Felsite

Gossan

Felsite and Gossan

Felsite

Gossan

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Definition

Felsite is a very fine grained volcanic rock that may or may not contain larger crystals and light colored rock that typically requires petrographic examination or chemical analysis for more precise definition

Gossan is intensely oxidized, weathered or decomposed rock, usually the upper and exposed part of an ore deposit or mineral vein.

History

Origin

Indonesia

Discoverer

Unknown

Cornish Gossen

Etymology

From English feldspar and -ite

From Cornish gossen from gos, blood from Old Cornish guit

Class

Igneous Rocks

Metamorphic Rocks

Sub-Class

Durable Rock, Medium Hardness Rock

Family

Group

Volcanic

Other Categories

Fine Grained Rock, Opaque Rock

Fine Grained Rock, Medium Grained Rock, Opaque Rock

Texture

Arborescent Patterned, Vitreous

Rough, Sandy

Color

Black, Blue, Brown, Green, Orange, Red, Tan, Yellow

Brown, Brown- Black, Gold, Green, Rust

Maintenance

Less

Durability

Durable

Water Resistant

✔ ✘

Scratch Resistant

✔ ✘

Stain Resistant

✔ ✘

Wind Resistant

✔ ✘

Acid Resistant

✔ ✘

Appearance

Layered, Banded, Veined and Shiny

Dull and Banded

Uses

Architecture

Interior Uses

Decorative Aggregates, Flooring, Interior Decoration

Countertops, Decorative Aggregates, Interior Decoration

Exterior Uses

Paving Stone, Garden Decoration

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

Other Architectural Uses

Curbing

Industry

Construction Industry

Arrowheads, Cutting Tool, Knives, Scrapers, Spear Points

As Dimension Stone, Cement Manufacture, Construction Aggregate, for Road Aggregate

Medical Industry

Surgery

Antiquity Uses

Artifacts

Other Uses

Commercial Uses

Mirror, Jewelry

Cemetery Markers, Commemorative Tablets, Gemstone

Types

Igneous rock

Translocated gossan and Leakage gossan

Features

Available in Lots of Colors and Patterns, Clasts are smooth to touch, Splintery, Very fine grained rock

Clasts are smooth to touch, Easily splits into thin plates

Archaeological Significance

Monuments

Famous Monuments

Sculpture

Famous Sculptures

Pictographs

Petroglyphs

Figurines

Fossils

Absent

Formation

Felsite is a fine-grained, hard rock which is a type of metasomatite, essentially altered basalt. It forms with or without crystallization, either below the surface as intrusive rocks or on the surface as extrusive rocks.

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

Feldspar, Iron Oxides

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

Transformation

Metamorphism

✔ ✘

Types of Metamorphism

Burial Metamorphism, Contact Metamorphism, Impact Metamorphism, Regional Metamorphism

Weathering

✔ ✘

Types of Weathering

Biological Weathering, Chemical Weathering, Mechanical Weathering

Erosion

✔ ✘

Types of Erosion

Chemical Erosion, Glacier Erosion, Water Erosion

Chemical Erosion, Sea Erosion, Wind Erosion

Properties

Physical Properties

Hardness

5-5.54-5

1 7

👆🏻

Grain Size

Fine Grained

Fine to Medium Grained

Fracture

Conchoidal

Streak

White

White to Grey

Porosity

Very Less Porous

Highly Porous

Luster

Vitreous

Metallic

Compressive Strength

0.15 N/mm²-

0.15 450

👆🏻

Cleavage

Toughness

Specific Gravity

2.6-2.72.0

0 8.4

👆🏻

Transparency

Translucent

Opaque

Density

2.6 g/cm³-9999 g/cm³

0 1400

👆🏻

Thermal Properties

Specific Heat Capacity

0.92 kJ/Kg K0.24 kJ/Kg K

0.14 3.2

👆🏻

Resistance

Heat Resistant, Impact Resistant

Heat Resistant, Impact Resistant, Pressure Resistant

Reserves

Deposits in Eastern Continents

Asia

Afghanistan, Indonesia, Japan, Russia

China, India, Indonesia, Russia, Singapore, South Korea

Africa

Kenya

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

Europe

Greece, Hungary, Iceland, Italy, Turkey

Albania, France, Germany, Great Britain, United Kingdom

Others

Deposits in Western Continents

North America

Canada, Mexico, USA

Canada, USA

South America

Argentina, Chile, Ecuador, Peru

Brazil, Colombia, Ecuador

Deposits in Oceania Continent

Australia

New Zealand

New South Wales, South Australia, Western Australia

All about Felsite and Gossan Properties

Know all about Felsite and Gossan properties here. All properties of rocks are important as they define the type of rock and its application. Felsite belongs to Igneous Rocks while Gossan belongs to Metamorphic Rocks.Texture of Felsite is Arborescent Patterned, Vitreous whereas that of Gossan is Rough, Sandy. Felsite appears Layered, Banded, Veined and Shiny and Gossan appears Dull and Banded. The luster of Felsite is vitreous while that of Gossan is metallic. Felsite is available in black, blue, brown, green, orange, red, tan, yellow colors whereas Gossan is available in brown, brown- black, gold, green, rust colors. The commercial uses of Felsite are mirror, jewelry and that of Gossan are cemetery markers, commemorative tablets, gemstone.