural cement, Manufacture of magnesium and dolomite refractories and that of Hornfels include For road aggregate, Roadstone.
More about Carbonatite and Hornfels
Here you can know more about Carbonatite and Hornfels. The life cycle of a rock consists of formation of rock, composition of rock and transformation of rock. The composition of Carbonatite and Hornfels consists of mineral content and compound content. The mineral content of Carbonatite includes Ancylite, Apatite, Barite, Fluorite, Magnetite, Natrolite, Sodalite and mineral content of Hornfels includes Andalusite. You can also check out the list of all Igneous Rocks. When we have to compare Carbonatite vs Hornfels, the texture, color and appearance plays an important role in determining the type of rock. Carbonatite is available in black, brown, green, grey, pink, white colors whereas, Hornfels is available in brown, dark greenish - grey, green, reddish brown colors. Appearance of Carbonatite is Dull, Banded and Foilated and that of Hornfels is Dull. Properties of rock is another aspect for Carbonatite vs Hornfels. The hardness of Carbonatite is 3 and that of Hornfels is 2-3. The types of Carbonatite are Carbonatite whereas types of Hornfels are Biotite hornfels. Streak of rock is the color of powder produced when it is dragged across an unweathered surface. The streak of Carbonatite is white while that of Hornfels is . The specific heat capacity of Carbonatite is 0.51 kJ/Kg K and that of Hornfels is 0.84 kJ/Kg K. Depending on the properties like hardness, toughness, specific heat capacity, porosity etc., rocks are resistant to heat, wear, impact, etc.Carbonatite is heat resistant, pressure resistant, water resistant whereas Hornfels is heat resistant, impact resistant, pressure resistant.