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Charnockite and Skarn


Skarn and Charnockite


Definition

Definition
Charnockite is a variety of granite containing minerals like orthopyroxene, quartz, and feldspar  
Skarns are formed during regional or contact metamorphism and from a variety of metasomatic processes involving fluids of magmatic, metamorphic, and/or marine origin  

History
  
  

Origin
Tamil Nadu, India  
USA, Australia  

Discoverer
T. H. Holland  
Tornebohm  

Etymology
From Job Charnock, an administtrator of East India Company  
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, Hard Rock  
Durable Rock, Hard Rock  

Family
  
  

Group
Plutonic  
-  

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

Texture

Texture
Granular  
Earthy, Mud-rich, Rough  

Color
Black, Grey, Orange, Pink, White  
Black, Brown, Green, Grey, White  

Maintenance
Less  
Less  

Durability
Durable  
Durable  

Water Resistant
No  
Yes  

Scratch Resistant
Yes  
Yes  

Stain Resistant
Yes  
No  

Wind Resistant
No  
Yes  

Acid Resistant
Yes  
Yes  

Appearance
Veined or Pebbled  
Dull  

Uses

Architecture
  
  

Interior Uses
Bathrooms, Countertops, Decorative Aggregates, Entryways, Floor Tiles, Homes, Hotels, Kitchens, Stair Treads  
Decorative Aggregates, Entryways, Interior Decoration  

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

Other Architectural Uses
Curbing  
Curbing  

Industry
  
  

Construction Industry
As Dimension Stone  
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
-  
-  

Antiquity Uses
Artifacts, Monuments, Sculpture, Small Figurines  
Artifacts, Monuments, Sculpture  

Other Uses
  
  

Commercial Uses
Curling, Gemstone, Laboratory bench tops, Tombstones  
Creating Artwork, Gemstone, Jewelry, Metallurgical Flux, Source of Magnesia (MgO)  

Types

Types
Enderbite  
Endoskarns  

Features
Available in Lots of Colors and Patterns, It is One of the Oldest, Strongest and Hardest Rock  
Host Rock for Lead, Zinc and Copper Deposits  

Archaeological Significance
  
  

Monuments
-  
-  

Famous Monuments
-  
-  

Sculpture
-  
-  

Famous Sculptures
-  
-  

Pictographs
-  
-  

Petroglyphs
-  
-  

Figurines
-  
-  

Fossils
Absent  
Absent  

Formation

Formation
Charnockite is an intrusive igneous rock which is very hard and is formed due to weathering of existing 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.  

Composition
  
  

Mineral Content
Amphibole, Biotite, Feldspar, Hornblade, Micas, Muscovite or Illite, Olivine, Plagioclase, Pyroxene, Quartz  
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  

Transformation
  
  

Metamorphism
Yes  
Yes  

Types of Metamorphism
Burial Metamorphism, Contact Metamorphism, Regional Metamorphism  
Burial Metamorphism, Cataclastic Metamorphism, Contact Metamorphism, Hydrothermal Metamorphism, Impact Metamorphism, Regional Metamorphism  

Weathering
Yes  
No  

Types of Weathering
Biological Weathering  
-  

Erosion
Yes  
No  

Types of Erosion
Chemical Erosion, Water Erosion, Wind Erosion  
-  

Properties

Physical Properties
  
  

Hardness
6-7  
6.5  

Grain Size
Coarse Grained  
Fine Grained  

Fracture
-  
Irregular  

Streak
White  
Light to dark brown  

Porosity
Very Less Porous  
Less Porous  

Luster
-  
Waxy and Dull  

Compressive Strength
190.00 N/mm2  
15
70.00 N/mm2  
35

Cleavage
-  
Slaty  

Toughness
-  
2.4  

Specific Gravity
-9999  
2.86  

Transparency
Opaque  
Opaque  

Density
2.6 g/cm3  
2.8-2.9 g/cm3  

Thermal Properties
  
  

Specific Heat Capacity
0.84 kJ/Kg K  
15
0.92 kJ/Kg K  
10

Resistance
Heat Resistant, Wear Resistant  
Heat Resistant  

Reserves

Deposits in Eastern Continents
  
  

Asia
India  
China, India, Russia, Saudi Arabia, South Korea, Sri Lanka  

Africa
East Africa, Ethiopia, Madagascar, Morocco, Mozambique  
South Africa, Western Africa  

Europe
Albania, Romania, Scotland, United Kingdom  
United Kingdom  

Others
-  
-  

Deposits in Western Continents
  
  

North America
USA  
Canada  

South America
Brazil, Colombia, Venezuela  
Brazil, Colombia, Paraguay  

Deposits in Oceania Continent
  
  

Australia
Central Australia, Western Australia  
Central Australia, Western Australia  

Summary >>
<< Reserves

All about Charnockite and Skarn Properties

Know all about Charnockite and Skarn properties here. All properties of rocks are important as they define the type of rock and its application. Charnockite belongs to Igneous Rocks while Skarn belongs to Metamorphic Rocks.Texture of Charnockite is Granular whereas that of Skarn is Earthy, Mud-rich, Rough. Charnockite appears Veined or Pebbled and Skarn appears Dull. The luster of Charnockite is while that of Skarn is waxy and dull. Charnockite is available in black, grey, orange, pink, white colors whereas Skarn is available in black, brown, green, grey, white colors. The commercial uses of Charnockite are curling, gemstone, laboratory bench tops, tombstones and that of Skarn are creating artwork, gemstone, jewelry, metallurgical flux, source of magnesia (mgo).

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